It’s that time of the year again – it's time for the playoffs! 

This year we’re entering the first ever 12 team college football playoff. For avid college football fans, this means more college football than ever before. Strap in and get ready for some upsets, rivalries, rematches, and Cinderella stories. 

A Quick Recap of the first 10 years of the College Football Playoffs 

The College Football Playoffs made their debut in 2014. A selection committee determined the best 4 teams in the country and through a single-elimination tournament, one team was crowned the National Champion. Teams are chosen based on the committee's “evaluation of the teams’ performance on the field”, including conference championships, strength of schedule, head-to-head results, and the comparison of results against similar opponents.

Big Ten teams own the titles of the first and last National Championship under the 4-team structure – Ohio State and Michigan. The Alabama Crimson Tide own the most playoff appearances at 8 and the most championships at 3. Clemson saw huge success early on, winning 2 national titles in 2016 and 2017, but they haven’t made a playoff appearance since 2020. The SEC owns a stunning 6 championships (Alabama, Georgia, & LSU) and the only back-to-back champion, the Georgia Bulldogs. 

With only 4 teams claiming spots in the most important games of the year, there was always bound to be controversy. From great teams being left out of the top 4 and conference championships deciding who’s in and who’s out, college football fans are always kept on the edge of their seat. Here are our top 3 ‘snubs’ in the 4-team CFP era: 

1. 2023 Florida State: An undefeated ACC Champion quite literally did all they could have done to earn a spot in the playoff, but an injury to their Heisman contending starting quarterback at the end of the season knocked them out of the top 4. A 2-loss Alabama snuck in and played one of the best college football playoff games against Michigan, but Seminole fans were left wondering if they could’ve had their shot at the trophy. This FSU team was the first undefeated Power 5 conference champ to miss the playoffs.
2. 2017 Wisconsin: Another instance where fans are left wondering 'what if' conference championship games didn't matter, the Badgers were undefeated heading into the Big Ten Championship and had their sights set on the playoffs. However, after losing to the Buckeyes in the championship game, Wisconsin was left out in favor of Alabama (who didn't even play in the SEC championship).
3. 2014 TCU: The 11-1 Horned Frogs' only loss of the year was by a field goal to a top-10 Baylor team and coming into the final regular season rankings at #3, they thought they had a spot in the playoffs. However, the Big 12's lack of a conference championship game caused TCU to miss out of the 2014 CFP. 

The Nook's Predictions for the 2024 College Football Playoff

This historic playoff has the nation counting down the minutes until the first game! We're in for 4 weeks of exciting matchups, rematches, in-state rivalries, and potential upsets.

We asked our Spooky Nook Champion Mill followers on Instagram to share their thoughts about the upcoming playoffs! Here's what they thought:

The most exciting first round game: Tennessee @ Ohio State (56%)

• The No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers head north to the No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes for a night game at The Shoe. How will these two electric fan bases clash? Ohio State is coming off a devastating loss to Michigan and fans are hoping Ryan Day's Buckeyes can light up Columbus on Saturday night.

The "underdog" most likely to come away with a first round upset: Indiana (48%)

• The first game of the first 12 team playoff kicks off in Indiana, as in-state foes Indiana and Notre Dame meet for the first time since 1991. The Hoosiers come into this game with the highest points per game differential and arguably the most exciting coach in college football, Curt Cignetti. Will Indiana take over South Bend? You seem to think so!

The most dominant player in the playoffs: Ashton Jeanty

• The Heisman runner-up has carried the Boise State Broncos to the #3 overall seed in the playoffs where they will take on the winner of SMU vs. Penn State. Jeanty enters the playoffs with 2,497 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns on the season, challenging the legendary Barry Sanders' single-season rushing record of 2,628 yards. Does the Heisman fan-favorite have what it takes to take Boise State to the National Championship?

The Nook's Instagram favorite to win the national championship: Oregon

• Barreling through the Big Ten in their first year in the conference, the undefeated Oregon Ducks are the top seed and our followers' favorites to hoist the championship trophy this year. 

Let us know your thoughts about the 2024 College Football Playoffs on Instagram and stay tuned for more picks and game recaps!