After the bowl season and playoffs wrapped up, the Big Ten secured the most wins with 11 while the AAC secured the best record at 6-2. Here's a look at the conference bowl records briefly.
AAC 6-2
MAC 5-2
Big Ten 11-6
SEC 8-6
Sun Belt 4-3
Big 12 4-5
ACC 2-11
CUSA 1-4
Mountain West 1-4
SEC (+8)
Big Ten (+4)
Big 12 (+4)
ACC (+3)
Sun Belt (+1)
AAC (-1)
MAC (-1)
MWC (-2)
CUSA (-3)
One final note before the rankings are revealed, the new format of the playoffs has a lot of conferences and college football reconsidering how things are done. Starting with this poll, the rankings will receive a slight tweak considering the total number of wins is more valuable than the overall winning percentage since teams are now playing various games. I will also be placing the National Champ at number 1, no matter if their WA is lower than number 2. This change also prevents a team not in the CFP Final from finishing number one as UCF did in 2017, though we are willing to acknowledge the Knights National Championship banner.
1. Ohio State (14-2, 50.6 WA, 30.5 LA) *National Champs
Preseason Rank: 2
Prediction: 10-2
Bowl Game: CFP 1st Round (W Tennesee 42-17) 2nd Round (W Oregon 41-21), Semis (W Texas 28-14), Final (W Notre Dame 34-23)
Recap: No one really knew how to take Ohio State as they played an incredibly soft schedule before losing a tough road game at Oregon by one. They redeemed themselves with a win over Penn State and look poised for a rematch with the Ducks in the Big Ten Championship. Then came the gut punch from the Michigan Wolverines which seemed to wake up a sleeping giant. The benefit of the expanded playoffs was the ability to get to the postseason without making a conference title. They even got to host a home game in December which had many Tennessee fans jawing about how they would take over a disgruntled Columbus and run the Buckeyes out of the playoffs. As fans were clamoring for Ryan Day's head, the Buckeyes were ready to show they belonged in the playoffs with a dismantling of the Volunteers. They followed that with an absolute domination of the Ducks team that beat them just months before. Jack Sawyer prevented the Longhorns from tying the game and set the record for the longest fumble return in a playoff game. Then came the National Championship and despite their attempts to blow the game late, Jeremiah Smith came through in the clutch to set up a Buckeyes win. As a Freshman, Smith hauled in 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 16 total touchdowns. The Natty is staying in the Big Ten.
2. Notre Dame (14-2, 49.1, 39.5)
Preseason Rank: 10
Prediction: 10-2
Bowl Game: CFP 1st Round (W Indiana 27-17), 2nd Round (W Georgia 23-10) Semis (W Penn State 27-24) Final (L Ohio State 34-23)
Recap: The Irish had a season to remember, but that doesn't mean it was perfect. Riley Leonard seemed to be the answer right away as he knocked off his old Duke coach, now the coach of Texas A&M to start the season. They followed that up with a shocking loss to Northern Illinois but then won 10 straight to close out the regular season. Since they are cowards and like to collect that NBC money, Notre Dame couldn't earn a first-round bye because they don't play in a conference. That didn't stop them from hosting the first home-site playoff game against in-state foe Indiana. They dispatched the Hoosiers and then made a statement against the SEC Champs (Georgia). They held off the Nittany Lions and earned their way back to the National Championship. Last time they embarrassed themselves against Alabama, but this time, they scored on a furious 10-minute drive to begin the game. Then they coughed up 31 unanswered points before attempting a comeback that fell short.
3. Oregon (13-1, 59.9, 8) *Big Ten Champs
Preseason Rank: 5
Prediction: 10-2
Bowl Game: CFP 2nd Round (L Ohio State 41-21)
Recap: The Ducks rolled through their first season in the Big Ten and even scored a big win over Ohio State in Eugene. Although they were far from their perfect record. It started with a sloppy win over Idaho (FCS) to begin the season and then a three-point win over Boise State. They nearly coughed up the perfect record on the road to the Wisconsin Badgers but held on and eventually beat Penn State in the Big Ten Championship. They were the obvious one-seed heading into the playoffs but opted to exit stage right at the Rose Bowl without much of a fight as the Buckeyes exacted their revenge.
