College Football Playoff: How a 16-team bracket would play out

5. Georgia Bulldogs vs. 12. Penn State Nittany Lions

If the committee were just putting ostensibly the four best teams in college football into the actual Playoff, then the Georgia Bulldogs would most likely be included in favor of the Oklahoma Sooners. With two losses on the season, once to LSU and then in the SEC Championship Game to Alabama, it makes sense as to why the Dawgs were ultimately left out, but in terms of quality and talent, few in the country can match Georgia.

In this 16-team bracket, they get a first-round matchup with the Penn State Nittany Lions. Though James Franklin’s team made some big noise early in the season, they faded quite a bit at the end of the year and weren’t honestly that close to being in the mix to win the Big Ten. Yet, here they are as one of the top 16 teams in the final rankings.

There’s no doubt that Penn State has some playmakers who could do some things against a Georgia defense that has been anything but consistent. Miles Sanders is an underrated beast at running back and, for all his flaws, Trace McSorley is a gamer that just makes things happen. There’s reason to believe that the Nittany Lions would push the Dawgs a bit.

While that may be so, Penn State simply can’t put forth a defensive effort to stop what Georgia can do offensively. The Bulldogs have weapons on the ground and through the air that can be effective against anyone, much less a lackluster Nittany Lions defense. That would carry them to a decisive win in this Round 1 game.

Prediction: Georgia 42, Penn State 24