2008 season
120 teams across 5 tiers · ingest from CFBD regular season
Regular season champions
Tier winners — the top finisher in each tier on points, before any promotion playoff or main-playoff games.
Tier standings
Final regular-season standings within each tier. Promoted rows tinted green, relegated rows tinted red, survival winners tinted amber.
Premier24 teams
| Team | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USC | 11 | 1 | 46 | 450 | 93 | +357 | |
| 2 | Florida | 12 | 1 | 41 | 587 | 167 | +420 | |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 12 | 1 | 37 | 702 | 319 | +383 | |
| 4 | Texas | 11 | 1 | 35 | 527 | 223 | +304 | |
| 5 | Oregon State | 8 | 4 | 35 | 394 | 300 | +94 | |
| 6 | Oregon | 9 | 3 | 33 | 503 | 336 | +167 | |
| 7 | California | 8 | 4 | 32 | 400 | 242 | +158 | |
| 8 | Ohio State | 10 | 2 | 30 | 338 | 157 | +181 | |
| 9 | Boise State | 12 | 0 | 29 | 473 | 147 | +326 | |
| 10 | Georgia | 9 | 3 | 27 | 385 | 307 | +78 | |
| 11 | Boston College | 9 | 4 | 26 | 332 | 241 | +91 | |
| 12 | TCU | 10 | 2 | 25 | 420 | 131 | +289 | |
| 13 | BYU | 10 | 2 | 25 | 424 | 254 | +170 | |
| 14 | Georgia Tech | 9 | 3 | 25 | 314 | 226 | +88 | |
| 15 | Virginia Tech | 9 | 4 | 24 | 289 | 227 | +62 | |
| 16 | Missouri | 9 | 4 | 21 | 561 | 358 | +203 | |
| 17 | LSU | 8 | 5 | 15 | 405 | 324 | +81 | |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 7 | 5 | 15 | 344 | 303 | +41 | |
| 19 | Arizona State | 5 | 7 | 15 | 274 | 272 | +2 | |
| 20 | Hawaii | 7 | 6 | 15 | 324 | 355 | -31 | |
| 21 | UCLA | 4 | 8 | 14 | 212 | 348 | -136 | Relegated |
| 22 | Louisville | 5 | 7 | 12 | 296 | 358 | -62 | Survived |
| 23 | Auburn | 5 | 7 | 11 | 208 | 216 | -8 | Relegated |
| 24 | Michigan | 3 | 9 | 10 | 243 | 347 | -104 | Relegated |
Tier 224 teams
| Team | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | 12 | 1 | 38 | 405 | 169 | +236 | Promoted |
| 2 | Penn State | 11 | 1 | 37 | 482 | 149 | +333 | Promoted |
| 3 | Utah | 12 | 0 | 37 | 449 | 207 | +242 | |
| 4 | Cincinnati | 11 | 2 | 34 | 355 | 262 | +93 | |
| 5 | Michigan State | 9 | 3 | 30 | 314 | 263 | +51 | |
| 6 | Texas Tech | 11 | 1 | 25 | 535 | 315 | +220 | Promoted (playoff) |
| 7 | West Virginia | 8 | 4 | 25 | 288 | 191 | +97 | |
| 8 | Florida State | 8 | 4 | 23 | 392 | 249 | +143 | |
| 9 | Tulsa | 10 | 3 | 21 | 616 | 378 | +238 | |
| 10 | Iowa | 8 | 4 | 20 | 363 | 159 | +204 | |
| 11 | Miami (FL) | 7 | 5 | 20 | 335 | 290 | +45 | |
| 12 | Notre Dame | 6 | 6 | 20 | 272 | 267 | +5 | |
| 13 | Clemson | 7 | 5 | 16 | 306 | 199 | +107 | |
| 14 | South Florida | 7 | 5 | 15 | 318 | 246 | +72 | |
| 15 | Fresno State | 7 | 5 | 15 | 350 | 364 | -14 | |
| 16 | Arkansas | 5 | 7 | 15 | 263 | 374 | -111 | |
| 17 | Virginia | 5 | 7 | 12 | 193 | 260 | -67 | |
| 18 | Colorado | 5 | 7 | 12 | 242 | 351 | -109 | |
| 19 | Texas A&M | 4 | 8 | 11 | 300 | 449 | -149 | |
| 20 | Southern Miss | 6 | 6 | 10 | 368 | 286 | +82 | |
| 21 | Tennessee | 5 | 7 | 9 | 208 | 201 | +7 | Survived |
| 22 | Purdue | 4 | 8 | 9 | 296 | 301 | -5 | Relegated |
| 23 | New Mexico | 4 | 8 | 9 | 253 | 273 | -20 | Relegated |
| 24 | Washington State | 2 | 11 | 3 | 165 | 570 | -405 | Relegated |
Tier 326 teams
| Team | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pittsburgh | 9 | 3 | 30 | 352 | 276 | +76 | Promoted |
