Joel Klatt releases polarizing College Football Playoff 12-team field prediction entering November
Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt released a new, polarizing College Football Playoff 12-team field after Week 9 of college football. Now that the calendar is about to turn to November, Klatt has a brand new set of predictions.
The top four teams are run by the Big Ten and SEC with conference champs and at-larges. If you’re a conference champ elsewhere, get ready to play in the first round buddy!
So, let’s dive into the latest College Football Playoff predictions, courtesy of Klatt. We’ll start with the first round matchups.
College Football Playoff First Round Game #1
A rematch! That’s right, South Florida gets into the playoff, despite being unranked right now and having a recent loss to Memphis. They’d have to win out and get a little help to make the AAC Championship Game, but Klatt is still banking on them.
Miami already beat down the Bulls in the regular season, so perhaps they could do so again. But, the Hurricanes are a little more vulnerable after losing to Louisville a couple of weeks ago. Still, they make the College Football Playoff for the first time as ACC champions in this projection.
College Football Playoff First Round Game #2
No. 11 Notre Dame at No. 6 Georgia
Notre Dame is probably only getting in with a 10-2 record at this point. But even with that, Klatt has them as a lower seed in the College Football Playoff.
To make another run, they’ll have to start in Georgia in a rematch of last year’s CFP quarterfinals. The Bulldogs get in as an at-large and have been dangerous on offense with QB Gunner Stockton.
College Football Playoff First Round Game #3
No. 10 Oregon at No. 7 Texas Tech
Oregon gets an at-large bid as well, grabbing the 10th seed in the College Football Playoff. It’s a bit different coma[red to their top seed in 2024, but they lost head to head to Indiana and might not even get a crack at the Big Ten title.
Texas Tech is the projected Big 12 champion over BYU. Whether they beat them twice or split with them, but win the latter, remains to be seen. But that seems to be the way the Big 12 is shaping up right now.
College Football Playoff First Round Game #4
No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ole Miss
An all-SEC matchup here in the first round as Josh Heupel and Lane Kiffin square off. Klatt likes Tennessee to get back to the College Football Playoff while the Rebels make their first trip.
The two teams did not square off this season and the assumption is Tennessee is 10-2 while Ole Miss is 10-2 or 11-1 without making the SEC Championship Game due to tiebreakers. This would be a fascinating matchup.
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No. 1 Ohio State vs. Ole Miss/Tennessee
Ohio State grabs the top seed in Klatt’s College Football Playoff predictions. The defending champs will win the Big Ten and likely be 13-0 and get a first round bye.
They await Ole Miss or Tennessee (in a rematch of last year’s first round). But it might be a movie if Lane Kiffin and the Rebels have to go to Columbus.
No. 2 Texas A&M vs. Texas Tech/Oregon
The Aggies are the projected No. 2 seed in Klatt’s College Football Playoff predictions. Funny enough, a 13-0 Texas A&M team might not even get the top seed if Ohio State is 13-0 as well.
Still, Mike Elko could be a top candidate for Coach of the Year as this team just keeps winning. They have some tough games against Missouri and Texas remaining though.
No. 3 Indiana vs. Georgia/Notre Dame
The Hoosiers are the projected Big Ten runner-ups to Ohio State this year. But they’ll make the College Football Playoff for the second straight year.
Right now, Indiana is 8-0 and 19-2 in nearly two seasons under Curt Cignetti. Does it feel inevitable they win the whole thing at some point?
No. 4 Alabama vs. Miami/USF
Alabama has won seven games in a row since losing to Florida State. While it doesn’t look like a good loss right now, Kalen DeBoer and crew are hot.
They are the SEC runner-ups in this College Football Playoff prediction, likely getting the No. 4 seed at 11-2 with just a loss to champion Texas A&M after winning 11 in a row, hypothetically. Kalen DeBoer has righted the ship since the beginning.