Bowl Projections 2024-25: CFP Playoff Bracket and Scenarios After Week 10 AP Rankings

The list of legitimate College Football Playoff contenders is down to around 20 teams as November 1 approaches.

The Oregon Ducks are the clear No. 1 team on that list of playoff hopefuls. They are the top program in the AP Top 25 once again for Week 10.

The No. 1 contender to the Ducks in the Big Ten will be determined by the marquee Week 10 contest between the Penn State Nittany Lions and Ohio State Buckeyes.

Oregon, Penn State and Ohio State are likely locks to land in the 12-team playoff field. They could be joined by their Big Ten conference mate, the Indiana Hoosiers, if they keep winning.

Indiana is one of a few undefeated teams just on the outside of the top 12 who could climb up the rankings in the coming weeks.

The SEC, Big Ten and ACC have clear-cut favorites at the moment, but the Big 12 title race is up in the air. The BYU Cougars and Iowa State Cyclones are both undefeated and inside the Big 12 and there are two other contenders who could challenge them for the league's automatic bid as well.

No. 2 Team in Big Ten to Be Determined in Week 10

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MADISON, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 26: Beau Pribula #9 of the Penn State Nittany Lions takes off running in the fourth quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium on October 26, 2024 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)

The Penn State Nittany Lions and Ohio State Buckeyes will meet in one of the most anticipated games of the season on Saturday.

Penn State enters its home contest with the higher ranking and the better record. Ohio State's lone loss is to the top-ranked Oregon Ducks.

A lot of the buildup to Saturday will be focused on the health of Penn State quarterback Drew Allar, who left the second half of Saturday's win over the Wisconsin Badgers with a knee injury.

Beau Pribula looked good in backup duty for the Nittany Lions, but they are best suited to beat the Buckeyes with Allar on the field.

Ohio State only lost to Oregon by one point, and if it wins in Happy Valley, it will likely meet the Ducks in the Big Ten Championship Game.

The Buckeyes own a seven-game winning streak over Penn State. The last five victories have been by eight or more points.

A Penn State victory would deliver a huge statement across the nation that the Nittany Lions can catapult themselves into the top echelon of title contenders.

Both teams will likely make the College Football Playoff, but a win means a ton because that team would get a chance to fight for one of the four automatic bids and first-round byes against Oregon.

Big 12 Title Race Comes Closer into Spotlight

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AMES, IA - OCTOBER 19: Quarterback Rocco Becht #3 of the Iowa State Cyclones scrambles for yards in the second half of play at Jack Trice Stadium on October 19, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 38-35 over the UCF Knights. (Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images)

There are four clear Big 12 title contenders going into Week 10.

The Iowa State Cyclones and BYU Cougars are both undefeated, the Kansas State Wildcats have one loss and the Colorado Buffaloes have two defeats, but only one of them occurred in league play.

BYU and Iowa State do not play each other in the regular season, so there is a chance that both teams remain undefeated going into the Big 12 Championship Game.

BYU leapfrogged Iowa State by two spots in the latest AP Top 25, but part of that leap was due to ISU's Week 9 bye.

Iowa State can move level at 8-0 with BYU with a home win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday.

The toughest remaining test for either team is Iowa State's November 30 clash with Kansas State.

Colorado does not play any of the top-three teams in November, but it does have a loss on its resume to K-State.

The Buffaloes need some help to go after the Big 12's automatic bid, but if they keep winning, they can at least creep into the at-large conversation, like plenty of other teams already have done this season.

Indiana, Pittsburgh Among Undefeated Teams Waiting to Pounce into Top 12

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BLOOMINGTON, IN - OCTOBER 26: Indiana Hoosiers RB Justice Ellison (6) runs the ball during a college football game between the Washington Huskies and Indiana Hoosiers on October 26, 2024 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Indiana Hoosiers and Pittsburgh Panthers are two of the eight remaining undefeated teams in the FBS.

Indiana is already up to No. 13 in the AP poll and it will likely be 10-0 by the time it faces Ohio State on November 23.

The Hoosiers will be an underdog in Columbus, but if they can somehow manage to win that game, they will be a lock to make the playoff.

Even at 11-1, Indiana should be in a decent position to contend for an at-large spot, especially if the SEC contenders continue to beat each other.

Pittsburgh, now at No. 18, can take a big leap in the rankings with a win over the No. 22 SMU Mustangs on Saturday.

The race for the at-large spots is crowded right now, but if Pitt beats SMU, it will be in the top 15 by the time the Clemson Tigers come to Acrisure Stadium on November 16.

Opportunities are there in front of both Indiana and Pitt, and in just a few weeks, they could be in the top 12 and ahead of teams currently projected to land those at-large positions.