Notre Dame Jumps to No. 5 in CFP Rankings After 31-24 Win Over Miami

Q: With the 24-team expansion arriving in 2027, will dramatic bubble eliminations like the current Ole Miss predicament disappear?

No. The 24-team playoff will not eliminate dramatic bubble exits; it will mostly move them down the board and make them less common for teams in Ole Miss’ current range. In the 12-team format, a team sitting around No. 10 to No. 15 can see its season effectively collapse after a second bad loss, which is why Ole Miss looks so vulnerable now. In a 24-team field with 19 at-large bids plus five automatic spots, a team with Ole Miss’ profile — good wins, one respectable close loss, but two blowouts — would usually still remain alive much later. A fall from No. 10 to No. 14 would no longer be close to fatal. But the pressure will not disappear. It will shift to the new cutoff line, likely around the low 20s, and to seeding battles. Teams will still be knocked out by late losses; the committee will just be deciding between No. 21 and No. 25 instead of No. 11 and No. 15. The stakes above the line also remain significant because the 24-team format rewards higher placement with byes for the top eight and home-field advantage for seeds 9 through 16. Expansion also changes who benefits. More three-loss SEC and Big Ten teams should stay in contention, while bubble drama will increasingly involve mid-tier Power 4 teams and the fight for the Group of 6 berth. So Ole Miss-style eliminations will be softer, not gone: fewer seasons will end abruptly for teams ranked in the mid-teens, but somebody will always be the new last team out.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Nov 11

Notre Dame climbed six spots to No. 5 in the second College Football Playoff rankings after beating Miami 31-24.
Miami absorbed the biggest hit, falling from No. 1 to No. 7 after the loss to the Fighting Irish.
Georgia now leads the rankings at No. 1 with an 8-1 record, while unbeaten Utah and UCLA hold No. 2 and No. 4.
The reshuffle underscores how volatile the 12-team playoff race remains, with the SEC placing nine teams in the top 25.