How College Football’s Top 25 polls looked one year ago

The Alabama Crimson Tide were ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 at this time last year, but would ultimately miss out on the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The first College Football Playoff poll will not be released until November. In the meantime, the best estimates we have of which teams are projected to make the playoffs are the USA Today Coaches Poll and the Associated Press’ Top 25 Poll. 

Following Week 5 of the 2024 college football season, it was 4-0 Alabama atop the AP Poll and 5-0 Texas atop the Coaches’ Poll. As it turned out, only one of those schools would actually make last year’s playoff, and neither school was among those that received a first round bye.

Alabama is set to line up against Vanderbilt again in Week 6 this season. The Commodores dealt the Crimson Tide their first loss in 2024. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Alabama would suffer its first defeat of the 2024 season on a trip to Vanderbilt in Week 6. The Crimson Tide would go on to lose again to Tennessee and Oklahoma finishing their regular season at 9-3 and were edged out by SMU for the final at-large spot in the College Football Playoff.

Texas would suffer their only two losses of the season both to Georgia, which beat them in Week 8, and again in the SEC Championship game. The Longhorns would make the Playoffs as the No. 5 seed, and advanced to the semifinals where they fell to the ultimate champion, Ohio State.

Speaking of the Buckeyes, they were ranked No. 3 in both the AP and Coaches’ polls following Week 5 of the 2024 season. Losses to Oregon in Week 7 and Michigan in the regular season finale meant the Buckeyes did not go to the Big Ten Championship Game or get a first round bye. Ohio State had to come from the No. 8 seed to win the Championship.

And what about the teams that did, ultimately, win conference championships? Where were they ranked in the national polls at this time last year? Big Ten champ Oregon was ranked No. 6 in both polls after starting their 2024 season 4-0. SEC Champion Georgia had just suffered its first loss of the season in Week 5 at Alabama, and fell to No. 5 in both polls. 

Arizona State and head coach Kenny Dillingham won the 2024 Big 12 Championship and earned a College Football Playoff berth despite not being ranked at this time last year. | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

The Big 12 champion in 2024 was Arizona State, but the Sun Devils had yet to appear in either the AP or the Coaches’ polls at this time last year. They would have to wait until Week 12 to make their first appearance in either poll. The ACC’s champion in 2024 was Clemson, which checked in at No. 14 in the Coaches’ Poll and No. 15 in the AP Top 25 at this time last year with a 3-1 record.

Late-Season Momentum

Arizona State was not alone as eventual College Football Playoff participants who were not ranked at this time last year. SMU would not crack either poll until Week 6, but ended up sneaking in at the end to snag a playoff bid. Boise State was ranked No. 21 in the AP Poll, but had yet to crack the Coaches’ Poll. Like Arizona State, the Broncos would eventually end up with a first round bye.

Meanwhile, Week 5 saw the first appearance from Big Ten Cinderella Indiana in either poll. The Hoosiers would reel off ten straight wins to start their 2024 campaign, ultimately landing the No. 10 seed in the Playoff. 

Other Top 10 ranked teams after Week 5 last year besides Alabama that did not make last year’s College Football Playoff included Miami at No. 8, Missouri at No. 9 and Michigan at No. 10.

So, if your team is outside the Top 12 or even if they are not currently ranked, College Football Playoff history, albeit short, suggests there is still plenty of time for resumes to be built and cases to be made before the final seeding is done.

Indiana won the first 10 games of the Curt Cignetti era, but did not earn their first ranking in a national poll until Week 5 last year. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images