How a 12-team expanded College Football Playoff would've looked in 2021

The question “What if” brings up many possibilities. Now that the College Football Playoff has been set, it’s time to look at another what-if scenario: a 12-team playoff, but put it with the 2021 rankings.

CBS Sports laid out a potential 12-team Playoff field, which goes in line with one of the proposals the committee looked at back in June. With the final CFP rankings out, it’s interesting to look at what could’ve been.

Here’s how the 12-team playoff would work. The top four teams would be the conference champions and get first-round byes. No. 5-8 would be home teams in the first round, hosting No. 9-12 in campus site games.

“The bracket would not take regular-season rematches into account when the teams are ranked,” according to CBS, “and there would not be reseeding in the quarterfinal or semifinal round.”

Here’s how the field would look.

Byes: No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Cincinnati, No. 4 Baylor

Rest of the field: No. 5 Georgia, No. 6 Notre Dame, No. 7 Ohio State, No. 8 Ole Miss, No. 9 Oklahoma State, No. 10 Michigan State, No. 11 Utah, No. 12 Pitt

So based on this projection, Baylor — which beat Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship — would be in the top four and get a first-round bye. In the current four-team model, the Bears came in at No. 7 behind Notre Dame and Ohio State.

2021 College Football Playoff: Final top-four revealed, CFP field is set

The College Football Playoff top four has officially been set. Following conference championship weekend, the committee has gathered and came to a final decision on which four teams will be playing for a national championship this season. The results from the weekend resulted in some major changes in the final College Football Playoff rankings.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1, SEC Champion)

2. Michigan Wolverines (12-1, Big Ten Champion)

3. Georgia Bulldogs (12-1, SEC Runner-up)

4. Cincinnati Bearcats (13-0, AAC Champion)

The matchups are set. Cincinnati will play Alabama in the Cotton Bowl and Michigan will take on Georgia in the Orange Bowl. Both games take place on New Year’s Eve, and the winners advance to the national championship on Jan. 10.

Alabama jumped up to No. 1 after defeating Georgia handily 41-24 in the SEC Championship. Michigan rolled past Iowa 42-3 in the Big Ten title game, and Cincinnati beat Houston 35-20 in the American Athletic Conference Championship.

Notre Dame came in as the first two out at No. 5 and Ohio State was No. 6 in the final College Football Playoff rankings, which dropped Sunday.