The 2024 season was basically a fever dream. If you told a fan back in August that we’d see Vanderbilt taking down Alabama or Northern Illinois walking into South Bend and stunning the Irish, they’d have called you crazy. But here we are. The dust has finally settled on the first-ever 12-team playoff era, and honestly, the college football standings 2024 top 25 look a lot different than anyone predicted.
Ohio State is back on top. After a decade of "almosts" and some pretty painful losses to Michigan, Ryan Day finally got his ring. They didn't just win; they survived a gauntlet. The Buckeyes ended the year at 14-2, punctuated by a 34-23 victory over Notre Dame in the National Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It wasn't always pretty, but the history books won't care about the style points.
How the Final Rankings Actually Shook Out
The final AP Poll is the one people usually argue about at the bar, and this year’s version is no exception. Ohio State took the top spot with 56 first-place votes. Notre Dame followed at number two. That’s a massive jump for the Irish, who spent part of the season looking like they might miss the playoff entirely after that embarrassing Week 2 loss to NIU.
Oregon rounded out the top three. Dan Lanning’s squad was probably the most consistent team all year, entering the playoffs as the number one seed with an undefeated record. But as we’ve seen a million times, "undefeated in the regular season" doesn't guarantee a trophy. They ran into an Ohio State buzzsaw in the Rose Bowl, losing 41-21.
Texas and Penn State took the four and five spots. Both teams had legitimate claims to be higher, but they fell in the semifinals. The Longhorns' loss to Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl was a bit of a reality check for a team that had looked invincible at times in their first year in the SEC.
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The Rest of the Top 10
Georgia finished at number six. This is kinda controversial. The Bulldogs beat Texas head-to-head during the regular season, yet finished two spots behind them in the final poll. People are still venting about that on Twitter. Arizona State was the shock of the season at number seven. Kenny Dillingham is a miracle worker. They went from being picked to finish near the bottom of the Big 12 to winning the conference and a playoff game.
Boise State, Tennessee, and Indiana finished off the top ten. Seeing Indiana up there is just wild. Curt Cignetti turned a perennial cellar-dweller into an 11-win powerhouse in a single season.
The Chaos That Defined the 2024 Season
You can't talk about the college football standings 2024 top 25 without talking about the upsets. This year felt like every Saturday was designed to ruin a coordinator's career.
Vanderbilt beating Alabama in Week 6 was the "where were you" moment of the year. Diego Pavia became a Nashville legend overnight. It was the first time Vandy had beaten a top-five team in, well, forever. That loss started a weird slide for Bama under Kalen DeBoer, where they looked mortal for the first time in twenty years. They eventually finished 17th in the final AP Poll with a 9-4 record.
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Then there was Michigan. The defending champs had a weird year. They lost a ton of talent to the NFL and dealt with the whole Jim Harbaugh departure. They struggled for long stretches but still managed to beat Ohio State for the fourth year in a row during the regular season. That win is basically the only reason they stayed relevant, but it wasn't enough to get them deep into the playoff conversation.
Group of Five Representation
Boise State was the clear flagship for the Group of Five. Ashton Jeanty put up video game numbers, rushing for over 2,000 yards and firmly establishing himself as a Heisman finalist. They finished 8th. UNLV and Memphis also snuck into the final top 25 at 23 and 24 respectively. It's cool to see the expanded playoff actually giving these teams a meaningful path to the postseason.
Why Some Rankings Feel "Wrong"
A lot of fans are annoyed with how the middle of the pack settled. For example, BYU finished at 13 while SMU finished at 12. The problem? BYU beat SMU head-to-head. Usually, that’s the tiebreaker, but the committee and the AP voters seemed to value SMU's overall body of work in the ACC more.
Clemson is another one. They won the ACC on a 56-yard field goal and looked great late in the year, but they finished 14th after losing to Texas in the first round.
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- Ohio State (14-2)
- Notre Dame (14-2)
- Oregon (13-1)
- Texas (13-3)
- Penn State (13-2)
- Georgia (11-3)
- Arizona State (11-3)
- Boise State (12-2)
- Tennessee (10-3)
- Indiana (11-2)
The gap between number 11 and number 20 is basically a toss-up. Alabama at 17 feels low for a team with that much talent, but four losses is four losses. Missouri and Syracuse also managed to hang onto spots in the late 20s after solid bowl performances.
Actionable Insights for the 2025 Season
Looking at how the college football standings 2024 top 25 ended provides a pretty clear roadmap for what to expect next year. If you're a bettor or just a die-hard fan, here is what you need to keep an eye on:
- Watch the Transfer Portal in the Big 12: Arizona State proved that you can rebuild a roster in one cycle. Expect more "middle-tier" teams to try and replicate their blueprint.
- The "Big Ten" Dominance: With Ohio State, Oregon, and Penn State all in the top five, the power center of college football has officially shifted north. SEC fatigue is real, but the Big Ten's depth is the new story.
- The 12-Team Strategy: Teams are starting to realize that one or even two losses don't kill your season anymore. Coaches might start resting players or playing more conservatively once they feel a playoff spot is locked up.
If you want to stay ahead of the curve, start looking at the 2025 recruiting classes for the teams that finished 15-25. That's where the next "Indiana" or "Arizona State" is going to come from. The parity in college football is at an all-time high, and the 2024 standings are proof that the old "blue blood" hierarchy is starting to crack.