We are all dreaming of playoff expansion. So, let’s turn fantasy into reality.
And by reality, we mean a fake 12-team playoff bracket composed here each week during the college football season, based on the sport’s current standings and abiding by the rules stipulated in the 12-team model proposed over the summer by a collection of College Football Playoff executives.
Each week, we’ll ask ourselves a simple question.
If an expanded playoff were to happen today, how would it look?
We’ll get there by heavily using the latest rankings, a dash of future prognostications and a sprinkle of common sense. But of course, there are ground rules. In case you’ve forgotten, the 12-team model features (1) the six highest-ranked conference champions and (2) the next six highest-ranked teams. The four highest-ranked conference champions get byes to the second round (independents are not eligible to receive a bye—sorry, Notre Dame).
O.K., now to this week’s bracket…
1. Alabama (SEC champion)
2. Oregon (Pac-12 champion)
3. Penn State (Big Ten champion)
4. Oklahoma (Big 12 champion)
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5. Georgia (SEC at-large)
12. Ohio State (Big Ten at-large)
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6. Iowa (Big Ten at-large)
11. Notre Dame (independent at-large)
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7. Clemson (ACC champion)
10. Michigan State (Big Ten at-large)
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8. Cincinnati (AAC champion)
9. Texas A&M (SEC at-large)
With just three weeks of games available, this gets pretty tricky. We are making a fairly large assumption that Penn State is the best team in the Big Ten and that Oregon is the best team in the Pac-12 (so, yeah, the latter might not be such a large assumption). Either way, as the season goes, we will of course adjust.
Outside looking in: Florida. The Gators were basically the last team out. Would this imaginary committee of ours really put a team into the playoff that just got beat? We know, we know—Florida looked remarkably good against the Crimson Tide. But somebody has to be left out and at least this week, that team is UF. Also considered: Ole Miss, Michigan and BYU.