4. Penn State (13-2, 61.2, 7)
Preseason Rank: 11
Prediction: 10-2
Bowl Game: CFP 1st Round (W SMU 38-10) 2nd Round (W Boise State 31-14) Semis (L Notre Dame 27-24)
Recap: For me, it was never a matter of if, it was when Drew Allar was going to blow it for the Nittany Lions. It was nearly early on as they needed everything to stave off Bowling Green, but then coasted through the Big Ten until they lost to Ohio State. In that game, Allar and company shot themselves in the foot repeatedly. They escaped a defeat at the hands of mayonnaise enthusiast PJ Fleck and Minnesota to earn a trip to the Big Ten Championship. There they hung around but couldn't upend the Ducks. Still, they earned a home playoff game and easily dispatched SMU in the first round. Then it was time to stymie Heisman runner-up, Ashton Jeanty and Boise State. Then it finally happened, Allar threw a costly interception that set up the win for Notre Dame and shut Penn State out of an all-Big Ten Championship.
5. Texas (13-3, 53.9, 14.3)
Preseason Rank: 4
Prediction: 11-1
Bowl Game: CFP 1st Round (W Clemson 38-24) 2nd Round (W ASU 39-31 2OT) Semis (L Ohio State 14-28)
Recap: Quinn Ewers had the Longhorns humming in their first season in the SEC. Unfortunately, they met their kryptonite in Georgia who took care of Texas in the regular season and in the SEC Championship. That overtime thriller would be a precursor to what they would see in the playoffs. First, they took care of Clemson easily in the first round, then they avoided a collapse against Arizona State. Texas needed double overtime to get rid of the Sun Devils and set up a showdown with Ohio State. The Longhorns were in the red zone looking to tie the game when Ewers' former roommate Jack Sawyer (not a big fan of Michigan flags I might add) strip-sacked the Texas QB and scooped and scored to end the Longhorns' playoff run. Next year, Texas looks to repeat with Arch Manning taking the reins.
6. Boise State (12-2, 79.3, 5) *Mountain West Champs
Preseason Rank: 33
Prediction: 10-2
Bowl Game: CFP 2nd Round (L Penn State 31-14)
Recap: Without Ashton Jeanty, this team doesn't come anywhere near the playoffs and we get to talk about how cool it is for Marshall or Army that they made the playoffs. Jeanty was a force to be reckoned with as he chased Barry Sanders's FBS record for rushing yards in a season. He finished just short but still amassed 2,601 yards on 374 carries while accounting for 30 touchdowns. The one-dimensional Broncos nearly picked off Oregon early in the year and rattled off 10 straight wins to make the Mountain West Championship. There they shut down UNLV to earn a first-round bye, while Jeanty watched his Heisman Trophy get handed to the two-way star Travis Hunter. In their playoff game, the Nittany Lions proved to be too much for Boise State, but Jeanty still managed 30 carries for 104 yards but had two fumbles including one that was recovered by Penn State.
7. Army (12-2, 97.3, 18) *AAC Champs
Preseason Rank: 87
Prediction: 7-5
Bowl Game: Independence Bowl (W 27-3 La Tech)
Recap: The Black Knights returned to a conference after being exiled from CUSA after the 2004 season. As usual, Army was one of the top teams in the ground game thanks to QB Bryson Daily. Though he was snubbed by Heisman voters and wasn't in the final four, he ran for over 1,600 yards and threw for over 1,000 while accounting for 41 touchdowns. The Army offense rolled to an undefeated season with a chance to prove they were for real, but their showdown with Notre Dame ended in a disastrous 49-14 loss. They still went on to make the AAC Championship where they throttled Tulane to capture their first conference crown. Despite being conference champs they still had one last regular season game against rival Navy, but it would be the Midshipmen who rained on their parade. Originally, they were set to play Marshall in the Independence Bowl, but after the Thundering Herd pulled out, they got a 5-win Louisiana Tech squad that was no match for Army.
