College Football Playoff Rankings 2022: How a 12-team bracket would play out this season
By John Buhler
College Football Playoff Rankings 2022: Potential first-round games
These would be the four first-round playoff games being played across major college campuses.
- No. 12 Tulane Green Wave at No. 5 TCU Horned Frogs (Fort Worth, TX)
- No. 11 Penn State Nittany Lions at No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes (Columbus, OH)
- No. 10 USC Trojans at No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide (Tuscaloosa, AL)
- No. 9 Kansas State Wildcats at No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers (Knoxville, TN)
TCU may not be happy about playing in the first round in the slightest, but at least the Horned Frogs get AAC champion Tulane out of the Group of Five at the Carter in a matchup that is incredibly in their favor. Penn State fans would have to be beside themselves, as they would have to take on perpetual Big Ten East nemesis Ohio State in The Horseshoe in round one. Good luck…
The first-round matchup that would have all the eyeballs on it would be Pac-12 runner-up USC having to play Alabama at Bryant-Denny. Once again, these are the matchups we are not getting often enough in the regular season, thus College Football Playoff expansion. Getting hosed the most in round one has to be Big 12 champion Kansas State, who must play the Vols in Neyland.
Let’s see how all four first-round games would have played out had they been on this postseason.
No. 12 Tulane Green Wave at No. 5 TCU Horned Frogs (Fort Worth, TX)
If transitive property were an applied science in college football, TCU would be so screwed here. The Horned Frogs lost to Kansas State, who lost to Tulane. Conversely, TCU did beat K-State during the regular season, so maybe the Greenies should be worried? This game would be a tad closer than expected, but Horned Frogs quarterback Max Duggan will not be denied at home.
The Hypnotoad gets the best of the Green Wave, as the Horned Frogs win by double-digits here.
No. 11 Penn State Nittany Lions at No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes (Columbus, OH)
While it is so hard to beat the same team in one year twice (ask TCU), Ohio State probably has a sizable advantage when Penn State comes to town for this first-round game. The Buckeyes are coming off a bad home loss to Michigan. While the Nittany Lions beat Michigan State for the Land Grant Trophy, Penn State would play the role of USC vs. Utah during the Pac-12 Championship.
A fired up Ohio State team is too daunting for Penn State to overcome, as this gets ugly very early.
No. 10 USC Trojans at No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide (Tuscaloosa, AL)
Let’s be real. The idea of this game will be better than the real thing. If Caleb Williams were healthy and not dealing with a major hamstring injury, USC would have a shot at playing spoiler in Bryant-Denny. However, a charged-up Alabama team led by a fully healthy Bryce Young will not be denied what is theirs at home. Miller Moss will have nightmares about this one, as this will be a blowout.
Take the over in this one, as Alabama will put up more points than USC could have ever imagined.
No. 9 Kansas State Wildcats at No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers (Knoxville, TN)
In a weird twist of events, this may be the best game of this particular weekend. It might be in Knoxville, but the Volunteers are rolling with Joe Milton III at quarterback because Hendon Hooker’s college career is over due to a knee injury. Will Howard might have another herculean performance left in the tank, no matter if Adrian Martinez can suit up for Kansas State in this one.
Home-field advantage is what will propel the Vols past the Wildcats in a narrow, one-score affair.
Now that we know who will be advancing out of the first round, let’s head to the quarterfinals.