The architects of the 12-team College Football Playoff format had many goals in mind when they were crafting the thing for several months in 2020 and 2021.
They wanted to increase the value of the conference championship (the five league title winners get automatic bids and the top four are eligible for a first-round bye). They wanted to host playoff games on campus (seeds #5-8 to host first-round games). And perhaps most importantly, they wanted to increase the relevance of more late-season games by involving more teams (they added eight teams to the field).
Goals accomplished!
The chaos of Saturday’s playoffs? In a four-team playoff world, it wouldn’t matter much. More than half a dozen games that were irrelevant under the old system were essential for the fight for the playoffs.
Take the frenzy in the SEC, for example. The home underdog essentially eliminated two upset teams from playoff contention: Florida over Ole Miss and Oklahoma over Alabama. And a third upset – Auburn over Texas A&M in four overtimes – could send a three-loss team to the SEC Championship Game if the Aggies upset Texas next week.
How about all the messy games in the Big 12? Kansas’ upset of Colorado has massive implications for the automatic bid process in the hunt for the Big 12 crown, and Arizona State’s win over BYU did the same. In fact, four teams — Colorado, ASU, Iowa State and BYU — are atop the Big 12 standings.
Many or all of those games don’t matter in a four-team playoff. But 12 teams? They are incredibly impressive.
The same goes for Penn State-Minnesota, where the Nittany Lions, fake punt and all, outlasted frigid Minneapolis by one point. Boise State’s game against Wyoming had significant implications for the expanded playoffs, as the Broncos survived to keep their path to a G5 bid alive. Ditto for Notre Dame-Army — a matchup that would have been irrelevant just last year when choosing four teams.
Losses by Ole Miss and Alabama — both in last week’s CFP committee playoff projection — open the door for many more. The big winners from Saturday’s chaotic day?
(1) The ACC, whose runner-up in the title game (Miami or SMU?) and third-place team (Clemson?) are back in contention for one of the seven at-large bids.
(2) Georgia, which secured a bid to the SEC Championship Game with losses to the Tide and A&M (they will play the winner of Texas and Texas A&M).
(3) Notre Dame, who will most likely clinch not only a playoff berth but also their first home game in South Bend if the Irish win next week in Los Angeles.
(4) Indiana and Tennessee, two bubble teams whose path to the CFP opened with all the odds.
Another big winner: The Top 10, which got a bit of a shake-up. Let’s do it!
1. Oregon ducks
This week: Hello
Next week: vs. Washington
Few teams punch their ticket to the conference championship game on Tuesday afternoon when they are not playing. But that’s exactly what happened earlier this week in Oregon, when the Big Ten found Dan Lanning’s team winning every possible tiebreaker, despite losing to Washington, three days after the Ducks beat Wisconsin to move to 11-0. To be clear, they don’t want to lose to the rival Huskies!
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
This week: beat Indiana 38-15
Next week: vs. Michigan
The Buckeyes are in position to advance to the Big Ten Championship Game for a rematch with the Ducks after their win over Michigan. The Indianapolis game isn’t just about championships. The winner will almost certainly get the No. 1 seed. 1 in the playoffs and gets a bye in the first round. And the loser? He is likely to be seeded fifth or sixth and must play in the first round.
3. Georgia Bulldogs
This week: beat UMass 59-21
Next week: vs. Georgia Tech
This was strange. The Minutemen ran for more than 225 yards against Kirby Smart’s defense, a shocking result and one that may catch the eye of several members of the CFP committee, as the Bulldogs were one of the last major teams in the field in last week’s rankings. But Georgia still has two season-best wins: at Texas and against Tennessee — two programs that are still in the playoff field.
4. Penn State Nittany Lions
This week: beat Minnesota 26-25
Next week: vs. Maryland
James Franklin, his team on the ropes and a potential playoff spot in jeopardy, pulled a fake punt out of his bag of tricks in the closing minutes to seal the win over the Gophers. The Nittany Lions got another magical performance from their star running back, Tyler Warren (eight catches for 102 yards), and they seem poised to control their destiny. Beat the underwhelming Terps next week and punch your ticket not just to the playoffs, but potentially to a first-round game in Happy Valley.
5. Texas Longhorns
This week: beat Kentucky 31-14
Next week: at Texas A&M
In year 1 in the SEC, Steve Sarkisian has the Longhorns in position to advance to the conference title game with a win in Aggieland. However, there is a concern. Quarterback Quinn Ewers, who has battled injuries for much of the season, sprained his ankle in the win over the Wildcats but finished the game. His health is coming close before the game in College Station.
6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
This week: beat Army 49-14
Next week: at USC
The only thing standing between the Irish and a playoff spot is their old rival, the USC Trojans. Notre Dame has won nine straight since that stunning loss to Northern Illinois, and this one has never been this close. Notre Dame took a 14-0 lead in the opening minutes and cruised to victory at Yankee Stadium.
7. SMU Mustangs
This week: beat Virginia 33-7
Next week: vs. Cal
Has any coach done a better job than Rhett Lashlee this season? In their first year in the ACC and after a mid-season QB change, the Mustangs punched their ticket to the championship game and played either Miami or Clemson. The road to an unlikely playoff berth — and potentially a first-round bye — lies ahead for QB Kevin Jennings and crew.
8. Miami Hurricanes
This week: beat Wake Forest 42-14
Next week: at Syracuse
Is there any team more explosive than Miami? When the Hurricanes and QB Cam Ward get hot, they can score in bunches. On Saturday, in a close game against the Demon Deacons, Maria Cristobal’s squad scored 25 unanswered goals from the end of the second quarter. The Canes can get to Charlotte next week for the ACC title game.
9. Indiana Hoosiers
This week: lost to Ohio State 38-15
Next week: vs. Purdue
The Hoosiers probably didn’t help themselves Saturday in the Horseshoe (151 yards of offense), but they did get help from other places. They remain in our Top 10, just barely, after the Rebels lost in Gainesville. But our rankings don’t really matter. How far will Curt Cignetti’s team fall in the CFP rankings? They will likely be on the top 12 bubble with the likes of Tennessee, SMU and Boise State.
10. Tennessee Volunteers
This week: beat UTEP 56-0
Next week: at Vanderbilt
Welcome back to the Top 10, Vols, receivers who lost to their SEC brethren (Ole Miss). Tennessee’s resume took a bit of a hit with Alabama’s loss at Oklahoma, but Josh Heupel’s team has one of the toughest schedules in the country and barely squeezed into our rankings ahead of South Carolina, Boise State and Clemson.
He dropped out: Ole Miss (7)