College Football Playoff: Projecting 12-team bracket after week 12

As we hurtle toward a four-team College Football Playoff with five undefeated power conference teams remaining — plus some one- and two-loss teams playing their best football — it’s even more bittersweet that the 12-team playoff starts next year. A 12-team bracket at the end of this season would have been a blast, but unfortunately the expansion isn’t happening until 2024 because the ACC and Pac-12 commissioners got duped by former Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren into forming an “alliance” that produced nothing but memes and jokes involving the phrase “we looked each other in the eye.”

The bracket below would be a ton of fun, though it would not be without controversy. Certainly Penn State fans would be angry that Oklahoma and Missouri (all finish 10-2 in this scenario) made the CFP and their team didn’t. And if Penn State made it instead of one of the other two, that fanbase would be furious. But no one would feel as if they got absolutely screwed. 

I don’t think any 13-0 conference champ will be left out of this season’s four-team playoff, but the fear remains that if Alabama were to win a tight SEC title game against Georgia that the Bulldogs would get in over a 13-0 Florida State. These things typically work themselves out, but we won’t have to worry about that next year. The teams that get left out will only be able to blame themselves for not winning one more game.

1. Georgia (SEC champ)
2. Michigan (Big Ten champ)
3.Washington (Pac-12 champ)
4. Texas (Big 12 champ)
5. Ohio State (At-large)
6. Alabama (At-large)
7. Louisville (ACC champ)
8. Oregon (At-large)
9. Florida State (At-large)
10. Oklahoma (At-large)
11. Missouri (At-large)
12. Tulane (American Athletic Conference champ)

Playoff bracket matchups

No. 12 Tulane at No. 5 Ohio State
*** Winner plays Texas in the Cotton Bowl

No. 11 Missouri at No. 6 Alabama
*** Winner plays Washington in the Fiesta Bowl

No. 10 Oklahoma at No. 7 Louisville
*** Winner plays Michigan in the Orange Bowl

No. 9 Florida State at No. 8 Oregon
*** Winner plays Georgia in the Peach Bowl