College football playoff projections

As four undefeated and four one-loss teams remain in the hunt for the College Football Playoff, the release of the bowl schedule is right around the corner.

Last week, ESPN's college football reporters made their cases for the players, teams and games that they are most excited to see in the fall. This week, they're talking about the team playoff -- what the issues with the format might be and which teams will be able to make the most of the new system. They'll also give their way-too-early predictions for the 12 teams that will compete for the national title. David Hale: The argument against a playoff -- any playoff -- was always about watering down the regular season. For the most part, that wasn't a concern during the four-team era, though there were certainly signs of problems. In a team playoff with just four power conferences now -- and some might argue just two -- there's a real concern games that meant a ton in the regular season before are now more about spectacle than stakes. With seven "at-large" bids, teams that finish third or even fourth in the SEC or Big Ten will still have a real shot at the playoff.

College football playoff projections

The win bookended the era with Big Ten teams winning national titles; Ohio State won the first edition of the four-team event following the season. Now, though, we look ahead to the future. The recent wave of conference realignment included the destruction of the Pac, which has thrown the format of the team playoff into flux. The current idea is for the top six conference champions to get in along with six at-large teams. The top four teams in the final CFP Rankings, all of which will receive first-round byes, must consist of conference champions. However, that format might go the way of the dinosaur in the coming weeks as there has been a push to eliminate one of those automatic bids for a conference champion since Washington State and Oregon State are the only two teams left in the Pac All that in mind, let's predict the teams that will comprise the inaugural team CFP under the current format. Georgia SEC champion : Quarterback Carson Beck returns along with multiple offensive linemen and a desperation to get back on top and build upon the dynasty coach Kirby Smart has built at Georgia. There's no need to worry about departures. Smart has built this program to a point where superstars are littered across the two-deep depth chart, so finding replacements for players who've departed won't be difficult. Michigan Big Ten champion : The coming days will be very interesting in Michigan as a slew of players have decisions to make about the future, while coach Jim Harbaugh's eyes could turn toward the NFL.

The all-playoff era team: The best CFB players of the past decade. So, under the team model, you'd have a playoff team that basically only needed to win one marginally impactful game all year college football playoff projections earn its spot.

The college football season has ended with the Michigan Wolverines winning their first National Championship in over 20 years. They defeated the Washington Huskies in the championship game, completing a season. They were the best team all season long and proved it on the biggest stage. When one season ends, it's natural to look ahead to the next. Big changes to the playoff format begin next year, with the field expanding to give 12 teams a shot at a title. The original format called for six conference champions and the top six at-large teams will vie for a National Championship.

If you've been paying attention, you're aware that certain games in a given week have more impact on the College Football Playoff race than others. The Allstate Playoff Predictor has identified five such games remaining in the regular season. In Week 11, three of those five games are being played. Michigan at Penn State 2. Ohio State at Michigan 3. Ole Miss at Georgia 4. Texas at TCU 5. Georgia at Tennessee. The Big Ten has a better chance of sending multiple teams than the Big 12 has of sending one. Skip to main content Skip to navigation.

College football playoff projections

As four undefeated and four one-loss teams remain in the hunt for the College Football Playoff, the release of the bowl schedule is right around the corner. When the final buzzer sounded on the regular season, 79 teams had tallied the necessary six wins for bowl eligibility. To fill out the postseason slate, there must be 82 teams.

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The sixth win took a last-play touchdown, but Old Dominion made it happen. The Bulldogs have picked up a string of ranked wins in prior weeks that will let them hold on to the top spot. Utah, Kansas and Texas Tech should all be in that conversation. Sugar Bowl Jan. And that means celebration for a pair of young FBS programs. Michigan LW: 2 — Michigan can argue for No. Ole Miss vs. There's still a chance to rank as high as No. A loss in that one won't knock them out of the event. Error Please enter an email address. Here's Playoff Predictor's take. The Ducks just have to win and they're in.

With Selection Sunday for the College Football Playoff ahead, it is time to examine the prospects for the teams still in the hunt for the four-team field. This has undoubtedly been the chalkiest season of the CFP era.

Hopefully this does not sound like a "get off my lawn" argument, but the season is now going to stretch into late January, players will be playing more games than ever and ultimately, I think we are going to arrive to the semis and championship game with essentially the same group of schools that would have been there in a four-team CFP. The current idea is for the top six conference champions to get in along with six at-large teams. There's going to be drama for the last at-large spot in the playoff — the seed given two auto-bids for conference champions elsewhere — and the winner of next season's LSU-Alabama game likely gets it with a finish. The defense figures to be really good again, so that should help. Riding high after beating their rivals, Michigan would likely clinch a playoff berth with a win against a stingy Iowa defense in the Big Ten championship. As somebody who was in the Big House on Nov. They have an elite and experienced quarterback in Jaxson Dart. Higher seeds in the first round host playoff games, either at their home stadium or another location of their designation. LSU Citrus Jan. Plus, with the autobids in place for a set number of conference champions, there's a path for more than half of FBS to reach the CFP no matter what the committee thinks of them. Liberty; 6. Back the Rebels as a playoff team in With that said, I fully plan on embracing the new format and will still enjoy it, especially once we get into on-campus games at schools that historically haven't been in championship or playoff contention. This team has sizable expectations and won't have to face Florida State or Louisville during the regular season. With a New Year's Six bowl on the line, one has to wonder if there's anything Liberty can do to move beyond Tulane in the rankings if both schools win.