College football rankings for the upcoming 2024 season have solidified, with Georgia, Ohio State, and Oregon emerging as frontrunners in the post-spring top 25.
The landscape of college football rankings is heavily dominated by teams from the power conferences, with limited inclusion of Group of Five teams due to ongoing realignment trends.
Recent years have seen a significant shift, with notable Group of Five programs like Cincinnati, Houston, UCF, and SMU transitioning to the Power Four conferences, reshaping the college football landscape.
In the CBS Sports post-spring top 25 rankings, 24 out of the 25 teams belong to the dominant Power Four conferences, following the dissolution of the Pac-12. Independent Notre Dame stands as the lone exception in the rankings, highlighting the consolidation within college football’s top tiers.
The top 10 teams in the rankings are primarily from the Big Ten and SEC, reflecting the dominance of these conferences in the post-realignment era.
While Group of Five teams may not have secured spots in the top 25 rankings, the highest-ranked champion from conferences like the MAC, Mountain West, Conference USA, AAC, and Sun Belt will have an opportunity to compete in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff format.
Despite minimal upheaval during the transfer portal window, Georgia retains its position as the preseason favorite, followed closely by Ohio State, which has experienced significant offseason momentum. A notable addition to the top three rankings is Oregon, signaling its emergence as a formidable contender.
Several teams have seen notable rises in the rankings, including Miami and Clemson, while Texas A&M secured a spot after previously being unranked.
As the college football landscape continues to evolve, the top-ranked teams reaffirm their positions of strength, solidifying their status as perennial contenders in the competitive realm of college football.