Fictional 12-Team Playoff Structure
Here's what the playoff would look like if the 12-team format were in place today:
Seeds with byes
1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. TCU
4. Oregon
Remaining seeds
(conference champs in bold)
5. Michigan
6. Tennessee
7. LSU
8. USC
9. Alabama
10. Clemson
11. Ole Miss
12. Tulane
First-round games:
No. 12 Tulane @ No. 5 Michigan
No. 11 Ole Miss @ No. 6 Tennessee
No. 10 Clemson @ No. 7 LSU
No. 9 Alabama @ No. 8 USC
Quarterfinal games:
No. 9 Alabama-No. 8 USC winner vs. No. 1 Georgia
No. 10 Clemson-No. 7 LSU winner vs. No. 2 Ohio State
No. 11 Ole Miss-No. 6 Tennessee winner vs. No. 3 TCU
No. 12 Tulane-No. 5 Michigan winner vs. No. 4 Oregon
* source: ESPN
While I don't like the fact that we would drop 2 spots to #5, I would love to host Tulane from the bayou in mid-December Ann Arbor.
Also a bit odd that the top 4 seeds never get to host a home game. Almost makes me want to get seeded #5 of #6 every year.
November 8th, 2022 at 9:04 PM ^
Five SEC teams in ... feels ominously like a preview of future playoff brackets
Actually glad that the 12-team structure isn't here to bail out Saban and Dabo this year
November 8th, 2022 at 9:41 PM ^
Well, if the SEC teams don't deserve it they'll lose and hopefully that would eventually lead to less generous treatment from the committee.
November 8th, 2022 at 9:43 PM ^
Really, you must be new to college football.
November 8th, 2022 at 10:52 PM ^
Are you serious? When has it been proven that an SEC school was given a playoff or BCS spot that was unwarranted? When Georgia kicked the shit out of us last year?
It hasn't happened. It *could* happen in the context of the playoff but that remains to be seen.
November 9th, 2022 at 1:57 AM ^
Its not Bama or Georgia. Its the SEC always being the top ranked 0 loss team,1 loss team, 2 loss team.
It is what keeps teams like Tennessee Bama and any other SEC on the mulligan standard.
Lose just 1 game and you are in.
Michigan fan "You got your chance U of M. Go to #2 OSU and win or you are out"
Its like everyone agreeing Um shouldnt get a rematch vs OSU losing as tight as you can to the number 1 team in the nation in 2006. Then a few years later of course Bama LSU.
We kinda take whatever is fed to us at this point
November 9th, 2022 at 7:04 AM ^
Not to mention it’s a vicious cycle of success. Making the CFP = more exposure = better recruits = more success etc. The CFP is essentially a promo tool for SEC recruiting.
November 9th, 2022 at 8:20 AM ^
The CFP is essentially a promo tool for SEC recruiting...
...and ESPN broadcasts..
November 9th, 2022 at 10:57 AM ^
Yes. The fact that SEC talking points are delivered by the conference to the networks, and dutifully uttered verbatim, is pretty well documented at this point. Guys who left ESPN have talked about the things they were told to say. The idea that "SEC branding" isn't a thing beyond on-field results is grossly naive.
November 9th, 2022 at 9:40 AM ^
Florida boatraced Ohio in 2006. If anything that game validates why SEC teams are given the benefit of the doubt.
I get it. I dislike the SEC bias and SEC dominance as much as the next person, but until somebody actually fucking beats them the bias isn't going anywhere.
November 9th, 2022 at 10:16 AM ^
However, if you don't the other conference champions in the CFP, then it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. You should only have conference champions in the CFP.
November 9th, 2022 at 10:41 AM ^
This is the outcome current four team playoff format should have produced, but never did.
November 9th, 2022 at 11:31 AM ^
Florida boatraced Ohio in 2006. If anything that game validates why SEC teams are given the benefit of the doubt.
One game 16 years ago is the reason for all this? If so, that's a wild extrapolation the committee is making. I don't remember them adjusting their approach when Ohio St's 3rd string QB shredded #1 Alabama eight years later
November 9th, 2022 at 6:42 PM ^
BOOM!
