RE: Palatable 8 team all inclusive* playoff idea
If we’re talking just a play-in game for top 2 G5 Champs, I’d be down for a 10 team playoff with the P5 Champs, top 2 G5 Champs, and top 3 at-large teams provided that conference championship games are able to become the top 2 teams in their conference rather than division champs. The 2 play-in games would be the lower 2 ranked at large teams playing each other and either the 2 G5 champs or lower 2 ranked of the 7 conference champs. Then seeds the 8 remaining teams 1-8 based on rank. This likely won’t happen because the P5 probably doesn’t want 1 G5 champ and definitely not 2, but it’s a fun concept to consider. Here are 8 years of examples:
2020 (Covid year, made things interesting):
#1 Alabama, #2 Clemson, #3 Ohio State, #4 Notre Dame*, #6 Oklahoma,
#8 Cincinnati (9-0) or #25 Oregon (4-2)
Play-in Games:
#7 Florida-#5 Texas A&M (conference rematch)
#25 Oregon-#12 Coastal Carolina (11-0) or #12 Coastal Carolina-#8 Cincinnati
#22 San Jose State (7-0) misses out as 3rd G5 champ
#10 Iowa State and #17 USC miss playoffs due to conference championship game upsets
#25 Oregon should be in the play-in game, but I think the P5 would have the 2 G5 champs play each other
2019:
#1 LSU, #2 Ohio State, #3 Clemson, #4 Oklahoma, #5 Georgia*, #6 Oregon
Play-in Games:
#8 Wisconsin-#7 Baylor
#19 Boise State-#17 Memphis
#20 Appalachian State (12-1) barely misses out as 3rd G5 champ
#11 Utah misses playoff due to conference championship upset
2018:
#1 Alabama, #2 Clemson, #3 Notre Dame*, #4 Oklahoma, #6 Ohio State,
#8 UCF (12-0) or #9 Washington (10-3)
Play-in Games:
#7 Michigan-#5 Georgia
#21 Fresno State-#8 UCF or #9 Washington
#9 Washington should be in the play-in game, but again, I think the P5 would have the 2 G5 champs play each other
#25 Boise State misses playoff due to conference championship upset
2017:
#1 Clemson, #2 Oklahoma, #3 Georgia, #4 Alabama*, #5 Ohio State, #8 USC
Play-in Games:
#7 Auburn-#6 Wisconsin
#25 Boise State-#12 UCF
#7 Auburn and #6 Wisconsin both dropped to play-in game from conference championship upsets
#10 Miami (FL) misses playoff due to conference championship loss
Fresno State misses playoff due to conference championship upset
2016:
#1 Alabama, #2 Clemson, #3 Ohio State*, #4 Washington, #5 Penn State, #7 Oklahoma
Play-in Games:
#8 Wisconsin-#6 Michigan (conference rematch)
#24 Temple-#15 Western Michigan
#25 Navy misses playoff due to conference championship upset
#8 Wisconsin dropped to play-in game due to conference championship upset
2015:
#1 Clemson, #2 Alabama, #3 Michigan State, #4 Oklahoma, #5 Iowa*, #6 Stanford
Play-in Games:
#8 Notre Dame-#7 Ohio State
Western Kentucky (11-2)-#18 Houston
#3 Michigan State upset #5 Iowa in Big Ten Championship, otherwise no drama
2014:
#1 Alabama, #2 Oregon, #3 Florida State, #4 Ohio State, #5 Baylor, #6 TCU*
Play-in Games:
#8 Michigan State-#7 Mississippi State
Marshall (12-1)-#20 Boise State
#10 Arizona misses playoff with conference championship loss
#11 Kansas State potentially misses due to Week 15 loss
#7 Mississippi State jumps from 10 to 7 without playing a game leaping #8 Michigan State
2013:
#1 Florida State, #2 Auburn, #3 Alabama*, #4 Michigan State, #5 Stanford, #6 Baylor
Play-in Games:
#8 Missouri-#7 Ohio State
#20 Fresno State-#15 UCF
#23 Northern Illinois (12-1) misses playoff due to conference championship upset and 3rd G5 champion
#13 Oklahoma State misses playoff due to Week 15 upset in de facto Big 12 Championship
#7 Ohio State drops to play-in game due to conference championship upset
#9 South Carolina because of Ohio State loss dropped out of playoff
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