| 2 | Arizona | 7 | 5 | 26 | 445 | 256 | +189 | Promoted |
| 3 | Ole Miss | 8 | 4 | 25 | 370 | 213 | +157 | |
| 4 | Northwestern | 9 | 3 | 24 | 294 | 232 | +62 | |
| 5 | Rice | 9 | 3 | 19 | 499 | 419 | +80 | Promoted (playoff) |
| 6 | Rutgers | 7 | 5 | 18 | 348 | 222 | +126 | |
| 7 | Wake Forest | 7 | 5 | 18 | 244 | 219 | +25 | |
| 8 | South Carolina | 7 | 5 | 18 | 260 | 243 | +17 | |
| 9 | Maryland | 7 | 5 | 18 | 241 | 257 | -16 | |
| 10 | Nebraska | 8 | 4 | 17 | 434 | 350 | +84 | |
| 11 | Kansas | 7 | 5 | 17 | 392 | 354 | +38 | |
| 12 | Air Force | 8 | 4 | 16 | 320 | 255 | +65 | |
| 13 | Stanford | 5 | 7 | 16 | 315 | 329 | -14 | |
| 14 | Illinois | 5 | 7 | 12 | 344 | 319 | +25 | |
| 15 | NC State | 6 | 6 | 12 | 282 | 313 | -31 | |
| 16 | Colorado State | 6 | 6 | 12 | 287 | 358 | -71 | |
| 17 | Nevada | 7 | 5 | 10 | 454 | 378 | +76 | |
| 18 | Memphis | 6 | 6 | 10 | 339 | 312 | +27 | |
| 19 | Marshall | 4 | 8 | 9 | 246 | 332 | -86 | |
| 20 | Toledo | 3 | 9 | 9 | 269 | 377 | -108 | |
| 21 | Syracuse | 3 | 9 | 9 | 217 | 392 | -175 | |
| 22 | Kansas State | 5 | 7 | 8 | 419 | 430 | -11 | |
| 23 | UCF | 4 | 8 | 7 | 199 | 289 | -90 | Survived |
| 24 | Miami (OH) | 2 | 10 | 2 | 221 | 392 | -171 | Relegated |
| 25 | Washington | 0 | 12 | 0 | 159 | 463 | -304 | Relegated |
| 26 | San Diego State | 2 | 10 | -1 | 231 | 446 | -215 | Relegated |
Tier 426 teams
| Team | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Carolina | 9 | 4 | 28 | 309 | 270 | +39 | Promoted |
| 2 | Oklahoma State | 9 | 3 | 24 | 499 | 323 | +176 | Promoted |
| 3 | North Carolina | 8 | 4 | 24 | 330 | 244 | +86 | |
| 4 | Ball State | 12 | 1 | 20 | 476 | 242 | +234 | |
| 5 | UConn | 7 | 5 | 18 | 286 | 237 | +49 | |
| 6 | Western Michigan | 9 | 3 | 15 | 358 | 286 | +72 | Promoted (playoff) |
| 7 | Minnesota | 7 | 5 | 15 | 281 | 280 | +1 | |
| 8 | Navy | 8 | 4 | 14 | 334 | 257 | +77 | |
| 9 | Buffalo | 8 | 5 | 14 | 404 | 357 | +47 | |
| 10 | Kentucky | 6 | 6 | 14 | 269 | 260 | +9 | |
| 11 | Central Michigan | 8 | 4 | 14 | 363 | 369 | -6 | |
| 12 | Houston | 7 | 5 | 13 | 494 | 374 | +120 | |
| 13 | Bowling Green | 6 | 6 | 12 | 332 | 278 | +54 | |
| 14 | UTEP | 5 | 7 | 11 | 395 | 444 | -49 | |
| 15 | Northern Illinois | 6 | 6 | 10 | 304 | 217 | +87 | |
| 16 | Louisiana Tech | 7 | 5 | 10 | 303 | 298 | +5 | |
| 17 | Troy | 8 | 4 | 9 | 399 | 247 | +152 | |
| 18 | Wyoming | 4 | 8 | 9 | 152 | 333 | -181 | |
| 19 | Middle Tennessee | 5 | 7 | 8 | 274 | 299 | -25 | |
| 20 | UAB | 4 | 8 | 8 | 273 | 375 | -102 | |
| 21 | Florida Atlantic | 6 | 6 | 7 | 302 | 352 | -50 | |
| 22 | Mississippi State | 4 | 8 | 7 | 183 | 296 | -113 | |
| 23 | Ohio | 4 | 8 | 5 | 289 | 327 | -38 | Survived |
| 24 | Indiana | 3 | 9 | 4 | 246 | 423 | -177 | Relegated |
| 25 | Tulane | 2 | 10 | 2 | 200 | 414 | -214 | Relegated |
| 26 | Iowa State | 2 | 10 | 1 | 304 | 430 | -126 | Relegated |
Tier 520 teams
| Team | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vanderbilt | 6 | 6 | 19 | 233 | 241 | -8 | Promoted |
| 2 | UNLV | 5 | 7 | 14 | 307 | 391 | -84 | Promoted |
| 3 | San Jose State | 6 | 6 | 11 | 224 | 259 | -35 | |
| 4 | Arkansas State | 6 | 6 | 10 | 324 | 285 | +39 | |
| 5 | Baylor | 4 | 8 | 10 | 336 | 352 | -16 | |
| 6 | Akron | 5 | 7 | 9 | 360 | 375 | -15 | Promoted (playoff) |
