What 12-team College Football Playoff would’ve looked like in 2021

If the College Football Playoff instituted the newly approved 12-team field last season, the matchups would have been amazing.

A lot of people are uncertain about the future of college football now that a 12-team playoff has been approved.

Many worry about the regular season and whether its value will be diminished. Others are concerned about adding more games to the schedule. Still others would prefer six or eight teams instead of 12.

Whichever side you come down on, the 12-team playoff is coming in 2026. You’ve got a few years to get used to the idea.

If you need some convincing, perhaps a look at what the 2021 College Football Playoff field might have looked like will get you on board. Spoiler: It would have been awesome.

What if the College Football Playoff in 2021 had 12 teams?

The parameters for a 12-team CFP include giving six automatic bids to the highest-ranked conference champions. Six other bids will go to the remaining six highest-ranked teams.

The top four conference champions will fill the top four seeds in the playoff an receive a first-round bye.

So a 2021 playoff would have looked like this…

First Round:

• No. 12 Pittsburgh (ACC) vs. No. 5 Georgia
• No. 11 Utah (Pac-12) vs. No. 6 Notre Dame
• No. 10 Michigan State vs. No. 7 Ohio State
• No. 9 Oklahoma State vs. No. 8 Ole Miss

Quarterfinals:

• No. 4 Baylor (Big 12) vs. Georgia/Pittsburgh
• No. 3 Cincinnati (AAC) vs. Notre Dame/Utah
• No. 2 Michigan (Big Ten) vs. Ohio State/Michigan State
• No. 1 Alabama (SEC) vs. Ole Miss/Oklahoma State

There are so many juicy matchups in that lineup of games.

Kenny Pickett’s Pitt would have gotten the chance to test their mettle against Georgia’s outstanding defense.

Utah and Notre Dame would have battled in an uber-intriguing matchup between finding their groove late in the season. Remember, those Utes pushed Ohio State to the very edge in the Rose Bowl. They could have pulled off an upset.

Michigan State and Ohio State would be a Big Ten rematch to set up another Big Ten rematch between the rival Buckeyes and Wolverines.

Oklahoma State’s defense vs. Ole Miss’s offense? Yes, please.

Seeing Baylor getting the chance to go toe-to-toe with Georgia’s defense would have been fun as well.

Change can be scary, but more matchups between the top teams in bowl games that have significantly more meaning could be worth it.

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