What would an expanded 12-team College Football Playoff field look like?
With the 12-team College Football Playoff coming next season, The Athletic is using this season’s CFP selection committee rankings to illustrate how the new format will work.
Here’s how the bracket would be seeded and the site locations determined using the committee’s final rankings and the CFP’s previously announced 2024-25 game dates. Note: The Orange and Cotton bowls are scheduled to host the two semifinals, and the national championship game will be in Atlanta.
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Top 4 seeds (first-round byes)
In the new format, the top four seeds will be reserved for the four highest-ranked conference champions. That means No. 1 Michigan (Big Ten), No. 2 Washington (Pac-12), No. 3 Texas (Big 12) and No. 4 Alabama (SEC) would get a bye into the quarterfinals.
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Nos. 5-12 seeds
For now, I am still using the original plan to pick the six highest-ranked conference champions along with the six highest-ranked at-large teams. Last month, the commissioners recommended changing it to five champions/seven at-large teams, given that the Pac-12 will no longer be viewed as power conference. But, this season, the Pac-12 still exists.
The fifth- and sixth-highest-ranked conference champions would be No. 5 Florida State (ACC) and No. 23 Liberty (C-USA). Joining them in the field would be the six highest-ranked remaining teams: No. 6 Georgia, No. 7 Ohio State, No. 8 Oregon, No. 9 Missouri, No. 10 Penn State and No. 11 Ole Miss.
Penn State would make a second trip to Ohio State in a 12-team CFP. (Ben Jackson / Getty Images)The CFP schedule
All times Eastern.
First round
Friday, Dec. 19
- No. 9 Missouri at No. 8 Oregon, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 20
- No. 12 Liberty at No. 5 Florida State, noon
- No. 11 Ole Miss at No. 6 Georgia, 4 p.m.
- No. 10 Penn State at No. 7 Ohio State, 8 p.m.
The four first-round games will be played on the campuses of the Nos. 5-8 seeds over the third weekend in December. It just so happens this year’s field would include two rematches of regular-season conference games: Penn State at Ohio State and Ole Miss at Georgia. Which games get placed in which slots would likely be determined by TV. Penn State-Ohio State would be the no-brainer Saturday prime-time game.
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Quarterfinals
Tuesday, Dec. 31
- Fiesta Bowl: No. 2 Washington vs. Penn State-Ohio State winner, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan 1
- Peach Bowl: No. 4 Alabama vs. Florida State-Liberty winner, 1 p.m.
- Rose Bowl: No. 1 Michigan vs. Oregon-Missouri winner, 5 p.m.
- Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Texas vs. Georgia-Ole Miss winner, 8:45 p.m.
The CFP has already announced the dates and sites for the four quarterfinal bowl games. It has also stated that the top four teams will be assigned to their sites in order, and “in consideration of current contract bowl relationships if those bowls are selected for the rotation” — thus, Big Ten champion Michigan in the Rose Bowl. But the way this order worked out, the other three would go by geography, starting with Washington in the Fiesta Bowl. While the Sugar Bowl has an SEC tie-in, No. 3 Texas would presumably get dibs over No. 4 Alabama.
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Semifinals
Thursday, Jan. 9
- Orange Bowl: No. 2 Washington/No. 7 Ohio State/No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 3 Texas/No. 6 Georgia/No. 11 Ole Miss, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 10
- Cotton Bowl: No. 1 Michigan/No. 8 Oregon/No. 9 Missouri vs. No. 4 Alabama/No. 5 Florida State/No. 12 Liberty, 7:30 p.m.
The semifinals will be played on a Thursday and Friday night at least a week after the quarterfinals to avoid going head-to-head with the NFL’s Wild Card weekend. In the CFP board’s announcement, it said “the higher seeds would receive preferential placement in the Playoff semifinal games.” That would depend on which teams win their quarterfinals, but if No. 1 Michigan advanced, Arlington, Texas, is the closer site.
National championship
Monday, Jan. 20
- National championship game in Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.
The title game will remain on Monday night, as the NFL’s Divisional Round owns the weekend, but two weeks later than it is currently. The CFP had already selected Atlanta as its site for the 2024-2025 national championship game, with Miami taking its turn in 2025-26.
(Top photo: Perry McIntyre / ISI Photos / Getty Images)
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