Excited for the 12 Team Playoff
The first CFP thread is quite lengthy and mostly griping about Clemson being too high (agreed) and our non-conference schedule costing us (arguments on both sides here). I saw one item on ESPN I thought worth sharing is how amazing the 12 team playoff will be (Link). Below is how it would look as of today based on the current rankings. What do we need to transpire to get this accelerated to 2024? Is it still generally understood that the SEC is going to biggest hurdle?
Here's what the playoff would look like if the 12-team format were in place today:
Seeds with byes
1. Tennessee
2. Ohio State
3. Clemson
4. TCURemaining seeds
(conference champs in bold)5. Georgia
6. Michigan
7. Alabama
8. Oregon
9. USC
10. LSU
11. Ole Miss
12. TulaneFirst-round games
No. 12 Tulane at No. 5 Georgia
No. 11 Ole Miss at No. 6 Michigan
No. 10 LSU at No. 7 Alabama
No. 9 USC at No. 8 OregonQuarterfinal games
No. 9 USC-No. 8 Oregon winner vs. No. 1 Tennessee
No. 10 LSU-No. 7 Alabama winner vs. No. 2 Ohio State
No. 11 Ole Miss-No. 6 Michigan winner vs. No. 3 Clemson
No. 12 Tulane-No. 5 Georgia winner vs. No. 4 TCU
November 2nd, 2022 at 5:50 PM ^
i personally would like an 8 team playoff. not a fan of byes at all in the first round. too big of an advantage.
November 2nd, 2022 at 5:51 PM ^
So many great aspects of this format.
Multiple games featuring teams that never play each other.
Playing in college football stadiums.
Many more meaningful regular season games...since more teams have something for which to play.
Teams like Ole Miss having to play in Michigan in December! This would have to be a huge advantage for northern home teams playing against southern teams who would be playing in very unfamiliar conditions.
November 2nd, 2022 at 6:05 PM ^
I'm not at all excited for the 12-team playoff. I think it was a mistake to expand it beyond four. Four is the perfect number because it strikes the optimal balance between making sure every regular season game is as meaningful as possible and giving every truly deserving team (and only the truly deserving teams) a shot. I was very happy when the current format was introduced and I thought it was a borderline miracle that the powers-that-be in college football finally got something right. I should have known they would screw it up sooner or later.
November 2nd, 2022 at 6:57 PM ^
You are a part of a very small group-and for good reason. I cannot imagine that you have competed athletically at any significant level.
November 2nd, 2022 at 6:16 PM ^
#1 team in the nation is an 8 point underdog at Georgia. Nuff said.
November 2nd, 2022 at 6:47 PM ^
Underrated post.
November 2nd, 2022 at 6:52 PM ^
So, under this system, rankings matter more than now because they impact both matchups and home field advantage.
Under the 12-team playoff system, 1 loss teams shouldn't get preferential treatment regardless of conference. The NFL doesn't weigh SOS or power rankings in determining postseason playoff berths and matchups. You play the schedule you play and the results decide whom you play in the postseason.
In college, of course, bowls and now playoff rankings are based on cosmetic as well as practical results in game scheduling with conferences certainly weighted based on recent performance.
Currently, Alabama is the gold standard for playoff consideration.The Crimson Tide are only eliminated from playoff consideration if they lose twice, once is apparently not enough. That is why at No. 6 after a near loss at Texas, and at home against Texas A&M, which was beaten at home by Appalachian State, Bama is still in the running for the NC game, having lost by 3 on the road to Tennessee.
And the Vols who have done nothing as a program on the national scene in decades are suddenly tied with Ohio State at No. 2 in the AP poll. This isn't a ranking based on evidence but league reputation. If Tennessee loses on Saturday to Georgia, which I fully expect by a healthy margin, they will still not be eliminated from the NC. Because Alabama still could play Georgia in the conference championship, which brings all the other eliminated SEC challengers back in play depending on the score and outcome.
So, if somehow Tennessee beats Georgia at home but then loses to Alabama in a conference championship rematch, suddenly Alabama regains its old status as top dog and Tennessee will get up to a No. 4 spot consolation prize, giving Georgia the possibility of sneaking in depending on what happens elsewhere. You can almost see this being worked out now.
Michigan-Ohio State is a playoff game and the loser will be eliminated from playoff consideration regardless of how they are ranked. Clemson is in unless it somehow stumbles Saturday in South Bend. And, of course, the best of the rest are in the SEC.
November 2nd, 2022 at 8:06 PM ^
So some knucklehead says that a team with this schedule should be in the playoffs:
UMass
Alcorn St
KSU
Southern Miss
USF
Houston
ECU
Memphis
November 2nd, 2022 at 9:22 PM ^
The top team from the Group of 5 should get in regardless of who they play. There will be 5 at-large bids. That will be enough (I would have been fine with just two).
November 2nd, 2022 at 9:12 PM ^
According to this playoff schedule, we'd cruise right through to the semi-finals! Ole Miss doesn't scare me and Clemson sucks ass (as far as top 10 teams are concerned).
November 2nd, 2022 at 9:24 PM ^
Can someone please change the rules so we get an expanded playoff this year? This would be the perfect season for a 12 team playoff, unlike last year when it was pretty clear who the top 4 teams were..
November 2nd, 2022 at 10:02 PM ^
Not me.
This will solve the “problem” of not leaving a deserving team or two out of the playoff, but the playoff itself won’t be about determining the best team or the team who had the best season, only which good team got hottest in the end. I already have professional sports for that.
I miss the old system and the occasional multiple champions. I much preferred it. I don’t need the certainty or whatever the BCS was meant to provide, and it has only occasionally actually provided it.
November 2nd, 2022 at 10:09 PM ^
Check out my page for weekly 12 team playoff brackets:
November 2nd, 2022 at 10:50 PM ^
Nobody should get a bye week in a game as physically demanding as football.
November 3rd, 2022 at 1:59 PM ^
A 12 team playoff would really suck. Wish there was to stop this greed / pure cash grab. If there has to be expansion, why would it not be to 6 teams. I could maybe see 6 teams but 12 just totally ruins the regular season and kills the importance of regular season rivalries. It will suck potentially playing Ohio State 3 times in 1 season.