As I'm sure most of you are aware, the College Football Playoff is expanding to 12 teams this season, making it by far the largest playoff pool we've ever seen in the sport. 12 teams from multiple conferences will have a shot to hoist the CFP trophy this season, and it should make the regular season more exciting than ever.

In this 5-7 format, the five highest ranked conference champions will make the CFP, with the top-four earning the four highest seeds and a bye week. The other seven teams will be chosen based on rankings, with the highest seeds in round one hosting the first round.

Today, we're going to try to predict not only which teams will make it, but where they will be seeded. I'm sure there will be some differing opinions, but here's how I see the CFP shaking out.

This is a pretty popular pick, but I have the Georgia Bulldogs taking the No. 1 overall seed after going undefeated in the regular season and winning the SEC Championship. They won two titles in a row, and let's be honest, they were one of the four best teams last year and should've been in the CFP. I think they rebound this year and earn the top seed in the playoffs.

I have the Ohio State Buckeyes winning the newly expanded Big 10 and finally beating Michigan for the second time in Ryan Day's tenure and the first time since he took the job in 2019. I think they could end up having a perfect season, because they are absolutely loaded with talent from top to bottom.

Florida State won the ACC last year, and I think they repeat as champions again this year. They don't have much competition outside of Clemson and possibly Miami, and Dabo Sweeny's unwillingness to use the transfer portal might just be their ultimate downfall and Miami hasn’t been able to put it together recently. I think Mike Norvell gets the job done again and earns the third spot.

I think the Big 12 is a toss up between the Utes, Oklahoma State and Kansas State, but if Cam Rising is healthy, I think the Utes are the team to beat in the Big 12 this season. If he's not, I'd ride with Oklahoma State, but I have the Utes locking up the last first-round bye spot.

Oregon enters the Big 10 this season and is looking to replicate it's success from a year ago when they made the CFP. They've brought in a lot of talent to help replace some of their losses such as Bo Nix, and I think they could snag the top at-large bid.

After just missing out on winning the SEC, I have the Longhorns as the second at-large team in the 2024 CFP. I think they're going to be just as good as they were last year when they made the four-team CFP, so there's no reason for me to think they won't be one of the top non-champions.

Even though the Tide lost Nick Saban this offseason, I don't see them having much of a fall off under Kalen DeBoer. He's won everywhere he's been, and he still has a whole lot of talent in Tuscaloosa. I think the Tide roll into the playoffs this season and earn the 7th seed.

The defending national champions are bound to have a bit of a fall off in 2024. They lost their QB, their head coach, and a bunch of other players, but they still have the talent to be a top-10 team in my opinion. I think these last four or five at-large bids could be in any order, but I have the Wolverines taking the eight seed.

If Ole Miss is going to make some noise and contend for a national title, this is the year for them to do it. They brought back experienced players such as Jaxon Dart and added a very talented transfer portal class on top of that. Lane Kiffin has the best roster he's had in his time in Oxford, and I think they can end up as a top-10 team.

Despite losing two first round wide receivers and the Heisman-winning quarterback, I think LSU's offense will be just fine; it's the defense I'm worried about. They bring back a lot of the same pieces they had a year ago, but the thought is that their shiny new coaching staff will be able to improve them enough to make the CFP. I've said it a lot, but we'll see how much coaching really matters this year.

There is also one other big thing the Tigers have going for them this season: home field advantage. When you look at their schedule, pretty much all their hardest games (Ole Miss, Alabama and Oklahoma) are at home. Their toughest road game is likely going to be Texas A&M or USC.

If the defense can be average and the offense can do what we think it can do, I think the Tigers can sneak into the CFP even though a lot of people have them just outside of the top-12.

I have Notre Dame taking the last at-large spot in the CFP. Outside of a trip to College Station and a home stand again Florida State, the Irish have a very easy schedule this season. I think they drop only one or two games, but their easy schedule puts them as the last at-large team in.

I have the last conference champion spot going to the Tulane Green Wave, who I think will be the highest ranked conference champion not from the big-four conferences. They're consistently batting for a top-25 spot each season, and with a realistic opportunity to make the CFP, I think they'll be more motivated than ever.

Stay up to date on all the LSU news with your premium subscription

Talk about this story and more in The Quad

Make sure you're caught up on all the latest LSU news

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video and live streaming coverage