5 modern era teams that would've been dangerous 12-seeds in expanded College Football Playoff

3. 2003 Georgia Bulldogs (10-3/SEC runner-up)

The old adage is that defense wins championships—and if that is the case, the 2003 Georgia Bulldogs were well set up to make a scare from a spot deep in the bracket if a 12-team playoff had existed that season. While the David Greene-led offense was nothing to write home about, the defense was good enough to keep Georgia in every contest. In their two defeats before the SEC championship game, they gave up 17 points in a loss at LSU and 16 points in a loss to Florida in Jacksonville.

Only the Tigers, who subsequently knocked off Georgia in the conference title game, boasted a stronger defense in 2003 than the Bulldogs. Mark Richt's team held opponents to only 14.5 points and 277 yards per game, which put them in position to threaten even the biggest opponents. Aesthetically it wasn't always the prettiest way to win a football game, but the scoreboard cares not for how one wins or loses.

Working in Georgia's favor most would be an opening-round showdown against Oklahoma in Norman. Just like the Bulldogs, Oklahoma would be coming off a disheartening loss in their conference championship game. But while Georgia was decidedly an underdog against LSU, the Sooners were clear favorites to beat Kansas State. Catching Oklahoma at that low point might have proved the perfect launchpad to a national title run from the 12-seed.