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8. BYU (11-2, 74.6, 59.5)
Preseason Rank: 84
Prediction: 4-8
Bowl Game: Alamo Bowl (W Colorado 36-14)
Recap: The Cougars had all the luck in the world for most of the 2024 season. Ask Utah, Oklahoma State, Baylor, or SMU as BYU escaped narrowly week after week. They were finally caught on the other end of the spectrum, with two devastating losses to Kansas and Arizona State, which prevented them from the Big 12 Championship. They played in an alternate matchup of that game when they faced Colorado in the Alamo Bowl. The Cougars stifled Sheduer Sanders and Travis Hunter to coast to a 36-14 win over Coach Prime.
9. Indiana (11-2, 78.2, 6)
Preseason Rank: 86
Prediction: 4-8
Bowl Game: CFP First Round (L Notre Dame 27-17)
Recap: Curt Cignetti went from kicking butt at James Madison to bringing a bunch of Dukes over to Bloomington with him to do the same thing at Indiana. The Hoosiers scored wins over Michigan, UCLA, Nebraska, and Washington to set up a showdown with Ohio State. The Buckeyes exposed the weakness of the Hoosiers but everyone briefly forgot after they pummelled Purdue 66-0 to end the season. They earned a trip to Notre Dame in the playoffs and came alive too late in the game to earn a first-round exit. Still, the 11 wins were a school record and gave Indiana hope under Cignetti that they could compete in a crowded Big Ten.
10. Memphis (11-2, 90.4, 75)
Preseason Rank: 26
Prediction: 9-3
Bowl Game: Frisco Bowl (W West Virginia 42-37)
Recap: The Tigers had an interesting season scoring over 30 points in 9 of their 13 games. The wild part is that they scored 80 points in their two losses. The defense was sketchy, to say the least, but they still earned wins over Florida State, Tulane, and West Virginia though their Frisco Bowl win wasn't without controversy. It appeared that the Memphis defender fumbled the ball on an interception return to give West Virginia life, but it was ruled that he was in the act of sliding and it was a dead ball to give the Tigers the five-point win.
11. Arizona State (11-3, 60.8, 39) *Big 12 Champs
Preseason Rank: 108
Prediction: 3-9
Bowl Game: CFP Playoffs 2nd Round (L Texas 39-31 2OT)
Recap: Two words: Cam Skattebo. Those two words haunted defenses across the country and turned the Sun Devils from the laughing stock of the Pac-12 to the darlings of the Big 12. Skattebo ran 1,711 yards and added another 600 yards receiving. He found the endzone 24 and what's crazier is that he did this while still missing an entire game. Even stranger is that their only regular-season loss came at the hands of Cincinnati. Skattebo ran for 170 yards and scored three touchdowns in their route of Iowa State to win the Big 12 Championship and earn a bye in the CFP. They certainly looked rusty as Texas climbed out to a big lead, but Skattebo ran for two touchdowns and threw for another to send the game to double overtime. There the Longhorns' offense was too much to stop and an interception ended the Cinderella run for Arizona State.
12. Georgia (11-3, 63, 8) *SEC Champs
Preseason Rank: 1
Prediction: 11-1
Bowl Game: CFP Playoffs 2nd Round (L Notre Dame 23-10)
Recap: Georgia looked poised to win another SEC title after romping past Clemson in the season opener. Then they hit a bump with a loss to Alabama and finally lost to a team not named the Crimson Tide in SEC play when Ole Miss knocked them off in the rain. Still, they made the SEC Championship and beat Texas for a second time to take the crown. In that game, QB Carson Beck was injured and Gunner Stockton led them the rest of the way. They earned a first-round bye which continued to be a curse as Notre Dame used a big special teams play to pull off the upset. Beck then announced that he was transferring to Miami (FL).
13. Iowa State (11-3, 72, 56)
Preseason Rank: 37
Prediction: 8-4
Bowl Game: Pop Tarts Bowl (W Miami 42-41)
Recap: The Cyclones began the season 7-0 before hitting a snag with back-to-back losses to Texas Tech and Kansas. Iowa State righted the ship with wins over Cincinnati, Utah, and Kansas State to earn a spot in the Big 12 Championship. There, they were steamrolled by Cam Skattebo and instead of going to the playoffs got the next best thing...the Pop-Tarts Bowl! The Cyclones took full advantage of Miami QB Cam Ward deciding to only play one half as they prevented the Hurricanes from converting a conversion at the end of the game to hold on to a 42-41 win. Then they feasted on the recently toasted corpse of the Cinnamon Pop-Tart Mascot.
