College Football Playoff Rankings 2022: How a 12-team bracket would play out this season

College Football Playoff Rankings 2022: Potential National Quarterfinals

With TCU, Ohio State, Alabama and Tennessee advancing to the quarterfinals, these are the matchups.

• Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, LA): No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs vs. No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers
• Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA): No. 2 Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide
• Orange Bowl (Miami Gardens, FL): No. 3 Clemson Tigers vs. No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes
• Cotton Bowl (Arlington, TX): No. 4 Utah Utes vs. No. 5 TCU Horned Frogs

Georgia would claim the Sugar Bowl to face SEC East rival Tennessee in New Orleans. Michigan would pick the Rose Bowl, where the Wolverines would take on Alabama in Pasadena. Clemson would get the Orange Bowl with Ohio State meeting them in Miami Gardens. Utah would be waiting for TCU in the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, that nearby house of horrors for the Horned Frogs.

Without further ado, let’s see how the four national quarterfinals games would have played out.

Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, LA): No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs vs. No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers

This is exactly what Vol Nation was hoping for, an opportunity to avenge their first loss of the season to Georgia. While Tennessee is extraordinarily thankful to not play this one Between the Hedges this time, the drop-off from Hendon Hooker to Joe Milton III is considerable. More importantly, this game is being played in ideal conditions, so rain does not get them back in this.

It may be a more competitive game than last time, but Georgia wins this one by multiple scores.

Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA): No. 2 Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide

If you thought USC at Alabama would get a big number, the Wolverines taking on the Crimson Tide at the Rose Bowl would be potentially a record-setter. Okay, that might be a tad hyperbolic, but this will be one of the better games of the tournament. It will be decided by only one score, but Michigan probably ekes this one out over the Crimson Tide because it is the more physical team.

Bryce Young outplays J.J. McCarthy, but the Wolverines move on thanks to Jake Moody’s big leg.

Orange Bowl (Miami Gardens, FL): No. 3 Clemson Tigers vs. No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes

Another national quarterfinals game, another interesting matchup. With Clemson pivoting off D.J. Uiagalelei in favor of Cade Klubnik, maybe the hot hand can give the Tigers the shot at the “upset” bid over the Buckeyes? It may be the Orange Bowl, but Ohio State has too much offensive firepower for a true freshman quarterback like Klubnik to realistically overcome in this huge spot.

We had to wait after the Heisman was handed out for C.J. Stroud to have his Heisman moment…

Cotton Bowl (Arlington, TX): No. 4 Utah Utes vs. No. 5 TCU Horned Frogs

Although Utah is massively overseeded in this exercise as the No. 4, the Utes might play an incredible game vs. TCU in Jerryworld. With their three losses thrown out the window in this expanded playoff, it is win-or-go-home for both the Utes and the Horned Frogs. However, Max Duggan, Sonny Dykes and the boys will want this more because of what happened vs. K-State.

Instead of running the ball out of shotgun from less than a yard out, Duggan does a Duggan leap.

And guess what? The four teams that made it in real life will move on in this 12-team simulation!