What a 12-team College Football Playoff field would look like after CFP rankings update

James Fletcher IIIby:James Fletcher III11/22/22

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The College Football Playoff Selection Committee revealed its updated rankings after a big week of upsets in college football saw some contenders shoot up the board and others plummet out of contention ahead of Week 13. However, in a few short years a new format will offer a second chance to some of those who drop a game or two along the way, as Tennessee did on Saturday.

As the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams, the conversation surrounding the rankings will surely change with it. While the focus of the night and the season remains on the four teams on top, it is always fun to look forward at what things could be like.

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Check out how the Week 13 CFP rankings would fill out a 12-team playoff field which would let more big-name teams like Alabama and Clemson into the conversation again.

Seeds with byes

Under the new format, the top four teams will receive a first-round bye, giving them extra time to prepare for the upcoming matchup versus their competitors. However, unlike the current system, each of these teams must win their respective conference, meaning Michigan gets bounced for Pac-12 leader USC at this time.

1. Georgia

2. Ohio State

3. TCU

4. USC

Remaining seeds

(conference champs *)

The remaining eight teams in the 12-team CFP field will feature the remaining Power Five champion, along with at least one Group of Five school ranked the highest in the country. As mentioned above, top-four team Michigan is moved down a line because of Ohio State currently sits above them and becomes de-facto conference champion in the projection.

5. Michigan

6. LSU

7. Alabama

8. Clemson*

9. Tennessee

10. Oregon

1`. Penn State

12. Tulane*

First-round games:

Game 1: No. 12 Tulane @ No. 5 Michigan

Game 2: No. 11 Penn State @ No. 6 LSU

Game 3: No. 10 Oregon @ No. 7 Alabama

Game 4: No. 9 Tennessee @ No. 8 Clemson

Quarterfinal games:

Game 5: Winner of Game 4 vs. No. 1 Georgia

Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. No. 2 Ohio State

Game 7: Winner of Game 2 vs. No. 3 TCU

Game 8: Winner of Game 1 vs. No. 4 USC

Semifinal games

Game 9: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 8

Game 10: Winner of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 7

CFP National Championship game

Game 11: Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 10