College Football Playoff: Projecting 12-team bracket after week 11

We’ve been hypothesizing what a 12-team College Football Playoff would look like all year, and each iteration has made me more excited for the real thing next year. This week is no different. With Missouri thumping Tennessee, the Tigers move into position to nab a real-world New Years Six bowl berth and a hypothetical CFP berth. In our exercise, Missouri would head to Seattle to face Washington in what likely would be the game of the opening weekend.

Back in the real world, the commissioners who run the CFP have begun to seriously discuss how to adjust the format based on conference realignment. The plan currently in place calls for six automatic bids and six at-large spots, but with the Pac-12 ceasing to exist as a power conference, it seems likely that the first 12-team CFP will feature five automatic bids and seven at-large spots. 

Since we’ve been doing our exercise using this season’s conference affiliations, we’ll stay with the six-and-six model, but it certainly appears as if the first real-world 12-team playoff is about to take its final form.

1. Georgia (SEC champ)
2. Michigan (Big Ten champ)
3. Texas (Big 12 champ)
4. Florida State (ACC champ)
5. Ohio State (At-large)
6. Oregon (Pac-12 champ)
7. Washington (At-large)
8. Alabama (At-large)
9. Louisville (At-large)
10. Missouri (At-large)
11. Oregon State (At-large)
12. Tulane (but should be James Madison) (American Athletic conference champ)

Playoff Bracket Matchups

No. 12 Tulane at No. 5 Ohio State
***Winner plays No. 4 Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl

No. 11 Oregon State at No. 6 Oregon
***Winner plays No. 3 Texas in the Cotton Bowl

No. 10 Missouri at No. 7 Washington
*** Winner plays No. 2 Michigan in the Orange Bowl

No. 9 Louisville at No. 8 Alabama
*** Winner plays No. 1 Georgia in the Peach Bowl