14. SMU (11-3, 72.9, 38)
Preseason Rank: 22
Prediction: 8-4
Bowl Game: CFP First Round (L Penn State 38-10)
Recap: The SMU Mustangs made themselves right at home in their new conference. Somehow they had a chance to do in one year what the Miami Hurricanes hadn't done in 20, win the ACC. They went undefeated in conference play and their lone loss was to BYU. That earned them the right to play perennial ACC Champ Clemson and the Tigers nearly ruined the Mustangs' dreams of a playoffs. The committee decided to reward SMU and not Alabama with the final spot in the CFP. That ended up proving to be perhaps a mistake as Penn State rolled to a 38-10 win in the first round.
15. Ohio (11-3, 83, 86) *MAC Champs
Preseason Rank: 75
Prediction: 7-5
Bowl Game: Cure Bowl (W Jacksonville State 30-27)
Recap: The Bobcats finished the season 7-1 in the MAC with their lone loss coming to rival Miami. The Battle of Bricks got a rematch in Detroit, but this time it was OU that got the best of the Redhawks to capture their first title since 1968. All this success led to head coach Tim Albin being sought after and eventually taking a job with Charlotte. Without Albin, the Bobcats still managed to beat Jacksonville State in the Cure Bowl to finish with a school-best 11 wins. Albin won 30 games over the last three years for the Bobcats. Assistant Brian Smith looks to maintain continuity as he takes over as the new head coach. Coleman Owen was somehow the second-best receiver in the MAC despite finishing in the Top 6 in the nation with 78 catches for 1,245 yards.
16. UNLV (11-3, 93.3, 27)
Preseason Rank: 52
Prediction: 6-6
Bowl Game: LA Bowl (W 24-13 Cal)
Recap: The Rebels continued to build a brand in the desert with another strong performance. Barry Odom did such a fine job that he was whisked away to Purdue at the end of the season. Odom was blessed to have a top-notch defense anchored by Jalen Catalon (5 interceptions) and Jackson Woodard's 135 tackles, 4 INTs, and 12 pass deflections. They managed to make the Mountain West Championship and had an outside shot to make the playoffs despite their starting QB leaving over an NIL dispute after the third game. They would lose to Boise State in the championship but they did end with a win over Cal to end on a positive note.
17. Syracuse (10-3, 54.1, 57.7)
Preseason Rank: 59
Prediction: 7-5
Bowl Game: Holiday Bowl (W Washington State 52-35)
Recap: Many Ohio State fans must have been in shock as Kyle McCord ended up leading the nation in passing yards with nearly 4,800. He also threw for 34 touchdowns and 12 INTs. Still, he wasn't without his struggles as he threw 5 interceptions in their loss to Pitt. That loss and a bad loss to Stanford kept them out of the ACC Championship game, but they also stunned Miami in the final game to keep them out of the ACC title game. McCord ended the year on a high note tossing 5 touchdowns in the Orange's 52-35 win over Washington State in the Holiday Bowl.
18. Illinois (10-3, 72.8, 20.7)
Preseason Rank: 68
Prediction: 4-8
Bowl Game: Citrus Bowl (W South Carolina 21-17)
Recap: If Indiana wasn't around in 2024, then perhaps Illinois would be the biggest Big Ten surprise in 2024. The Illini were two bad weeks away from making an appearance in the Big Ten Championship, but once again Mayo enthusiast Fleck and the Gophers destroyed someone's dreams. Illinois played with a chip thanks to head coach Bret Bielema and it carried over to a pre-game kerfuffle with South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer. To make matters worse for Beamer, Illinois knocked around the Gamecocks to secure the Big Ten's dominance of the SEC in 2024.