| 7 | Temple | 5 | 7 | 8 | 281 | 277 | +4 | |
| 8 | Florida International | 5 | 7 | 8 | 296 | 340 | -44 | |
| 9 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 6 | 6 | 7 | 397 | 404 | -7 | |
| 10 | Duke | 4 | 8 | 7 | 241 | 281 | -40 | |
| 11 | Utah State | 3 | 9 | 7 | 288 | 416 | -128 | |
| 12 | Kent State | 4 | 8 | 6 | 308 | 380 | -72 | |
| 13 | New Mexico State | 3 | 9 | 5 | 266 | 409 | -143 | |
| 14 | Louisiana-Monroe | 4 | 8 | 4 | 284 | 374 | -90 | |
| 15 | Eastern Michigan | 3 | 9 | 4 | 309 | 427 | -118 | |
| 16 | Army | 3 | 9 | 2 | 177 | 284 | -107 | |
| 17 | Idaho | 2 | 10 | 1 | 235 | 513 | -278 | |
| 18 | North Texas | 1 | 11 | 1 | 240 | 571 | -331 | |
| 19 | Western Kentucky | 2 | 10 | 0 | 210 | 326 | -116 | |
| 20 | SMU | 1 | 11 | 0 | 256 | 458 | -202 |
Main playoff
Twelve-team championship bracket: top 8 from Premier (seeds 1–8), top 2 from Tier 2 (seeds 9–10), top 2 from Tier 3 (seeds 11–12). Seeds 1–4 receive first-round byes. Champion: USC.
Round 1
Quarterfinal
Promotion playoffs
Each lower tier sends two teams up automatically (ranks 1 and 2); ranks 3–6 contest a single-elimination playoff for the third promotion spot.
Tier 2→ up to Tier 1
Semifinal
Final
Tier 4→ up to Tier 3
Semifinal
Final
Tier 5→ up to Tier 4
Semifinal
Final
Relegation playoffs
Bottom 4 of each upper tier play a survival bracket. The Survival Final winner stays up; the other three drop down.
2009 starting tiers
Cascade from 2008: promoted teams move up, relegated teams move down, and FBS membership is reconciled against CFBD's roster for the next year.
Premier24
- USC1
- Florida2
- Alabama3
- Oklahoma4
- Penn State5
- Texas6
- Oregon State7
- Oregon8
- California9
- Ohio State10
- Boise State11
- Georgia12
- Boston College13
- TCU14
- Texas Tech15
- BYU16
- Georgia Tech17
- Virginia Tech18
- Missouri19
- LSU20
- Wisconsin21
- Arizona State22
- Hawaii23
- Louisville24
Tier 224
- Utah1
- Cincinnati2
- Pittsburgh3
- Michigan State4
- Arizona5
- West Virginia6
- Florida State7
- Tulsa8
- Iowa9
- Miami (FL)10
- Notre Dame11
- Rice12
- Clemson13
- South Florida14
- Fresno State15
- Arkansas16
- UCLA17
- Virginia18
- Colorado19
- Auburn20
- Texas A&M21
- Southern Miss22
- Michigan23
- Tennessee24
Tier 326
- East Carolina1
- Ole Miss2
- Oklahoma State3
- Northwestern4
- Rutgers5
- Wake Forest6
- South Carolina7
- Maryland8
- Nebraska9
- Kansas10
- Air Force11
- Stanford12
- Western Michigan13
- Illinois14
- NC State15
- Colorado State16
- Nevada17
- Memphis18
- Purdue19
- New Mexico20
- Marshall21
- Toledo22
- Syracuse23
- Kansas State24
- UCF25
- Washington State26
Tier 426
- North Carolina1
- Ball State2
- Vanderbilt3
- UConn4
- Minnesota5
- Navy6
- Buffalo7
- Kentucky8
- Central Michigan9
- UNLV10
- Houston11
- Bowling Green12
- UTEP13
- Northern Illinois14
- Louisiana Tech15
- Troy16
- Akron17
- Wyoming18
- Middle Tennessee19
- UAB20
- Florida Atlantic21
- Mississippi State22
- Ohio23
- Miami (OH)24
- Washington25
- San Diego State26
Tier 520
- San Jose State1
- Arkansas State2
- Baylor3
- Temple4
- Florida International5
- Louisiana-Lafayette6
- Duke7
- Utah State8
- Kent State9
- New Mexico State10
- Louisiana-Monroe11
- Eastern Michigan12
- Indiana13
- Army14
- Tulane15
- Iowa State16
- Idaho17
- North Texas18
- Western Kentucky19
- SMU20