News/Commentary

NCAA Bracket Prediction for College Football

November 29, 2024 by Charlon Muscat

Every year, sports fans look to maximize their odds in the NCAA bracket prediction. To achieve this, they strive to get unbiased predictions for possible NCAA tournament matchups.

But do you know how the NCAA bracket prediction for college football really works? Well, this write-up delves into the intricacies of NCAA bracket prediction for college football and discusses the biggest rivalries to look forward to each year.

 

Photo showing a clash of American football players
Image source: Pexels

Understanding the NCAA Bracket Prediction

Whether it's relying on theory or visiting top gambling platforms at GamblingSites.com for predictions, everyone is on the lookout for the best picks in the NCAA bracket prediction. Bracket prediction, or bracketology, is basically forecasting the outcome of each matchup in the NCAA college football Playoffs.

So, you’d fill up a bracket to select the team you think will win in each game and advance to the next round. The prediction keeps going until you pick the team that wins the national championship.

However, unlike in basketball’s NCAA tournament, automatic bids are not given to every conference champion for the CFP. So, how exactly does NCAA college football work? 

How NCAA College Football Works 

The 2024 season saw the college football playoffs (CFP) expand from 4 to 12 teams. This expansion allows more teams to break into the CFP.

Additionally, automatic qualifiers are now part of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and college football playoffs.

So, how do the CFP automatic qualifiers (AQ) work? Well, we'll witness five qualifiers. The CFP ranks the five highest conference champions, who automatically gain entry into the playoffs.

Out of the five AQs, four get byes. This means they skip the first round of playoffs and automatically advance to the quarter-finals, where they get assigned the top four seeds. Seeding is when teams are ranked and placed within tournament brackets based on their past performance or perceived strength.

Biggest Rivalries in the NCAA College Football

The history of NCAA College football dates back to 1869. This is the year fans witnessed the first intercollegiate football contest take place. Today, college football is characterized by intense rivalries, which embody the rich tradition of this popular event.
Here are 5 of the most anticipated matchups in college football each year:

Michigan-Ohio State

Many consider this to be the most heated rivalry in the history of college football. It's known as “The Game”.

These two teams have met 119 times. Their first meeting took place in 1897 when Michigan beat Ohio State 34-0. The last meeting was on November 24, 2023, when Michigan beat Ohio State again 30-24. Michigan currently leads 61-51-6.

Alabama-Auburn

This matchup has birthed some of the most iconic moments in college football history. Auburn's player Chris Davis caught a missed field goal attempt and returned it more than 100 yards, securing a victorious touchdown for the Tigers in 2013. Interestingly, the rivalry went beyond football when an Alabama fan named Harvey Updyke poisoned Auburn's iconic oak trees. He served six months in jail.

Florida-Georgia

The fact that these two teams don't agree on how often they've played is quite interesting. Georgia says it's 102 times, while Florida says they've met 101 times. Florida argues that the 1904 meeting doesn't count because the school was not formally named the University of Florida until 1905. Besides, its football team was established in 1906.

Florida-Florida State

These two oldest public universities in the State of Florida live approximately 150 miles apart. Their regional rivalry reached its peak during the Bobby Bowden-Steve Spurrier era. It reignites whenever the two teams meet. Florida currently leads 37-28-2.

Oklahoma-Texas

Dubbed the “Red River Rivalry,” this is a competition you should watch. Each year, football fans flock to the Cotton Bowl stadium in Dallas to witness one of the most intense and storied rivalries. Texas currently leads 64-51-5.

Interestingly, both teams have moved from the Big 12 Conference to the SEC (Southeastern Conference). So, fans should expect the rivalry to intensify moving forward.

Summing up

The 2024 season has seen more teams break into the CFP. Teams have also gotten a new way to gain entry into the field through automatic qualifiers. In that case, we are in for a more thrilling experience in the upcoming events.

Courtesy to Charlon Muscat