College Football Playoff 2023-’24: Final CFP rankings, CFP Semifinal predictions

Who will make the College Football Playoff in 2024? We finally have our answer to who will be participating in the 2023-’24 CFB Playoff.

With the 2023 college football regular season and conference championship games over, it’s time to look at the final College Football Playoff picture before the official CFP rankings come out on Sunday.

Also Read: Does USC And Lincoln Riley Have A Recruiting Problem?

College Football Playoff odds 2023

Here are the latest national championship odds in college football, per BetMGM.

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2023-’24 college football playoffs, including the schedule for January and our playoff bracket predictions.

College Football Playoffs rankings 2023-’24

College Football Playoff Predictions

Our predictions for the 2023-’24 college football playoff bracket is based on our top-25 rankings and our projections for the upcoming season. As always, we’ll provide weekly updated projections and begin releasing our own playoff rankings in October. When the official CFP rankings are released, you can find them here.

Sugar Bowl: (2) Washington Huskies over (3) Texas Longhorns

Nearly a double-digit underdog against Oregon, Michael Penix Jr. and the Washington Huskies responded with another victory. Washington isn’t just undefeated, it has one of the strongest resumes in college football and easily belongs a tier above Florida State. With a matchup against Texas in the Sugar Bowl, Penix Jr. and Washington have a legitimate shot at advancing to the national championship game.

The Texas Longhorns made a statement in the Big 12 Championship Game, utterly dismantling Oklahoma State. While the Longhorns have been perfect since that loss to Oklahoma, they really lacked the game that demonstrated their dominance. We saw it on Saturday afternoon and with Georgia losing in the SEC title game, Texas earned a top-four spot in the College Football Playoff.

• Sugar Bowl prediction: Washington Huskies 31, Texas Longhorns 28

Rose Bowl: (4) Alabama Crimson Tide over (1) Georgia Bulldogs

The Michigan Wolverines are one of the best teams in college football, especially with Jim Harbaugh back on the sideline. While we’ve lost some confidence in J.J. McCarthy, he’s still a high-end college quarterback who can make some money throws in big spots. What separates Michigan from Washington is the Wolverines’ defense and run game. We’re projecting a CFP Semifinal matchup against Alabama and the committee felt the same.

The Alabama Crimson Tide played like one of the four best teams in college football from October on and they went into the SEC Championship Game and snapped Georgia’s historic 29-game winning streak. Florida State earned a spot in the CFP Semifinal with its undefeated record and ACC title, but Alabama is the healthier and better football team. Let’s not forget, the CFP committee cares about the entertainment product and TV ratings, whether that’s admitted or not. Alabama is a better team than Florida State without Jordan Travis and the Crimson Tide are a better matchup for Michigan.

• Rose Bowl prediction: Alabama Crimson Tide 27, Michigan Wolverines 24

CFP National Championship: (4) Alabama Crimson Tide 34, (2) Washington Huskies 31

College Football Playoff outlook

Which 4 teams are in the College Football Playoffs?

The Michigan Wolverines, Washington Huskies, Texas Longhorns and Alabama Crimson Tide are in the College Football Playoffs.

Who is No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings?

The Michigan Wolverines are No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2023 season.

College Football Playoff schedule 2024

Here’s the three-game schedule for the 2023-’24 CFB Playoffs.

• Rose Bowl – Monday, January 1 – 5 PM ET – ESPN
• Sugar Bowl – Monday, January 1 – 8:45 PM ET – ESPN
• National Championship Game: Monday, January 8 – TBA – ESPN

Related: College football games today

When are the College Football Playoffs?

The 2024 College Football Playoffs begin on January 1 with the Rose Bowl (5 PM ET) and the Sugar Bowl (8:45 PM ET) and concludes with the CFP National Championship Game on Monday, January 8 at 7:30 PM ET.

CFP Playoff schedule

Date	Bowl Game	Location	Time (ET)	TV Info
Monday, Jan. 1, 2024	Alabama vs Michigan	Pasadena, California	5:00 PM	ESPN
Monday, Jan. 1, 2024	Texas vs Washington	New Orleans, Louisiana	8:45 PM	ESPN
Monday, Jan. 8, 2024	National Championship	Houston, Texas	TBA	ESPN

College Football Playoff history

Here is everything you need to know about the history of the CFB Playoff since it began.

