What if the CFP folks could rise above all the NIL deals, big stadiums, transfer portal, retirement of Nick Saban, all the other noise, and come up with a true ranking for the playoffs? Don’t worry, Gridiron Heroics has you covered.
For this article, prejudices have been put aside and College Football Playoffs teams are ranked only on what is believed they can do in the postseason. In a sense, it doesn’t matter what a team has done. It only matters what they can do.
It seems like a reasonable concept, right? It is, but you can’t get it from a CFP committee with personal biases — come on, you know they do — and conference favoritism seeping into the equation.
Why not pick the 12 teams with the best chances to win it all?
Sure, anybody can argue whatever they want. However, the problem with the CFP system is the selection committee. Nobody can pretend to ignore decades of concrete-settled opinions about which leagues, coaches, and teams are best.
Every year, you hear the nonsense. Team A doesn’t belong in the playoffs. The worst team in the SEC with its second-string quarterback could beat the best team in the Big Ten on the road. No, the Big Ten from top to bottom is tougher than any league. The ACC doesn’t deserve to have any teams in the CFP. Ever. Except for Clemson when it’s really really good-looking.
Don’t get confused. What you are about to read isn’t which CFP team has the best resume. It’s not about who you beat or where you beat them. It’s not about your school’s history or the toughness of your league. The reason some of those things don’t matter as much anymore is the persistence of transfers. The reason the SEC used to rule is because it had an abundance of good players. It’s why Miami and Florida State used to dominate. Players matter. But now they’re scattered here, there, and everywhere. An SEC quarterback might be in the Big Ten, or vice-versa, these days.
So these CFP rankings are based on who can get it done when the toe hits leather. Yes, I realize kickers don’t use their toes anymore. So if it makes you feel better: when the side of your foot hits the polyurethane internal bladder. Nah, toe-leather sounds better.
Who are the top four seeds in this renegade setup?
1. Tennessee
Folks, there’s no quicker way to a national championship than to be able to stop opposing offenses while also being able to score points in bunches. This is who the Volunteers are. They can play defense. Tough, mean, gnarly defense. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava is getting better, and he’s flat-out dangerous. Dylan Sampson is a powerhouse back who owns the end zone. This team is capable of winning it all, more than any other team.
2. Oregon
No, not because they’re undefeated. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel highlights a terrific offense that can score with any team in the country. And the defensive line is problematic for opposing offenses.
3. Texas
Again, it takes both sides of the ball to make things happen in the postseason. The Longhorns have quarterback Quinn Ewers, who is good enough to keep the offense producing. And the defense is why the Longhorns have a chance to stay in the hunt.
4. Georgia
There’s so much fight in this team. One problem seems to be Kirby Smart getting his players to understand a sense of urgency before it becomes a sense of desperation. Back this team against the wall and see what quarterback Carson Beck does. Flawed, yes. The defense has question marks. But capable? Absolutely.
So in our fun little CFP world, these four teams get first-round byes. We’d love to see 16 teams, but we’ll roll with the punches until they change it — sooner as opposed to later.
As for the rest of the field, we’ll grant spots to those teams we think will win conference championships. But we’ll rank them under the same criteria as the top four.
No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Ohio State
No. 11 Arizona State at No. 6 Penn State
No. 10 Clemson at No. 7 Ole Miss
No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 South Carolina
And off they go …
Ohio State drops Boise State easily, Penn State edges Arizona State in overtime, Ole Miss boat-races Clemson, and South Carolina knocks off Alabama.
In the CFP quarterfinals, Tennessee drubs South Carolina, Oregon beats Penn State again, Texas pushes Ole Miss aside, and Georgia beats Ohio State in triple overtime.
On to the semifinals, where the Volunteers overcome a weary Georgia team with a late fourth-quarter touchdown drive. Oregon takes Texas to the woodshed in a surprisingly easy win.
And that brings Oregon and Tennessee into the CFP national championship spotlight. Unfortunately for the top-ranked Vols, Oregon gets an early lead and a late fourth-quarter goal-line stand secures a one-score victory.
National champ: Oregon.
Come on, you knew the CFP needed a surprise ending!
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