College Football Playoff: What a Mock First Round Would Look Like

This past weekend’s chaos is proof that college football needs a playoff to determine its national champion.

Not just with four or eight teams, but a 16-team playoff.

College football needs a 16-team playoff, where every conference champion gets an automatic berth, leaving five at-large teams left over. If every conference champion has its shot, then there would be no dilemma about who should play in the national championship game.

If a team is upset it didn’t get into the playoffs, it would have no room for argument because it should have won its conference.

This system would also eliminate the two-team-per-conference rule, and in this case, the SEC would benefit. The NCAA could then have a selection committee and re-seed every team the best way it sees fit.

If college football were to institute a playoff today, here is one look at the possible first-round matchups.

No. 1 LSU (SEC) vs. No. 16 Louisiana Tech (WAC)
No. 2 Alabama (At large) vs. No. 15 Northern Illinois (MAC)
No. 3 Arkansas (At large) vs. No. 14 Arkansas State (Sun Belt)
No. 4 Oklahoma State (Big 12) vs. No. 13 Louisville (Big East)
No. 5 Virginia Tech (ACC) vs. No. 12 TCU (Mountain West)
No. 6 Stanford (At large) vs. No. 11 Michigan State (Big Ten)
No. 7 Boise State (At large) vs. No. 10 Oregon (Pac-12)
No. 8 Houston (CUSA) vs. No. 9 Oklahoma (At large)

What a bunch of interesting matchups a playoff would create.

The battle for the state of Arkansas as well as a rematch between Boise State and Oregon would generate great interest.

If the top seeds each advanced to the next round, you would have even better matchups. The little dogs like Boise State and Houston would definitely have to test their skills against the best of the SEC.

Keep praying for chaos, and if this year continues to pan out, we may be on our way to a playoff.