1 Word for Every CFB Playoff Contending Team Heading into Week 7
The 2024 college football season will forever be remembered as the year the 12-team playoff was unveiled, and while there is still a lot of football to be played in the coming months, the field of playoff contenders is starting to take shape.
Ahead, we've used one word to describe each playoff-contending team headed into Week 7 of the season, along with a quick explanation of why that word fits their current outlook.
Any team with +500 odds or better to be part of the college football playoff field, according to the latest odds from FanDuel, was included as a playoff contender.
That left a list of 20 teams, which we have divided up by conference to provide a clear picture of where things stand not only on the national landscape but also in each individual conference.
ACC Contenders
1 of 5
Miami (-290): Fortunate
If an overturned Hail Mary touchdown by Virginia Tech in Week 5 and a squandered 25-point lead by California in Week 6 had gone a bit differently, the Hurricanes could easily be staring at a 4-2 record right now. That said, with Clemson and SMU not part of their regular-season schedule, they have a clear path to running the table and finishing undefeated. Fortunate also applies to them landing Heisman Trophy front-runner Cam Ward in the transfer portal during the offseason.
Clemson (-115): Overlooked
It was easy to push Clemson to the side following an ugly 34-3 loss to Georgia in Week 1, but the Tigers have been utterly dominant since, beating Appalachian State, NC State, Stanford and Florida State by a combined 194-82 margin. The offense is humming in Cade Klubnik's second season as the starting quarterback, though a tough late-season stretch still awaits when they play Louisville, Virginia Tech and Pitt in consecutive weeks starting Nov. 2.
SMU (+220): Lurking
After a shootout victory over TCU, a lopsided win against Florida State and a 34-27 victory over No. 22 Louisville last weekend, SMU has quietly climbed into the AP Top 25 after being picked to finish seventh in the ACC in the conference's preseason poll. Its only loss came in Week 2 against a better-than-expected BYU team, and a victory on Nov. 2 over Pitt could be the Mustangs' springboard into serious playoff contention.
Big 12 Contenders
2 of 5
Iowa State (+150): Legit
It's easy to scoff at the idea of the Cyclones being the cream of the crop in the Big 12, but with one of the best secondaries in the country and enough offensive firepower to win football games, they are a legit threat to finish as top dogs in the conference. They have surrendered just 133.6 passing yards per game, picking off opposing quarterbacks eight times against just four passing touchdowns allowed.
Kansas State (+230): Dangerous
The Wildcats logged lopsided victories over Arizona (31-7) and Oklahoma State (42-20), but those victories were sandwiched around a blowout loss to BYU (38-9), so this team clearly has one of the bigger boom-or-bust profiles in the country. They rushed for 300 yards against OK State, while dual-threat quarterback Avery Johnson also threw three touchdown passes in that game. They might not be the safest bet on the board, but they are capable of beating anyone when they throw their best punch.
Utah (+310): Disappointing
The Utes were picked to finish first in the Big 12 preseason poll, but a Week 5 loss to Arizona and another injury to quarterback Cam Rising has taken some of the wind out of their sails. They are still in a prime position to make waves in the Big 12 with home games against BYU and Iowa State in November, and their first loss by no means sunk them as far as the playoff picture is concerned, but this team has not yet lived up to being No. 12 in the preseason AP poll.
Big Ten Contenders
3 of 5
Ohio State (-1600): Stout
A high-powered Ohio State offense has often been the talking point in recent years, and while the Buckeyes do have a dangerous collection of weapons on that side of the ball, it's a stout defense driving their early success. They lead the nation in yards allowed per game (202.4) and points allowed per game (6.8), and have allowed just four touchdowns and two field goals through five games.
Oregon (-800): Polished
The Ducks have one of the most experienced rosters in college football, with a whopping 15 seniors penciled into starting spots on the depth chart. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel is in his sixth college season, and he has completed an impressive 77.8 percent of his pass attempts while learning a new offense. A huge matchup at home against Ohio State awaits this weekend, and that polish up and down the roster means the moment won't be too big for the Ducks.
Penn State (-250): Steady
Even with the passing game opening up a bit this year in Drew Allar's second year as the starting quarterback, Penn State is still a team largely built on a strong defense and a reliable running game. They average 217.8 rushing yards per game on offense, and trail only Ohio State, Tennessee and Texas in total defense at 233.2 yards allowed per contest. Just good, steady football putting them on a safe path to a playoff berth.
