What a 12-team College Football Playoff would have looked like in 2022
The final College Football Playoff rankings are out, and we now know the four teams that will be competing for a national championship. By now, you know Ohio State is one of those teams, but so are Georgia, Michigan, and TCU. A four-team “playoff.”
With the news that the College Football Playoff will expand beginning in 2024, we have just one more year of the popularity contest to get an invite to all the fun. I say it’s about time (no offense purists), because it’ll be much easier to know what needs to be done to get into the playoff, and it gives teams that don’t get in on reputation a better shot than what we have today.
Now that we know what the final CFP rankings are, we thought it would be fun to see what the 12-team playoff would look like if it were in place today instead of the “and one” model that we got snookered into.
Here is how it would have played out. Remember, the highest-ranked conference champions take the top four seeds, so the top seeds would be different.
First … The 12 seeds
The top 12 seeds if the expanded CFP were in place this year
Take a look at the full and final #CFBPlayoff selection committee rankings upon completion of the 2022 college football season!
🏈🏆 pic.twitter.com/SDupvlJ7XF— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) December 4, 2022
Top 12 seeds
NEXT … First Round Matchups (top four seeds get a bye)
Game 1: No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed
Nov 5, 2022; Athens, Georgia, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel leaves the field after the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The Matchup
No. 8 Tennessee vs. No. 9 Kansas State
Game 2: No. 5 seed vs. No. 12 seed
Nov 5, 2022; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs punt returner Derius Davis (11) reacts after scoring a touchdown on an 82-yard punt return during the first half of a game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports
The Matchup
No. 5 TCU vs. No. 12 Tulane
Game 3: No. 6 seed vs. No. 11 seed
Oct 29, 2022; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Julian Fleming (4) catches a pass during the first half of the NCAA Division I football game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch
The Matchup
No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Penn State
Game 4: No. 7 seed vs. No. 10 seed
Oct 8, 2022; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban reacts during the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
The Matchup
No. 7 Alabama vs. No. 10 USC
NEXT … Second Round Matchups
Game 5: No. 1 seed vs. winner of Game 1
Nov 5, 2022; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett (13) on the field before the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Sanford Stadium. Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The Matchup
No. 1 Georgia vs. Winner of Tennessee/Kansas State
Game 6: No. 4 seed vs. winner of Game 2
Dec 2, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Utah Utes wide receiver Money Parks (10) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Southern California Trojans during the second half of the PAC-12 Football Championship at Allegiant Stadium. Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The Matchup
No. 4 Utah vs. Winner of TCU/Tulane
Game 7: No. 3 seed vs. Game 3 winner
Oct 8, 2022; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney talks to his players during the second half against the Boston College Eagles at Alumni Stadium. Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
The Matchup
No. 3 Clemson vs. Winner of Ohio State/Penn State
Game 8: No. 2 seed vs. winner Game 4
Dec 3, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh on the sidelines during the second half of the Big Ten Championship against the Purdue Boilermakers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
The Matchup
No. 2 Michigan vs. winner of Alabama/USC
NEXT … The Rest of the Bracket
Complete Bracket
Here's what the 12-team College Football Playoff would looked like if it was in place this season 👀
Which matchup would you be most excited for? ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/L58GYKqVey
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 4, 2022
What do you think about these matchups? Would you be excited to watch this amount of quality games? Who do you think would win it all?
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