College Football Playoff results by year

• 2022 CFB Playoffs
  • Fiesta Bowl: (3) TCU) 51, (2) Michigan 45
  • Peach Bowl: (1) Georgia 42, (2) Ohio State 41
  • Championship: (1) Georgia 65, (3) TCU 7
• 2021 CFB Playoffs
  • Cotton Bowl: (1) Alabama 27, (4) Cincinnati 6
  • Orange Bowl: (3) Georgia 34, (2) Michigan 11
  • Championship: (3) Georgia 33, (1) Alabama 13
• 2020 CFB Playoffs
  • Sugar Bowl: (3) Ohio State 49, (2) Clemson 28
  • Rose Bowl: (1) Alabama 31, (4) Notre Dame 14
  • Championship: (1) Alabama 52, (3) Ohio State 24
• 2019 CFB Playoffs
  • Peach Bowl: (1) LSU 63, (4) Oklahoma 28
  • Fiesta Bowl: (3) Clemson 29, (2) Ohio State 23
  • Championship: (1) LSU 42, (3) Clemson 25
• 2018 CFB Playoffs
  • Orange Bowl: (1) Alabama 35, (4) Oklahoma 34
  • Cotton Bowl: (2) Clemson 30, (3) Notre Dame 3
  • Championship: (2) Clemson 44, (1) Alabama 16
• 2017 CFB Playoffs
  • Rose Bowl: (3) Georgia 54, (2) Oklahoma 48 — DOUBLE OVERTIME
  • Sugar Bowl: (4) Alabama 24, (1) Clemson 6
  • Championship: (4) Alabama 26, (3) Georgia 23 — OVERTIME
• 2016 CFB Playoffs
  • Peach Bowl: (1) Alabama 24, (4) Washington 7
  • Fiesta Bowl: (2) Clemson 31, (3) Ohio State 0
  • Championship: (2) Clemson 35, (1) Alabama 31
• 2015 CFB Playoffs
  • Orange Bowl: (1) Clemson 37, (4) Oklahoma 17
  • Cotton Bowl: (2) Alabama 38, (3) Michigan State 0
  • Championship: (2) Alabama 45, (1) Clemson 40
• 2014 CFB Playoffs
  • Rose Bowl: (2) Oregon 59, (3) Florida State 20
  • Sugar Bowl: (4) Ohio State 42, (1) Alabama 35
  • Championship: (4) Ohio State 42, (2) Oregon 20

What teams have won the College Football Playoffs?

The Ohio State Buckeyes (2014), LSU Tigers (2019), Alabama Crimson Tide (2015, ’17 and 2020), Clemson Tigers (2016, ’18) and Georgia Bulldogs (2021-’22) have all won the College Football Playoff.

Related: Heisman Trophy winners

What college football team has been th the playoffs the most?

The Alabama Crimson Tide have the most College Football Playoff appearances (seven) and the most CFP wins (nine) in NCAA history.

How many years has there been a College Football Playoff?

The College Football Playoff has been around for 10 years, including the upcoming 2024 CFP.

Has the number one seed ever won the College Football Playoff?

The No. 1 seed has won the College Football Playoff three times in nine years. The No. 2 seed has won three times, the No. 4 seed has won twice and the No. 3 seed has won once.

How much does the College Football playoff payout 2023?

Each team that makes the College Football Playoff is rewarded with $6 million from the CFP. Each conference also receives $6 million for each team that makes the playoffs.

When will the College Football Playoffs expand?

The CFP Playoff is expanding to 12 teams, delivering exactly what college football fans wanted for years. However, it won’t be happening immediately.

A 12-team College Football Playoff is set to happen in 2026 following the unanimous ruling from the CFP’s board of managers. However, there’s a possibility the new format will happen earlier. If the 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame’s athletic director can approve key logistics of playoff expansion, we could see a 12-team bracket by 2024.