November 9th, 2022 at 7:09 AM ^
I don't think it is warranted ever if a conference championship game loser gets in over another conference champion with the same record. That has certainly happened and more than once.
November 9th, 2022 at 10:19 AM ^
During the BS, oops - I meant BCS era, LSU defeated Alabama in Tuscaloosa during the regular season.
Yet, Bama was given a "second bite at the apple" and played LSU again in the NC game. Bama defeated LSU in that second game.
IMO, another team should have been given that opportunity.
November 10th, 2022 at 4:26 PM ^
This. Beat me to it. My feelings as well.
November 9th, 2022 at 8:17 AM ^
Well, if the SEC teams don't deserve it they'll lose and hopefully that would eventually lead to less generous treatment from the committee.
My lament was not based on any assumption those teams would lose. It's based on the fact I don't want five teams from the same conference playing/rematching in a sport with precious few games to create interesting matchups
And if the SEC is so terrible at figuring out how to structure their conference season that the 5th best team might actually be the best team, wtf is the regular season for
November 9th, 2022 at 8:44 AM ^
I'd like to see the 12 teams playoff include a cap of three teams (at very most four) from any conference. Presumably after Big Ten expansion three teams from Big Ten and three from SEC will be common place. I'd like see some variety in conferences represented.
November 9th, 2022 at 10:22 AM ^
Teddy, I was going to make a similar comment - and, with 12 (or even 16) teams, I think four is a reasonable number / cap for any conference.
Of course, the SEC will object to this. And, I can also see the SEC / ACC saying - "Oh, those 'home games' in the first round, where the higher seeded team hosts their opponent - well, the average temperature needs to be at, or above, 60F - so the fans can enjoy the game."
November 9th, 2022 at 11:01 AM ^
I like the limit of three teams from one conference, with that mostly restricted to a scenario where three 1-loss teams beat each other and there is no good tiebreaker. (We should also incentivize conferences to resolve this in the regular season -- eliminating divisions would be a good start.)
There should also be a rule that if you lose two conference games, you're out. I say "conference games" so that teams don't avoid scheduling good non-con matchups.
November 8th, 2022 at 9:05 PM ^
NOT hosting a home game in December would make all Ohio fans pop a woody
November 8th, 2022 at 9:10 PM ^
What am I missing. 5 seed??
November 8th, 2022 at 9:17 PM ^
Only conference champs can draw a bye.
November 9th, 2022 at 2:24 PM ^
Why wouldn't we be Conference Champs?
November 8th, 2022 at 9:12 PM ^
That’s an interesting question, would you prefer a first round bye or host a team from somewhere that is a sauna compared to December Michigan? The greedy fan in me votes for the latter.
November 8th, 2022 at 9:41 PM ^
oh I would prefer to play as many meaningful games every season as possible, because watching a good Michigan football game is more fun than not watching one.
And the cherry on top would be playing a warm weather team in snow, which they would just hate.
November 8th, 2022 at 10:30 PM ^
Honest Q: If last year’s M team played last year’s GA team in Ann Arbor on NYE, are we competitive from gate to gate?
November 8th, 2022 at 10:54 PM ^
in my opinion, nope. that uga team was unreal.
November 9th, 2022 at 9:04 AM ^
If played in conditions similar to or worse than osu, and we started JJ, we probably still lose - but closer.
But why ask this when we'd have both had a bye anyway? Michigan would have played the winner of a Pitt @ ND game in some bowl or other - no idea how they'll assign those quarter final games?
November 9th, 2022 at 6:45 AM ^
And no top team in the country is made for the snow/cold than Michigan
November 8th, 2022 at 9:22 PM ^
I'm real curious logistically what dates they're going to use for these games. Because, IMO, January 1st should always be the semifinals (Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl).
So do you go the Saturday after the conference championships for the 1st round (conflicting with the Heisman announcement and the Army-Navy game) and then the next Saturday for the quarterfinals? Or can you push that back and still end up with the semifinals on January 1st?
