Ranking and seeding are two totally different things. It may not seem like much of anything at all in the eyes of college football laymen. However, these two paradigms could not be further apart. When it comes to rankings, Georgia comes in fifth after the College Football Playoff Selection Committee came together for the first time this season. They are also seeded fifth, which is less than ideal here...
While Georgia deserved to be ranked behind the likes of Alabama, Indiana, Ohio State and Texas A&M, as well as being ahead of teams such as BYU, Ole Miss, Oregon and Texas Tech, it is all about the bracket now. Having to play a first-round game is not preferred, but last year's national champion ran the gauntlet. In fact, all four teams who won home games in the first round won another one, too!
For those who need to believe it to see it, here is what the Selection Committee decided on a top 25.
- Ohio State Buckeyes (8-0)
- Indiana Hoosiers (9-0)
- Texas A&M Aggies (8-0)
- Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1)
- Georgia Bulldogs (7-1)
- Ole Miss Rebels (8-1)
- BYU Cougars (8-0)
- Texas Tech Red Raiders (8-1)
- Oregon Ducks (7-1)
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-2)
- Texas Longhorns (7-2)
- Oklahoma Sooners (7-2)
- Utah Utes (7-2)
- Virginia Cavaliers (8-1)
- Louisville Cardinals (7-1)
- Vanderbilt Commodores (7-2)
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (8-1)
- Miami Hurricanes (6-2)
- USC Trojans (6-2)
- Iowa Hawkeyes (6-2)
- Michigan Wolverines (6-2)
- Missouri Tigers (6-2)
- Washington Huskies (6-2)
- Pittsburgh Panthers (7-2)
- Tennessee Volunteers (6-3)
From there, we must use the College Football Playoff's requirements to put together a 12-team field!
Projected College Football Playoff bracket after first playoff rankings
Based on having the five highest ranked conference champions and seven best at-larges, here it is.
- Ohio State Buckeyes (8-0): Projected Big Ten champion
- Indiana Hoosiers (9-0): Projected Big Ten runner-up
- Texas A&M Aggies (8-0): Projected SEC champion
- Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1): Projected SEC runner-up
- Georgia Bulldogs (7-1): Projected SEC at-large
- Ole Miss Rebels (8-1): Projected SEC at-large
- BYU Cougars (8-0): Projected Big 12 champion
- Texas Tech Red Raiders (8-1): Projected Big 12 runner-up
- Oregon Ducks (7-1): Projected Big Ten at-large
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-2): Projected national independent at-large
- Virginia Cavaliers (8-1): Projected ACC champion
- Memphis Tigers (8-1): Projected AAC/Group of Five champion
For a bit more context, these would be the first four teams left outside of the 12-team playoff bracket.
- 13. Texas Longhorns (7-2): SEC
- 14. Oklahoma Sooners (7-2): SEC
- 15. Utah Utes (7-2): Big 12
- 16. Louisville Cardinals (7-1): Projected ACC runner-up
Georgia earns the No. 5 seed after being ranked No. 5 overall. Keep in mind that winning one's conference does not guarantee anyone of a first-round bye. There will not be any Arizona States or Boise States jumping the line this year. It will allow teams on the outside looking in at the top-12 like No. 14 Virginia and unranked Memphis to make the playoff. Guess who Georgia will be playing first?
Now that we know who would be making the playoff if the season ended today, let's simulate it then.
Projected College Football Playoff first-round matchups and byes
These would be the four first-round matchups, as well as the four other teams who will be on byes.
- No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (BYE)
- No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers (BYE)
- No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies (BYE)
- No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide (BYE)
- No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs vs. No. 12 Memphis Tigers
- No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels vs. No. 11 Virginia Cavaliers
- No. 7 BYU Cougars vs. No. 10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- No. 8 Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. No. 9 Oregon Ducks
Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M and Alabama all have byes in the first round. Georgia would host an unranked Memphis team Between the Hedges. Yeah, good luck with that, Tigers... Ole Miss would get an overseeded ACC champion Virginia at Vaught-Hemingway. It is hard to see the Rebels dropping that one at home. As for the other two first-round games, that is where things will get interesting...
No. 7 vs. No. 10 will be Mormons vs. Catholics with BYU host Notre Dame. BYU is a quality team, but Notre Dame has been in playoff mode since early September. The luck of the Irish allows the Golden Domers to live to fight another day. As for the No. 8 vs. No. 9 matchup, Texas Tech will welcome Oregon to Lubbock. The Ducks could pull off the upset, but Texas Tech should prevail at home here.
Now that we know who is advancing, let's take a look at who is playing in the national quarterfinals.
Projected College Football Playoff bracket national quarterfinals
These would be the first four games of the New Year's Six as part of the national quarterfinals.
- Rose Bowl: No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. No. 8 Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Orange Bowl: No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers vs. No. 10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Cotton Bowl: No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies vs. No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels
- Sugar Bowl: No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs
Ohio State would take the Rose Bowl and would draw Texas Tech. Indiana would probably take the Orange Bowl, where they will meet in-state foe Notre Dame in a place somewhat warmer. Texas A&M may be forced to take the Sugar Bowl, but it may prefer to face Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl. Sugar Bowl or Cotton Bowl be damned, Georgia will have to face Alabama south of The Mason-Dixon Line.
Ohio State is too much of a blue-blood for Texas Tech to pull off an upset in Pasadena. Indiana avenges last year's loss in South Bend by ending the Irish's season in Miami. Texas A&M has a bit too much depth for the Rebels to overcome. As for Georgia, expect for another soul-crushing loss to Alabama with the season on the line because that is just the plane of existence we are all living in.
Even with Georgia out of it now, we must move along to see who will will play in the national semifinals.
Projected College Football Playoff bracket national semifinals
Here are the two other matchups as part of the New Year's Six making up the national semifinals.
- Peach Bowl: No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide
- Fiesta Bowl: No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers vs. No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies
Ohio State would choose the Peach Bowl, only to face Alabama in the Crimson Tide's home away from home. Indiana would have to wrangle with Texas A&M in the Fiesta Bowl. To be quite frank, any of those four teams could advance. As is the nature of the beast, one of these games will be a blowout and the other will be an instant classic. The best part in all of this is we have no idea which is which.
Let's take Ohio State getting past Alabama because the Crimson Tide struggle to run the football. Too much will be asked of Ty Simpson to carry the workload in critical stretches for the Crimson Tide. As for the Fiesta Bowl, for as exciting as Indiana has been this season, the Hoosiers have not recruited on the same level as these other three teams. It will matter here, as Texas A&M advances.
With Alabama and Indiana out of the equation, we have ourselves an unexpected national title bout.
Projected College Football Playoff bracket national championship
Behold! The projected Big Ten champion vs. the projected SEC champion for all the marbles in Miami.
- College Football Playoff National Championship Game: No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies
Ohio State vs. Texas A&M would be an incredibly compelling game. It will be the defending national champion out of the Big Ten going up against the financially-backed SEC goliath that has never had its day in the sun before. And for that reason, we should be expecting a repeat. This is so far beyond untrodden territory for the Aggies. Eventually, they will meet their maker, and that will be Ohio State.
To bring this back to Georgia, in conclusion, the Dawgs need to evade Alabama for as long as possible. Getting them in the national quarterfinals feels like a death sentence. However, should Georgia meet Alabama for a second, or maybe even a third, time this season in a round beyond the quarterfinals, they may stand a better chance to upset them. Depth and momentum are real things.
Georgia can beat Alabama in a national title bout or the semifinals, but maybe not the quarterfinals...