Ranking the Top 5 College Football Conferences After Week 1 of 2024 Season

After months of workouts, practices and interviews, college football teams have arrived to the good part.

At last, they're starting to decide it on the field.

Through one glorious week of action, the ranking of the nation's best conferences is basically what you'd expect. While the Big Ten and SEC are battling for No. 1, the ACC and Big 12 are fighting for third with Group of Five leagues vying for the fifth spot.

The subjective order is based entirely on Week 1 results—not a full-season projection—with an emphasis on games involving at least one power-conference program.

5. Mountain West

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ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO - AUGUST 24: The Mountain West Conference logo is displayed on a set of first down chains before a game between the Montana State Bobcats and the New Mexico Lobos at University Stadium on August 24, 2024 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images)

Because of the updated College Football Playoff format, this particular ranking is very important.

The five highest-ranked conference champions make the CFP, guaranteeing at least one spot for a Group of Five league. Traditionally, the AAC has represented the G5 in New Year's Six bowls. Realignment has raided the American, though, so the balance of G5 power may be shifting.

Besides, the AAC struggled in Week 1 anyway.

The openers went much better for the Mountain West, which picked up a marquee win from UNLV over Big 12 foe Houston. Nevada edged reigning Sun Belt champion Troy, and Boise State toppled Georgia Southern.

For good measure, Fresno State gave defending-champion Michigan a four-quarter fight. Hawai'i took UCLA to the wire, too.

The G5's race will become much clearer when matchups with lower-division opponents aren't as prevalent.

4. ACC

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Elijah Arroyo

The league's headliner of Week 1 was Miami, which went to Gainesville and hammered the rival Gators 41-17.

But, uh, otherwise...not a great showing from the ACC.

Clemson took a beatdown from Georgia, Virginia Tech lost in overtime at Vanderbilt and Stanford squandered a fourth-quarter lead at home against TCU. North Carolina State needed a late charge to survive an unexpectedly tight game with Western Carolina, as well.

North Carolina squeezed out a nice victory at Minnesota, so it wasn't all bad around the conference beyond Miami.

Still, the ACC managed few positives in the early nonconference slate.

NC State's neutral-site clash with Tennessee headlines a relatively tame docket for the league this weekend.

3. Big 12

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Ollie Gordon II

You could probably flip the ACC and Big 12 without much argument.

The bright side for the Big 12 is that 14 of the league's 16 teams exited the opener with a victory.

Although most of those results happened against lower-division teams, a few stood out. Colorado held off FCS power North Dakota State, and Oklahoma State dispatched two-time reigning FCS champion South Dakota State. TCU knocked off Stanford on the road, too.

West Virginia struggled with Penn State, however, and Houston lost at home by 20 points to UNLV. The losses were ugly.

The nonconference slate in Week 2—which includes Arkansas at Oklahoma State, Iowa State at Iowa and Colorado at Nebraska—is far more interesting in the Big 12.

2. SEC

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Carson Beck and Nate Frazier

Good: Ten of the SEC's 16 teams hammered a lower-division or G5 opponent while yielding no more than seven points.

Better: Vanderbilt pulled off a surprise win against Virginia Tech.

Best: Georgia smoked Clemson in a top-15 showdown, establishing the Dawgs as the nation's clear No. 1 team.

Granted, there's the rest.

Florida suffered its embarrassing loss to Miami, Texas A&M lost at home to Notre Dame and LSU endured a defeat to USC so disappointing that Brian Kelly slammed a table in the postgame press conference. South Carolina barely held off Old Dominion.

Highlighted by Texas' trip to Michigan, six power-conference opponents await the SEC in Week 2.

1. Big Ten

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Drew Allar

Penn State's smackdown of West Virginia and USC clipping LSU is enough to merit the top spot. Minnesota fell to North Carolina in the league's only setback to a power-conference team, and that wasn't a shock.

The reality is the league didn't dominate Week 1, although the balance is the Big Ten posted a 17-1 record.

Take the good with the bad, you know?

Michigan State and Wisconsin toiled to wins over Florida Atlantic and Western Michigan, respectively. UCLA barely beat Hawai'i, and Northwestern trudged past Miami (Ohio). while Michigan and Oregon struggled to separate from Fresno State and Idaho, as well.

Beyond the previously mentioned games (Texas at Michigan, Iowa State at Iowa, Colorado at Nebraska), the Big Ten features Kansas at Illinois and Boise State at Oregon this weekend.