19. Miami, FL (10-3, 75, 33.7)
Preseason Rank: 28
Prediction: 10-2
Bowl Game: Pop Tarts Bowl (L Iowa State 42-41)
Recap: Cam Ward to Xavier Restrepo was a dynamic 1-2 punch that led the Hurricanes nearly to glory. Ward was in the top 5 in passing with 4,313 yards and 39 TDs to just 7 interceptions. Two of the final three weeks proved to be too much as Georgia Tech delivered the first blow and then Syracuse finished off the Hurricanes' dreams of finally winning an ACC Championship. They settled for a Pop-Tarts Bowl matchup with Iowa State and Ward elected to play the first half to give scouts one last look. He dazzled with a strong first half but he opted to sit out the second half dooming the Hurricanes 42-41. Carson Beck will likely takeover as his replacement in 2025.
20. Marshall (10-3, 77.9, 47) *Sun Belt Champs
Preseason Rank: 85
Prediction: 8-4
Bowl Game: Dropped out after only having 36 players for a bowl game.
Recap: What a weird year for the Thundering Herd. In the first half of the season, Charles Huff was talking about biscuits before playing Ohio State and the Herd were just 3-3. Then they kicked it in the second half of the season thanks to the nation's leading sackman Mike Green (17). They battled James Madison in a double-overtime thriller to win the Sun Belt Championship. Behind the scenes Huff and the administration weren't seeing eye-to-eye causing Huff to jet for Southern Miss and over 40 players joined him in the transfer portal. That left Marshall with an unsafe amount of players left for their Independence Bowl date with Army. They were fined $100,000 by the Sun Belt Conference for their failure to appear. Tony Gibson is set to take over in 2025 as the new head coach.
21. Ole Miss (10-3, 78.1, 60.3)
Preseason Rank: 7
Prediction: 10-2
Bowl Game: Gator Bowl (W Duke 52-14)
Recap: Jaxson Dart put up video game numbers for the Rebels as he tossed 29 touchdowns and amassed 4,279 yards through the air. They even beat Georgia and had a chance to go the SEC Championship. But they lost head-scratchers to Kentucky and Florida and then lost an overtime thriller with LSU. Lane Kiffin's bunch could've rolled over and died in the Gator Bowl, but instead they scored frequently to crush Duke 52-14.
22. Tennessee (10-3, 79.9, 35)
Preseason Rank: 18
Prediction: 9-3
Bowl Game: First Round Playoffs (L Ohio State 42-17)
Recap: The Volunteers were in the same boat as the Rebels but their only two losses were to Arkansas and Georgia. This allowed them to sneak into the CFP and they were quickly ousted by the eventual National Champs in Columbus. Oh well, at least they beat Alabama.
23. Navy (10-3, 84.8, 49)
Preseason Rank: 95
Prediction: 6-6
Bowl Game: Armed Forces Bowl (W Oklahoma 21-20)
Recap: Two armed forces teams in the Top 25, what is this 1940? The Midshipmen had 7 games where they scored 30 points or more and could've done some real damage had they not lost their starting QB to injury. Without that same offensive power, they were no match for Notre Dame who ended their perfect season, then came losses to Rice and Tulane preventing an all-Armed Forces AAC Championship. Still, they settled for a satisfying victory over Army to secure the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. Then they held off a two-point conversion to upend Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl.
24. Missouri (10-3, 87.6, 32.7)
Preseason Rank: 9
Prediction: 10-2
Bowl Game: Music City Bowl (W Iowa 27-24)
Recap: Two ugly losses to Alabama and Texas A&M along with a close loss to South Carolina ended the SEC hopes for Missouri. They settled for a Music City Bowl showdown with Iowa and nearly let the Big Ten earn a perfect record against the SEC. They rallied late and won 27-24.
25. Sam Houston State (10-3, 91, 49)
Preseason Rank: 128
Prediction: 3-9
Bowl Game: New Orleans Bowl (W Georgia Southern 31-26)
Recap: It wasn't always pretty but the Bearkats did enough to win week in and week out. The big win was over Liberty to prevent the Flames from making the CUSA Championship. Sam Houston State then picked up their first bowl win when they knocked Georgia Southern in the New Orleans Bowl. They'll have Phil Longo at the helm in 2025 as KC Keeler will head to Philadelphia to be the Temple Owls' new head coach.
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