2024 College Football Power Rankings After Week 0

College football is back. Every week, I will provide a Monday morning 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 every Monday morning as the model collects additional data. If you are looking for weekly picks? Check out our CFB Betting Model, which is updated every Tuesday 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. 

Florida State

AP Ranking: 10
FTN Power Ranking: 27

Chalk one up for the FTN Power Rankings Model, as we ranked Florida State just 21st overall entering their game against Georgia Tech. After their 24-21 upset loss to Georgia Tech, their 10th overall inflated ranking will certainly plummet in the AP Poll. The model has dropped the Seminoles to 27th overall, six spots down from last week. 

Penn State

AP Ranking: 8
FTN Power Ranking: 3

The Nittany Lions are looking to solidify themselves as an elite Big Ten program, but they need to find a way to beat Ohio State and Michigan. They are 20-4 the past two seasons, but 0-4 against the Buckeyes and Wolverines. Quarterback Drew Allar needs to lead this offense to consistent production, which will allow Penn State to rely on their elite defense. Their schedule is very favorable, with a home game against Ohio State and no matchup with Michigan until 2026. We have the Nittany Lions at No. 3 in our Power Rankings, five spots above their AP position. 

Ole Miss

AP Ranking: 6
FTN Power Ranking: 16

Head coach Lane Kiffin guided the Rebels to a school-record 11 wins last season. Ole Miss has an explosive offense but can struggle against elite opponents. They only managed 10 points at Alabama and 17 points in a 52-17 blowout at Georgia. They do not face the Crimson Tide in the regular season but will play at LSU with home games against No. 16 Oklahoma and No. 1 Georgia. We have the Rebels a full 10 spots lower than their lofty No. 6 AP ranking. 

Texas A&M

AP Ranking: 20
FTN Power Ranking: 14

We are bullish on Mike Elko’s first season in College Station, joining the Aggies after two successful seasons with Duke. Texas A&M will feature an elite defense and quarterback Conner Weigman, and of the best prospects in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. The Aggies were just 12-12 over the last two regular seasons but can make a huge statement this Saturday at home against No. 7 Notre Dame. We have the Aggies six spots higher than their No. 14 ranking in the AP Poll.