It looks like 17 teams won ten or more in 2024 as well. I wonder if that number goes down now that the SEC will play nine league games and LSU has solved their BK problem.
Though inevitable, engineering the playoff format so that the fewest number of “good” teams are left out is a mistake. Lots of whining, crying, and tinfoil hat wearing after the selection of the playoff field, but of all the teams whose bubbles burst this year, only Texas had a win—multiple—over playoff teams.