By RALPH D. RUSSO, Associated Press
Last week, we reported that the College Football Playoff is considering expanding to 12 teams to settle the national championship.
In the plan being discussed, six spots would be reserved for the highest-ranked conference champions and the other six going to at-large selections.
The playoff’s popularity seems to have waned as only a few teams have grabbed the majority of the spots since 2014. Alabama and Clemson have each made the playoff six times in seven years. Ohio State and Oklahoma have each been selected four times. That’s 71% of the playoff spots to just four of the 130 FBS teams.
So what would the last several seasons have been like given a 12-team field?
Using the final College Football Playoff selection committee rankings for each season, here’s how the postseason matchups would have looked with the proposed 12-team format during the CFP’s four-team era.
2020
First round (Lower seed is home team)
- No. 5 Notre Dame (at-large) vs. No. 12 Coastal Carolina (Sun Belt champ)
- No. 6 Texas A&M (at-large) vs. No. 11 Indiana (at-large)
- No. 7 Florida (at-large) vs. No. 10 Iowa State (at-large)
- No. 8 Cincinnati (American champ) vs. No. 9 Georgia (at-large)
Quarterfinals
- Cincinnati-Georgia winner vs. No 1. Alabama (SEC champ) at Peach Bowl
- Florida-Iowa State winner vs. No. 2 Clemson (ACC champ) at Orange Bowl
- Texas A&M-Indiana winner vs. No. 3. Ohio State (Big Ten champ) at Fiesta Bowl
- Notre Dame-Coastal Carolina winner vs. No. 4. Oklahoma (Big 12 champ) at Cotton Bowl.
Semifinals played at Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl
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2019
First round (Lower seed is home team)
- No. 5 Georgia (at-large) vs. No. 12 Memphis (American champ)
- No. 6 Oregon (Pac-12 champ) vs. No. 11 Utah (at-large)
- No. 7 Baylor (at-large) vs. No. 10 Penn State (at-large)
- No. 8 Wisconsin (at-large) vs. No. 9 Florida (at-large)
Quarterfinals
- Wisconsin-Florida winner vs. No. 1 LSU (SEC champ) at Sugar Bowl.
- Baylor-Penn State winner vs. No. 2 Ohio State (Big Ten champ) at Rose Bowl
- Oregon-Utah winner vs. No. 3 Clemson (ACC champ) at Orange Bowl
- Georgia-Memphis winner vs. No. 4 Oklahoma (Big 12 champ) at Cotton Bowl
Semifinals played at the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl
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2018
First round (Lower seed is home team)
- No. 5 Notre Dame (at-large) vs. No. 12 Penn State (at-large)
- No. 6 Georgia (at-large) vs. No. 11 LSU (at-large)
- No. 7 Michigan (at-large) vs. No. 10 Florida (at-large)
- No. 8 UCF (American champ) vs. No. 9 Washington (Pac-12 champ)
Quarterfinals
- UCF-Washington winner vs. Alabama (SEC champ) at Sugar Bowl
- Michigan-Florida winner vs. Clemson (ACC champ) at Peach Bowl
- Georgia-LSU winner vs. Oklahoma (Big 12 champ) at Fiesta Bowl.
- Notre Dame-Penn State winner vs. Ohio State (Big Ten champ) at Rose Bowl.
Semifinals played at Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl.
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2017
First round (Lower seed is home team)
- No. 5 Alabama (at-large) vs. No. 12 UCF (American champ)
- No. 6 Wisconsin (at-large) vs. No. 11 Washington (at-large)
- No. 7 Auburn (at-large) vs. No. 10 Miami (at-large)
- No. 8 USC (Pac-12 champ) vs. Penn State (at-large)
Quarterfinals
- USC-Penn State winner vs. No. 1 Clemson (ACC champ) at Orange Bowl
- Auburn-Miami winner vs. No. 2 Oklahoma (Big 12 champ) at Cotton Bowl
- Wisconsin-Washington winner vs. No. 3 Georgia (SEC champ) at Peach Bowl
- Alabama-UCF winner vs. No. 4 Ohio State (Big Ten champ) at Fiesta Bowl
Semifinals played at Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl
—-
2016
First round (Lower seed is home team)
- No. 5 Ohio State (at-large) vs. No. 12 Western Michigan (MAC champ)
- No. 6 Michigan (at-large) vs. No. 11 Florida State (at-large)
- No. 7 Oklahoma (Big 12 champ) vs. No. 10 Colorado (at-large)
- No. 8 Wisconsin (Big Ten champ) vs. No. 9 USC (at-large)
Quarterfinals
- Wisconsin-USC winner vs. No. 1 Alabama (SEC champ) at Sugar Bowl
- Oklahoma-Colorado winner vs. No. 2 Clemson (ACC champ) at Orange Bowl
- Michigan-Florida State winner vs. No. 3 Washington (Pac-12 champ) at Rose Bowl
- Ohio State-Western Michigan winner vs. No. 4 Penn State (Big Ten champ) at Cotton Bowl
Semifinals played at the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl
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2015
First round (Lower seed is home team)
- No. 5 Iowa (at-large) vs. No. 12 Houston (American champ)
- No. 6 Stanford (Pac-12 champ) vs. No. 11 TCU (at-large)
- No. 7 Ohio State (at-large) vs. No. 10 North Carolina (at-large)
- No. 8 Notre Dame (at-large) vs. No. 9 Florida State (at-large)
Quarterfinals
- Notre Dame-Florida State winner vs. No. 1 Clemson (ACC champ) at Peach Bowl
- Ohio State-North Carolina winner vs. No. 2 Alabama (SEC champ) at Sugar Bowl
- Stanford-TCU winner vs. No. 3 Michigan State (Big Ten champ) at Rose Bowl
- Iowa-Houston winner vs. No. 4 Oklahoma (Big 12 champ) at Fiesta Bowl
Semifinals played at Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl
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2014
First round (Lower seed is home team)
- No. 5 Baylor (Big 12 co-champ) vs. No. 12 Boise State (Mountain West champ)
- No. 6 TCU (Big 12 co-champ) vs. No. 11 Kansas State (at-large)
- No. 7 Mississippi State (at-large) vs. No. 10 Arizona (at-large)
- No. 8 Michigan State (at-large) vs. No. 9 Mississippi (at-large)
Quarterfinals
- Michigan State-Mississippi winner vs. No. 1 Alabama (SEC champ) at Peach Bowl
- Mississippi State-Arizona winner vs. No. 2 Oregon (Pac-12 champ) at Fiesta Bowl
- TCU-Kansas State winner vs. No. 3 Florida State (ACC champ) at Orange Bowl
- No. 5 Baylor-Boise State winners vs. No. 4 Ohio State (Big Ten champ) at Cotton Bowl
Semifinals at Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl