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College Football Playoff 2019: What would a 16-team field look like?

By John Scimeca

SAN JOSE, CA - JANUARY 05: A detailed view of the National Championship Trophy on display during the College Football Playoff National Championship Media Day for the Alabama Crimson Tide and Clemson Tigers at SAP Center on January 5, 2019 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN JOSE, CA - JANUARY 05: A detailed view of the National Championship Trophy on display during the College Football Playoff National Championship Media Day for the Alabama Crimson Tide and Clemson Tigers at SAP Center on January 5, 2019 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /

2019 College Football 16-Team Playoff

South

  • No. 1 LSU (13-0) vs. No. 16 Miami (OH) (8-5)
  • No. 8 Wisconsin (10-3) vs. No. 9 Florida (10-2)

West

  • No. 4 Oklahoma (12-1) vs. No. 13 Boise State (12-1)
  • No. 5 Georgia (11-2) vs. No. 12 Memphis (12-1)

East

  • No. 3 Clemson (13-0) vs. No. 14 Appalachian State (12-1)
  • No. 6 Oregon (11-2) vs. No. 11 Penn State (10-2)

Midwest

  • No. 2 Ohio State (13-0) vs. No. 15 Florida Atlantic (10-3)
  • No. 7 Baylor (11-2) vs. No. 10 Utah (11-2)

On practical considerations, the playoff structure would seek to avoid putting teams of the same conference in a four-team “pod” together. It would be of utmost importance to avoid placing two teams from the same conference in the same first-round matchup.

Considering this, it would be best to switch Penn State and Utah from the CFP Committee’s Week 16 rankings, and Florida-LSU would be a potential quarterfinal rematch.

In the above format, in which each conference champion qualifies, an ideal situation of David vs. Goliath-type games are created. Akin to college basketball March Madness, first-round upsets seem rare, yet plausible, in a 16-team football playoff. If LSU facing a five-loss MAC team seems like a waste of time, then why does March Madness waste our time with Duke playing a Big South team each year?

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