The first College Football Playoff rankings of the year were announced Tuesday evening, with the Tennessee Volunteers leading the way, followed by Ohio State, Georgia and Clemson.
The rest of the slate will tell whether the committee got things right, but until all that plays out, let's pull out our crystal ball and peek into what things would look like in a 12-team playoff, which we'll all get to see beginning in 2026.
If that was happening this year, there would be so much more hype excitement than we have right now, if you can imagine that. In a year where things are truly wide-open, how much fun would an expanded playoff be?
So, how would the 12-team playoff look, based on Tuesday's ranking? If you recall, the parameters of the '26 playoff scenario are the four highest-ranked conference champions would receive a first-round bye. The highest-ranked Group of Five team would get an automatic bid, and the other five participants would be at-large.
Assuming the highest-ranked team from this year's initial rankings ultimately wins their conference, the following slides gives us a hypothetical scenario of how a 12-team free-for-all would play out. Please note, the CFP rankings are in parentheses at the top of each slide.
Away we go!
First Round Game 1: No. 12 Tulane Green Wave (19) at No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs (3)
Despite being ranked 19th, Tulane would be the beneficiary of an atrociously down year for Group of Five programs and sneak into the College Football Playoffs, whether you think they belong or not.
While they're no 2021 Cincinnati Bearcats, the Green Wave are a fun, complete team and may be the class of the AAC this year. But, of course, they would be the lowest seed in this tourney.
And no matter how nice of a story they are, the Green Wave aren't in the same stratosphere as the defending champion Georgia Bulldogs, who get a bit of a raw deal considering they're ranked third in the CFP rankings but miss the auto bye, thanks to Tennessee. Instead, they'll be the highest seed of the "others."
That chip on their shoulder plays. This game would be a horrifically one-sided mismatch from the beginning as coach Kirby Smart's wave after wave of elite athlete from the past few top-shelf recruiting classes overwhelms Willie Fritz's team.
Quarterback Stetson Bennett would play a little more than a half, just enough to warm up for the bigger rounds, and UGA's defense would dominate like it was '21 all over again. Michael Pratt and Tyjae Spears may hook up once, but this would never be close.
Dawgs dominate and move on.
Projection: Georgia 48, Tulane 6
First Round Game 2: No. 11 Ole Miss Rebels (11) at No. 6 Michigan Wolverines (5)
Another team that would get a little bit of a playoff rankings shaft based on the approved format would be the Michigan Wolverines.
Due to a plate-glass-thin out-of-conference schedule, the Big Ten powerhouse that was in last year's final four was left out of the top four this season, coming in with the No. 5 ranking. Unfortunately for the Wolverines, with Ohio State ahead of them, they drop to the sixth seed, setting up a showdown with Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss Rebels.
This game has plenty of intrigue, as the Rebels are fully capable of putting together a quality game with a dynamic running back duo of Quinshon Judkins and Zach Evans, along with Jekyll and Hyde signal-caller Jaxson Dart.
After a backloaded schedule that helped Michigan elevate its game in the late season, though, the Wolverines prove they're one of the nation's most complete games.
Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards win the Battle of the Best Backfield, and J.J. McCarthy makes some big plays with the game on the line. Meanwhile, the Wolverines pull away in the fourth quarter, thanks to a defense that far out-classes the Rebels.
Kiffin has a good group, but they aren't as good as last year's Peach Bowl team and are likely the third-best team in the SEC West. Big Blue prevails.
Projection: Michigan 33, Ole Miss 24