We are one year away from the 12-team playoff, and just a few days away from the first College Football Playoff ranking for 2023. This is the final year of the four-team playoff, and with the parity at the top of the sport this season, these rankings will be watched as closely as they ever have.
But we are looking ahead here at Sporting News, and picturing what a 12-team playoff would look like. This will be the final model using the AP rankings as the guide for seeding. Next week, we will use the CFP rankings and project what the field would look like if the 12-team field was in place.
This is a 12-team field with the six highest ranked league champions and six at-larges. That will likely change next year to 5/7 with the demise of the Pac-12. The top four seeds all have to be league champions.
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What a 12-team playoff would look like in 2023
With six weeks of the regular season in the books, this is how the seeding would look for a 12-team playoff:
1. Georgia (SEC champ)
2. Michigan (Big Ten champ)
3. Florida State (ACC champ)
4. Washington (Pac-12 champ)
5. Ohio State
6. Oklahoma (Big 12 champ)
7. Texas
8. Oregon
9. Alabama
10. Penn State
11. Oregon State
12. Air Force (MWC champ)
Welcome to the 12-team field, Oregon State
The Beavers are America’s team after being disregarded (along with Washington State) by their Pac-12 brethren. That gives the soon-to-be defunct Pac-12 a quarter of the field and more teams than the SEC. Washington holds onto the No. 4 seed despite a shaky game against Arizona State. Penn State hangs on, but goes from a home game to a road game in the first round after the loss to Ohio State.
What 12-team playoff matchups would look like
First-round matchups
Air Force at Ohio State – Winner plays Washington
Undefeated Air Force made waves against Navy (get it?) with a 94-yard touchdown pass and would earn a trip to the Horseshoe to show off its ground-based offense in the 12-team field.
Oregon State at Oklahoma – Winner plays Florida State
The Beavers would have the sympathy factor against the Sooners, and with a win, D.J. Uiagalelei would get another crack at Florida State.
Penn State at Texas – Winner plays Michigan
This pod is a thing of tradition goodness, with either the Lions or Longhorns headed to the Big House. (Michigan, stay out of Austin!)
MORE: Will Michigan get hit with penalties before 2023 season ends?
Alabama at Oregon – Winner plays Georgia
Dan Lanning can’t escape the SEC, with Alabama and then Georgia blocking Oregon’s path to the semifinals.
