The first College Football Playoff rankings of 2024 gave us a clear idea of how the selection committee views each of the power four conferences.

The Oregon Ducks and Ohio State Buckeyes reside in the top two spots in the rankings, and if they meet again in the Big Ten Championship Game, there's a strong chance the winner of that game enters the 12-team field as the No. 1 overall seed.

Eight of the top 12 teams in the College Football Playoff rankings are from the Big Ten and SEC, so there is a less likely path for the ACC and Big 12 to get multiple teams into the field.

The Big 12 is in a worse spot than the ACC since the BYU Cougars are the only team from the league inside the top 16.

The ACC has an opportunity to put two teams in if the SMU Mustangs keep winning and gain ground from their current No. 13 spot.

Any potential gains in the rankings could be hard to come by in November because few teams in the top 12 play each other in the coming weeks, so teams like SMU must be perfect.

Big Ten Champion in Great Shape to Be No. 1 Overall Seed

Oregon and Ohio State topped the first College Football Playoff rankings.

Oregon is cruising through its first year in the Big Ten, while Ohio State's only blemish is a one-point defeat at the hands of the Ducks.

The top-ranked Ducks should be 12-0 when they enter the Big Ten Championship Game. Ohio State has the potential to set up a rematch if it wins its last four contests.

The Buckeyes have a challenging home matchup with the Indiana Hoosiers on November 23 that looks far more difficult than the rivalry battle with the Michigan Wolverines the week after.

If the Buckeyes get to 11-1, the Big Ten title game will pit No. 1 versus No. 2 and have the No. 1 overall seed in the Playoff on the line.

Upsets can always happen because, after all, this is college football, but Oregon and Ohio State are in good positions to set up a must-see matchup on the first Saturday in December.

Big 12 Looks Like 1-Bid League

The Big 12 was dealt the toughest hand by the selection committee on Tuesday night.

The BYU Cougars are the highest-ranked Big 12 team at No. 9, and the next team from the league does not appear until the Iowa State Cyclones at No. 17.

At the moment, BYU would be the No. 4 overall seed as one of the four power-four champions, but getting into the field as an at-large seems like a tough task.

One loss would likely knock BYU outside of the top 12, which would leave a victory in the conference title game as the only path to the playoff.

The Big 12 could still get multiple teams into the playoff, but it needs at least two of its teams to win out in the regular season and for the teams between No. 11 and 16 to drop.

The four SEC teams in that range could all lose in November, so all is not lost, but perfection is required from any combination of BYU, Iowa State, Kansas State and Colorado.

SMU Needs to Win Out, Get Bit of Help

SMU's rise up the rankings has allowed the ACC an opportunity to be a two-bid league.

The Mustangs are 8-1 with their only loss coming to BYU in nonconference play. They have three easy matchups, at least on paper, left once they return from their Week 11 bye.

SMU needs to be at 11-1 to feel somewhat comfortable about its spot in the 12-team playoff.

A loss in the ACC Championship Game to the Miami Hurricanes could put SMU's playoff position in danger, which is why it still needs some help to feel safer.

Ideally, SMU wants the Alabama Crimson Tide to lose to the LSU Tigers on Saturday and for Indiana to fall to Ohio State in two weeks. That would clear two spaces in front of the Mustangs. Another upset or two would be beneficial as well.

SMU is certainly in far better shape than any of its ACC counterparts outside of Miami, but given the Big Ten and SEC's control inside the top 12, it needs to be a few spots inside the playoff spots to feel comfortable.