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Not a lot of you know this about me, but I’m a huge fan of chaos in sports. I mean HUGE. I throw darts at multiple Cinderella runs every single March Madness. I willingly watch full Detroit Lions games on my smaller, non-RedZone TV every Sunday. The Phillies got into the playoffs with 87 wins? Good enough to win the World Series in my MLB Playoff brackets. One area that we don’t get enough chaos with is the College Football Playoff. The regular season itself is a thrill to watch, full of exciting upsets, rivalries, and all we’ve come to love about Saturdays in the fall. But the playoff? It’s usually chalk, at least for seeds 1-3. As an Ohio State fan, I’ve watched years of undefeated teams going to battle with other undefeated squads like Clemson, Alabama, and Florida back in the BCS days. Frankly, I’m sick of it. I need chaos. And here, I’ll show you how exactly it’s going to happen.
The Big Ten
Of course, I have to start with the Big Ten, and while as a fan I want to see Ohio State run the table and smack Georgia in the National Championship game, that isn’t the purpose of this article. The Big Ten Chaos Scenario is as follows:
- Michigan beats Ohio State on November 21st in a highly-competitive game, winning on a last-second field goal
- Michigan gets absolutely blown out in the Big 10 Championship, likely by Illinois
That leaves us with two one-loss Big 10 teams, one with a higher-seeded win but not coming in as the Big 10 champions.
The Big 12
The chaos scenario for the Big 12 is simple: TCU loses in the Big 12 Championship game. By a lot. Vegas has been disrespecting the Horned Frogs the past few weeks, and while they don’t seem like a powerhouse that could upset a Georgia or Ohio State-type team, I still think they’ll cruise to the Big 12 Championship game. The best case scenario here, for me, would be them losing in that title game by a large margin.
The SEC
Here’s where things get fun. The SEC Championship game is already set, with Georgia poised to face off against LSU. The SEC Chaos Scenario should play out like this:
- Tennessee wins out
- Georgia LOSES to Kentucky this Saturday (Will Levis SZN)
- LSU beats Georgia in the SEC Championship
A two-loss Georgia team, a two-loss SEC champion, and a one-loss Tennessee team. I need it.
The Pac-12
Now we’re cooking. Oregon seemingly ruined their CFP chances with the loss to Washington on Saturday, leaving the door wide open for USC to make a run at the 4 seed. But as long as I’m in control, that’s not happening. Here’s the Pac-12 Chaos Scenario:
- Utah beats Oregon this week
- USC wins out in convincing fashion with tough games remaining against UCLA and Notre Dame
- Utah wins an ultra-competitive game against USC in the Pac-12 title game
A two-loss Oregon team is likely out, so we’re left with a one-loss Utah team who barely scrapes by USC (twice), and a two-loss USC team with a very strong resume. Utah would have beaten USC twice, but it’s still something the committee would need to consider.
THe ACC
If things play out the ‘normal’ way, I don’t think Clemson gets in even with an ACC Championship belt. But with all of these losses to the top teams? Let’s hand Clemson the ACC Championship and see what the committee does with that.
Where We Stand
In my perfect world, here’s what the CFP race would look like before the seeds are announced.
- Georgia with two losses
- Tennessee with one loss
- LSU with two losses but an SEC Championship title
- Michigan with one loss in the Big Ten Championship game
- Ohio State with one loss
- TCU with one loss in the Big 12 Championship game
- Utah wins the Pac 12 Championship
- USC with two losses
- Clemson with one loss but an ACC Championship title
Pure, unadulterated chaos. What would the College Football Playoff seeding look like if this is how the last few weeks of the college football season played out?
Do you think you can come up with crazier outcomes than I did? Start a Bowl Pick’em Pool on RYP, invite your friends, and let the chaos commence!
