2024 College Basketball Power Rankings (Dec. 16)
Mike Randle
Every week, I will provide an update that summarizes our College Football Power Rankings. FTN’s simulation model repeats 10,000 iterations and powers our weekly College Football Power Rankings. The rankings will update at the start of each week as the model collects additional data. If you are looking for weekly picks? Check out our CFB Betting Model which is updated every Monday for the upcoming slate of games.
Let’s take a quick look at the biggest discrepancies from the AP Top 25 to our own FTN Power Rankings.
Alabama Crimson Tide
AP Ranking: 7
FTN Power Ranking: 4
Change: No change
The beauty of the FTN Power Rankings is their complete objectivity. Certainly Alabama’s loss at Vanderbilt was shocking, but we still have the Crimson Tide as the fourth-best team in the country. Alabama still has a victory over then No. 2 Georgia and will certainly have opportunities to recover from the loss to the Commodores. Alabama has one of the hardest four-game stretches of any team in the nation, hosting South Carolina, traveling to No. 8 Tennessee, hosting No. 21 Missouri and then traveling to No. 13 LSU in the next four weeks.
Indiana Hoosiers
AP Ranking: 18
FTN Power Ranking: 21
Change: +4
Curt Cignetti said it in his initial press conference: I win. He certainly has done that at Indiana, guiding the Hoosiers to a perfect 6-0 record. They hung another 40 points on their opponent, winning 41-24 at Northwestern this past weekend. Indiana now enjoys a bye week before hosting consecutive conference opponents in Nebraska and Washington, before facing Michigan State, Michigan and Ohio State. We will find out just how good the Hoosiers are starting on October 19. Indiana has risen 53 spots since their preseason FTN Power Rankings spot of 73rd overall.
Penn State Nittany Lions
AP Ranking: 4
FTN Power Ranking: 5
Change: +1
The Nittany Lions remained perfect on the season with a 27-11 home victory over UCLA. Penn State now travels to USC, before enjoying a bye week to prepare for an October 26 matchup at Wisconsin. Remember, the Nittany Lions do not play Michigan this year and battle Ohio State at home. Penn State is one of four 5-0 teams that rank inside the top 6 of the FTN Power Rankings.
Utah Utes
AP Ranking: 16
FTN Power Ranking: 17
Change:+3
We are still very impressed by the Utes, who rose three spots in our rankings after a bye week. Their 23-19 home loss to Arizona came in a letdown spot after a fantastic 22-19 upset win at then No. 19 Oklahoma State. Utah will try to get back on the winning track with a road matchup at Arizona State on Friday night.
Clemson Tigers
AP Ranking: 10
FTN Power Ranking: 9
Change:+2
The 34-3 blowout loss to Georgia continues to drift into the rearview mirror, as Clemson has ascended back inside the top 10 of our Power Rankings. The Tigers have a very realistic chance to run the rest of their schedule, which could prove fortuitous if the top 10 upsets continue. The only ranked team left on the schedule is No. 22 Pittsburgh on November 16.
