Change is coming to the College Football Playoff in a big way next season. The postseason tournament will grow from four teams to 12, though the format may undergo some changes before kickoff of the 2023-24 campaign.
As of now, the 12 teams in the bracket will include the six highest-rated conference champions, according to the CFP Rankings, and the next six highest-ranked programs. The top four conference champions will get byes into the quarterfinals.
There is a legitimate chance that format will be adjusted to account for the demise of the Pac-12, though it may not be until a new media rights contract is signed ahead of the 2026 season. That could result in something as simple as guaranteeing playoff spots for only the top five conference champions (with seven at-large bids) or something more drastic, such as doing away with automatic qualifiers entirely.
The first round of the expanded playoff will be played at the home sites of the higher-ranked team in each matchup (or a site of the higher-ranked team's choosing). For example, if Purdue was to host a first-round game (a guy can dream, right?), the Boilermakers could choose to host at Ross-Ade Stadium or perhaps Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
In the spirit of looking ahead -- continuing this week through the conclusion of the season -- I will also be projecting the 12-team CFP bracket based on my projected conference champions and the current rankings for at-large teams. As the CFP Rankings will not be released until Halloween, the AP Top 25 will serve as the barometer for at-large teams at this juncture.
Utah dropped its first game of the season last Friday to Oregon State, a result which has ousted the two-time reigning Pac-12 champion Utes from the projected 12-team field. In their place enters Alabama on the heels of the Crimson Tide's dominant win over Mississippi State. If Alabama wants to remain in the field, however, it has a tall task to overcome this week with a road trip to Texas A&M on deck.
The Group of Five representative has also been replaced as Fresno State from the Mountain West occupies the spot previously held by Tulane from the AAC. The Bulldogs replaced the Green Wave in my bowl projections, and therefore they get the nod here as well.
Let's take a look at how the 12-team playoff would look through five full weeks of the 2023 season.
(9) Oregon at (8) Washington
Winner advances to play (1) Georgia*
(12) Fresno State* at (5) Ohio State
Winner advances to play (4) Texas*
(11) Alabama at (6) USC*
Winner advances to play (3) Florida State*
(10) Notre Dame at (7) Penn State
Winner advances to play (2) Michigan*
* Projected conference champions
