For the first time in the history of D1 college football, the postseason will include 12 teams. However, with only four power conferences remaining, the postseason could look a little strange come late December.
The initial 12-team playoff format was set to include the top six ranked conference champions, but with the absence of the Pac-12, the NCAA and the CFP reduced that number of automatic qualifiers to the best five.
To give you an idea of how weird that potential college football playoff picture could look, the following bracket projects what the current CFP odds entail.
The quarterfinal and semifinal CFP games have been assigned to the New Year’s Six Bowls, but the exact games and times have not been decided.
The Big Ten and SEC Champions as the top two seeds is nothing new. They are, without a doubt, the best NCAAF conferences in existence, and their respective champions should earn spots 1 and 2 in the playoffs as long as they have one or fewer losses.
Considering what’s remaining out there on the college football landscape, no one will put up much of a fight by awarding the ACC and Big 12 Champions seeds three and four unless you’re a top program in the Southeastern Conference.
The potential CFP bracket is littered with SEC teams, and if the futures for college football betting are accurate, six programs will qualify.
2024-2025 CFP Odds To Win
- Georgia +335
- Ohio State +375
- Texas +770
- Oregon +800
- Alabama +1100
- Mississippi +1500
- LSU +1600
- Michigan +1600
- Florida State +2200
- Missouri +2800
- Notre Dame +3500
- Oklahoma +3500
- Penn State +3500
- Texas A&M +3500
- Clemson +4000
- Tennessee +4500
- USC +4500
- Miami Florida +5000
- Utah +5000
- Washington +5000
- Arizona +7000
- Kansas State +7000
- Auburn +10000
- Colorado +10000
- Louisville +10000
- Wisconsin +10000
- Florida +15000
- Kansas +15000
- NC State +15000
- Nebraska +15000
- North Carolina +15000
- Oklahoma State +15000
- TCU +15000
- Texas Tech +15000
- Central Florida +20000
- Iowa +20000
- Iowa State +20000
- SMU +20000
- UCLA +20000
- Arkansas +30000
- Boise State +30000
The Utah Utes are favored to win the Big 12, a conference that is struggling to maintain relevance now that the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners are members of the SEC.
They’ve rebuilt their ranks from the scraps of the Pac-12, but Utah’s odds for CFP betting speaks volumes regarding the Big 12’s overall placement among the top groupings.
Then there’s that pesky fifth conference winner. The top odds-getter on the boards from outside the top four conferences is Boise State from the Mountain West. While there is a long list of teams that appear to deserve a spot in the playoffs over the Broncos, doesn’t the SEC already have enough representation?
An argument could be made for the Clemson Tigers as a second-place team in the ACC. Also, the USC Trojans have the potential to be ranked higher than Utah, even if they win the Big 12.
Perhaps the College Football Playoff Selection Committee could consider a cap on teams included from any given conference. After all, does the 6th place program in the Southeastern Conference really deserve a shot at the National Championship?
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