The Week 12 CFP rankings were released on Tuesday night and there was a bit of a shake-up. Despite some fans calling for it to happen last week, the Georgia Bulldogs' win over Ole Miss in dominant fashion was enough for Kirby Smart's team to leap ahead of previously No. 1-ranked Ohio State in the College Football Playoff Top 25.
Most seem in agreement that was the right call by the Selection Committee. However, there are certainly fans in Tuscaloosa, Austin and several other major college towns that are wishing that it was already 2024 with a 12-team College Football Playoff. That would eliminate a whole lot of anxiety over the next few weeks in the regular seasons and in conference championship games as well.
But what would a 12-team College Football Playoff bracket look like based on the Week 12 CFP rankings? Let's take a look!
CFP rankings, Week 12: What a 12-team College Football Playoff bracket would look like
12-team College Football Playoff bracket: Top 4 Seeds
- Georgia Bulldogs (10-0, Projected SEC Champion)
- Ohio State Buckeyes (10-0, Projected Big Ten Champion)
- Florida State Seminoles (10-0, Projected ACC Champion)
- Washington Huskies (10-0, Projected Pac-12 Champion)
As of right now in the Week 12 CFP rankings, Ohio State gets the nod as the Big Ten champion, which hurts Michigan quite a bit. The Wolverines as a non-conference champion in these projections, would be left out of the Top 4 and not receive a first-round bye, instead coming in as the No. 5 seed. That would put to bed the current debate about whether Washington should be in the Top 4 over Florida State as both teams get a Top 4 seed due to conference title projections.
12-team College Football Playoff bracket: First Round
- 9 Missouri Tigers (8-2) at 8 Alabama Crimson Tide (9-1)
- 10 Louisville Cardinals (9-1) at 7 Texas Longhorns (9-1, Projected Big 12 Champion)
- 11 Oregon State Beavers (8-2) at 6 Oregon Ducks (9-1)
- 12 Tulane Green Wave (9-1, Projected AAC Champion) at 5 Michigan (10-0)
In case you've forgotten, the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket will have the first round games played on campus with the higher-ranked team being at home for the matchup. But when you look at these first-round matchups, it's hard not to be enticed about Tulane going to the Big House or Mizzou getting a chance to topple Alabama. Let's be honest, though, nothing sounds better than a Playoff matchup to add a historic chapter to the Oregon-Oregon State rivalry (one my colleague John Buhler and I are now calling the Strife Aquatic... you know, Ducks and Beavers!).
12-team College Football Playoff bracket: Quarterfinals
- Peach Bowl: Missouri/Alabama winner vs. 1 Georgia
- Fiesta Bowl: Tulane/Michigan winner vs. 4 Washington
- Cotton Bowl: Louisville/Texas winner vs. 2 Ohio State
- Orange Bowl: Oregon State/Oregon winner vs. 3 Florida State
Georgia would have a huge advantage as the No. 1 seed getting to face off in the Peach Bowl close to home, the same of which is true for FSU playing in the Orange Bowl. You could argue that Washington in the Fiesta Bowl would also be a mild advantage and, if Texas were to advance past the first round, Ohio State would have the opposite of home-field advantage at the Cotton Bowl.
12-team College Football Playoff bracket: Semifinals
- Sugar Bowl: Peach Bowl winner vs. Fiesta Bowl winner
- Rose Bowl: Cotton Bowl winner vs. Orange Bowl winner
We finish out with the familiar semifinals. With the way this 12-team bracket shakes out, we'd see the Peach Bowl and Fiesta Bowl winners clash in New Orleans while the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl victors would be going to Pasadena.