College Football Playoff expansion: Projecting how 12-team field would look during 2023 season

Significant changes within college football have considerably altered the sport in recent years, and another landmark shift comes in the 2024 season when the College Football Playoff expands from four teams to 12.

The crowning of a national champion is an annual tradition that has seen many a selection process over the years. From the poll era to the BCS to the CFP, one flaw or another led to format change after format change. After a decade of the four-team Playoff model, the field grows to a record 12 teams in 2024 as access to the title game broadens to its greatest extent yet.

Using the preseason AP Top 25 poll and Caesars Sportsbook’s conference champion betting odds, we determined which teams would compete in a 12-team Playoff should the format have switched ahead of the upcoming campaign. Assuming the preseason rankings accurately reflect the end-of-year Top 25 and all of the betting favorites win their respective leagues (however unlikely), the College Football Playoff field would look identical to the projections below.