UK & Ireland College Football Media - Final Top 25 Rankings:
By Simon Carroll
If the AP or CFP committe can’t get it right, then perhaps we can!
Since the start of the 2022 season, some of the UK & Ireland’s most talented writers, content creators and students of the college game have combined to deliver their own weekly set of college football rankings. The UK & Ireland CFB Media Top 25 is announced every Monday evening, and today we can bring you our final standings of the season. Buckle up – there’s a surprise or two!
2024 - Final Standings
- OREGON DUCKS (1-0, =)
- GEORGIA BULLDOGS (1-0, ↑3)
- NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH (1-0, ↑1)
- TEXAS LONGHORNS (1-0, ↓2)
- OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (1-0, ↑2)
- BOISE STATE BRONCOS (1-0, ↑4)
- PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (1-0, ↓4)
- ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS (1-0, ↑3)
- TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS (1-0, ↓1)
- SMU MUSTANGS (1-0, ↓4)
- INDIANA HOOISERS (1-0, ↓2)
- CLEMSON TIGERS (1-0, ↑6)
- ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE (1-0, =)
- SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS (1-0, ↑1)
- OLE MISS REBELS (1-0, ↑1)
- MIAMI HURRICANES (1-0, ↓4)
- ARMY BLACK KNIGHTS (1-0, ↑2)
- IOWA STATE CYCLONES (1-0, ↓4)
- BYU COUGARS (2-0, ↓2)
- COLORADO BUFFALOES (1-0, ↑1)
- SYRACUSE ORANGE (0-1, ↑3)
- ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI (1-0, =)
- MISSOURI TIGERS (1-0, =)
- UNLV REBELS (1-0, ↓4)
- TULANE GREEN WAVE (1-0, NE)
*NE – New Entrant. Teams dropping out: Memphis. Other teams receiving votes: Texas A&M, Louisville, Memphis, Buffalo, Duke, Kansas State, Ohio
TAKEAWAYS
Minor Differences, Same End Product: Bama OUT
“Alabama will miss the College Football Playoff”
— Nick Perkins (@NickyPerkss) December 8, 2024
The entire country: pic.twitter.com/mZnw0XYbsP
For the past 15 weeks, I’ve used this column to lament the onorous actions of the AP Poll and the College Football Playoff Committee. Their dubious methods used to sort out this delightfully convoluted sport often didn’t quite hit the standards we – the UK & Ireland media – tried to set ourselves. A passionate defender of the Group of Five, I baulked at the sympathy often doled out to mediocre programs in the SEC and Big Ten ahead of plucky underdogs with superior records. In essence, I believed our rankings were fairer than theirs.
I take it all back.
The committee did something in 2024 they haven’t before – they refused to shoehorn in a blue blood program at the expense of a smaller one. SMU, despite their loss to Clemson in the ACC title game, clung on to a playoff spot ahead of Alabama – a team that has slipped though the back door one too many times for it to be coincidence. Would ‘Bama be more likely to win the Natty? Maybe. But they haven’t earned it.
Fair play to our counterparts stateside. Some modest differences to the pecking order aside, they ended up with the same rankings as we had. The expansion of the playoff bracket seems to have helped with general consensus, and college football is better off for it.
How Our 12-Team Playoff Bracket Would Have Looked
So as mentioned, modest differences from the ACTUAL rankings, resulting in slight alterations to seedings and thus matchups in the playoffs. The UK & Ireland panel had the same top four seeds as their American counterparts, but the first round looks different.
That being said, the hosts remain the same, with playoff football heading to South Bend, Austin, Columbus and State College. Perhaps the most intriguing matchup would be Tennessee heading to Penn State; the Vols plaing extremely well and would offer James Franklin’s team a run for their money. Indiana would enjoy a memorable trip to Texas, avoiding their in-state rivals unlike in real life.
The new format brings excitement, intrigue, and of course even more football. Wherever you slot these twelve teams in, we’re in line for some incredible matchups over the next month.
Individual Awards
I’ll finish this final rankings review with a teaser. The panel have crowned their own winners of college football’s most prestigious awards, of which there are many. For those, you’ll have to head over to Twitter where they will be announced shortly. However, in the spirit of fair play, we have shared with you our All-American nominees for 2024. An incredible array of talent that has provided special moments from Week 0 right through to Conference Championship weekend, I’m sure you’ll all agree they are worthy inclusions.
A huge thank you is in order to all 22 members of the UK & Ireland College Football Media Panel, in particular Owain Jones, who has compiled our rankings each and every week. But also, I would like to thank all of you out there who follow our work, enjoy our content and support our efforts. College Football is no longer a niche sport this side of the pond – and we are proud to be a factor in that.
Enjoy the playoffs – and see you in 2025!