Indiana (+350): Surprising
The Hoosiers are 6-0 for the first time since 1967 and just the second time in school history, so surprising might be an understatement. Transfer quarterback Kurtis Rourke has been a revelation following a stellar run at Ohio University, while the defense quietly ranks among the FBS leaders in yards allowed per game (255.7, seventh) and points allowed per game (14.8, 14th). Can they survive Michigan (Nov. 9) and Ohio State (Nov. 23) with a bye week in between?
SEC Contenders
4 of 5
Texas (-1100): Primed
The Longhorns are the No. 1 team in the country, with a resume built on the strength of a dominant Week 2 win over Michigan, but the outlook of their season will be greatly impacted by the next three weeks. The Red River Rivalry awaits this weekend with Quinn Ewers expected to return from injury, followed by a home game against Georgia and a road game against the Vanderbilt team that just upset Alabama. Their early success has all been leading to this point.
Alabama (-500): Precarious
The Crimson Tide suffered a surprising loss to Vanderbilt last week, putting them in a precarious position heading into the meaty part of their schedule. They still have to play Tennessee, LSU and Oklahoma all on the road and Missouri at home, and their margin for error has shrunk considerably now that there is a one in the loss column.
Georgia (-500): Lackluster
The Bulldogs made a statement with their 34-3 victory over Clemson in Week 1, but narrowly escaped with a win over Kentucky (13-12) two weeks later before a frantic comeback came up short against Alabama (41-34). Quarterback Carson Beck has taken a step backward relative to his 2023 production, and outside of that win over Clemson this has not looked like the top-tier team Georgia was expected to be when the season began. They will now need to go 2-1 against Texas, Ole Miss and Tennessee to stay in the playoff picture.
Ole Miss (-130): Potent
The Rebels offense has been high-powered since Lane Kiffin started patrolling the sidelines, and this season is no different, as they are the only team in the country averaging at least 350 passing yards and 200 rushing yards per game. The defense has also made its mark, allowing just 7.5 points per game and leading the nation with 24 sacks in six games. They will need to go 2-1 against LSU, Oklahoma and Georgia after suffering an early loss to Kentucky.
Tennessee (+110): Concerned
That loss to Arkansas last weekend has put the Volunteers in a tricky spot, as they still have games against Georgia and Alabama on the schedule. There was a world where they lost both of those games and still made the playoff field, but now they will have to win at least one of them with no other slip ups to have a chance. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava needs to prove he can keep SEC defenses honest to stop them from loading up against the Volunteers rushing attack.
Texas A&M (+140): Capable
If the Aggies finish the season with a loss against Notre Dame in Week 1 and a loss to Texas in the regular-season finale on Nov. 30, that might be good enough for them to sneak into the playoff field. They still have to play a good LSU team, but their other remaining games are against Mississippi State, South Carolina, New Mexico State and Auburn, and they looked the part of a playoff contender in a 41-10 thrashing of Missouri last Saturday.
LSU (+250): Porous
The LSU defense allowed 21 points to Nicholls State in Week 2 and gave up 333 total yards to South Alabama in Week 5 while also turning the ball over twice. That lackluster showing against lesser competition makes it tough to buy the Tigers being able to slow down their top SEC competition. A high-powered Ole Miss offense will be a big first test this weekend, while Alabama, Texas A&M and Oklahoma are also among their remaining opponents.
Missouri (+360): Slipping
The Tigers averaged 32.5 points per game during a surprise 11-2 season last year, with a breakout season from quarterback Brady Cook and an All-American performance from running back Cody Schrader leading the charge. With Schrader gone, Cook has had a much tougher time in the passing game this season, with his average yards per attempt dropping from 9.0 to 6.9 as he has thrown just five touchdown passes in five games. After looking overmatched in a 41-10 loss to Texas A&M last weekend, their stock is slipping.
Group of Five and Independent Contenders
5 of 5
Notre Dame (-120): Confounding
The Notre Dame team that beat Texas A&M in Week 1, smashed Purdue by a 66-7 margin in Week 3 and handed Louisville its first loss in Week 5 looks the part of a college football playoff contender. However, this is also the same Fighting Irish team that lost to Northern Illinois earlier this year. With Army and Navy both shaping up to be tough games and USC also still waiting in the regular-season finale, the road ahead is not an easy one.
Boise State (+125): Grounded
As in, the Broncos can pound the ball on the ground like few other teams in the country thanks to star running back Ashton Jeanty. He needed just five games to reach 1,000 rushing yards, and he is averaging an absurd 10.9 yards per carry with 16 rushing touchdowns. The Broncos hung around in a 37-34 loss to Oregon in Week 2, and if they can run the table the rest of the way, they should stake claim to the Group of Five spot in the playoff field.
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