November 8th, 2022 at 9:42 PM ^
I assume the former, first games on Heisman day.
November 8th, 2022 at 9:50 PM ^
The logistics are going to be difficult. There are really 2 options:
- Conference Championship Saturday is currently anywhere from December 1-7 (always 9 days after Thanksgiving, which can range from November 22-28).
- Option 1, as you propose, the 2nd Saturday of December (December 8-14). But that would require games (which may have 100K+ fans!) to be organized in less than 7 days. I know the NFL often does this with playoff games, but they're different versus colleges who often rely extensively on volunteers and students for in-stadium roles.
- Option 2, what I think is better, the 3rd Saturday of December (December 15-21). But that bumps fairly close against Christmas (and people's Christmas plans). And doesn't leave too many days for people to plan travel to January 1st-ish Quarterfinals.
None of this speaks to the additional question of where/when the CFP plans to schedule the semifinals and the Championship. The NFL has grabbed a lot of January time slots with their Week 18 and expanded playoffs.
November 9th, 2022 at 10:00 AM ^
The other thing with those mid December dates (option 1) is that’s Finals week at most campuses. Most non-student fans aren’t going to care about the issue of having a playoff game in the midst of finals, but university presidents certainly will.
November 9th, 2022 at 10:01 AM ^
Particularly when they’re talking about some Thursday and Friday night games to avoid going up against the NFL, which has Saturday games those weeks.
November 8th, 2022 at 9:42 PM ^
If there are 12 teams why would you even have a “first round” with byes? 1 plays 12, 2 plays 11 and so on.
November 8th, 2022 at 9:43 PM ^
Because that would result in 6 teams left after the first round.
November 8th, 2022 at 9:45 PM ^
And more importantly, THREE teams after the second round! (I’m. Ot sure he could connect the dots so I’m adding this!)
November 8th, 2022 at 10:19 PM ^
Ha, well done.
November 8th, 2022 at 10:44 PM ^
A twist- 3 teams on a hexagonal field. Each defends one goal but tries to score on either of the other two goals. Each goal line separated by an out of bounds line. 11 on offense and other two teams on defense get say 5 players each. Line of scrimmage is arc-shaped as you move away from your goal. End zones are triangular. Marbles are used for drawing up plays…
November 8th, 2022 at 10:55 PM ^
newsletter?
November 9th, 2022 at 5:12 AM ^
What if they played dogfight football as popularized in Top Gun: Maverick?
November 8th, 2022 at 9:57 PM ^
Ill just let you do the math in your head there and figure out why that doesn’t work.
November 8th, 2022 at 10:18 PM ^
Another hint, in the NCAA Tournament, they call it the The Sweet __.
November 9th, 2022 at 12:48 AM ^
Jesus Christ are you serious right now? You just fucking with us right?
November 8th, 2022 at 9:42 PM ^
There would be some fun games, but also it would make The Game pointless.
November 8th, 2022 at 9:44 PM ^
I guess for some people, not for me.
And using that philosophy then it would do the same for every other big annual rivarly.
November 8th, 2022 at 9:42 PM ^
Playoffs suck. I can say that without bias now that we've been in one and potentially another this year. The conferences and bowl system made college football unique. I don't care about the national championship. I care about beating OSU and winning the Big Ten. Beating a Pac 10 school in the Rose Bowl is pretty cool too. Who wouldn't love to go undefeated and be crowned national champion, but having a playoff is a lack of imagination.
November 8th, 2022 at 10:33 PM ^
I respect your point of view, but feel differently. What you consider lack of imagination, I consider not reinventing the wheel. Every other division/sport uses a playoff. I'm sure you were excited for the 97 championship, and also frustrated it was a split. Why not settle it on the field?
National championships are hugely important in my mind. Ultimate bragging rights. Being leaders and best. Not to mention recruits want to play for teams that compete for championships. Again, not throwing shade, but can't imagine holding a b1g championship in higher regard than national championship.
Curious, do you also not like conference championship games?