The new college playoff format provides an exhilarating sprint to the finish.

By: Alex Madsen

For the first time ever, the NCAA College Football playoffs will be extended to 12 teams. This is astoundingly different from the previous playoff format where only four teams made it. Those four teams had little room for any error and were subjected to much scrutiny for any mistakes through the season. Controversy rose last season when the Playoff Committee omitted undefeated Florida State, instead choosing one-loss Alabama.

The controversy surrounding the Florida State decision led the committee to open up to 12 teams. The five major conference champions plus the next seven best teams will be selected. The four major conference champions will get a BYE while the group five conference champion will play in the first round. The higher seed will play a home game first round.

This college football season has been anything but normal. Only five undefeated teams remain. Surprisingly – Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and the other classical juggernauts in the world of football are not among the Fantastic. Oregon, Indiana, Miami, BYU, and Army make up the gauntlet of undefeated teams. My prediction is that BYU and Army will fall, and Indiana will most likely fall in the Big 10 Conference Championship.

The SEC has been all over the place this season. We saw a classic match up between Georgia and Alabama that almost hosted the biggest comeback seen in recent history. The next week we saw Vanderbilt, (admittedly the runt of the SEC) upset Alabama. My personal pick for the Conference Championship would be Texas or Georgia.

The Big 10 hasn’t been as dominant as years prior. I blame the recent drought of Michigan. They are 10-3 but they will have trouble doing much against the better teams. Nebraska started off well but inevitably “Husker’d” and got murdered by Indiana and just barely fell short to Ohio State. The Conference Championship will almost certainly feature Ohio State and Indiana.

SMU joined the ACC to the disgust of Florida State. SMU would eventually gain revenge over the Seminole’s, beating them to death with a 42-16 score. Miami remains undefeated and is a near lock for the playoffs. Clemson and Louisville aren’t one to laugh at either, both are in a race for third. My pick for the Conference Championship is SMU and Miami. I believe these are locks.

The Big 12 this year has been all over the place. I am disgusted to admit that I originally picked the Kansas Jayhawks to win the Conference, but they have returned to there roots, losing multiple one score games. Kansas State has been a standout with Sophomore QB Avery Johnson playing ball well. Kansas State was my pick to win the Conference until Houston upset them in a dogfight. Colorado has a solid shot to compete for a playoff spot, despite the blowout loss to Nebraska earlier this year. Iowa State has also been no laughing matter with a dominant 7-1 record. My pick for the Conference Championship will be Iowa State and BYU.

Finally, the ‘Group of 5 teams’ have been spotlighted by Boise State and the backfield bandit often compared to Michael Myers. I am of course talking about Ashton Jentry. Boise State right now sits at the throne of G5 teams, and I predict they will be comfy and garner a playoff spot. Tulane might give them some trouble as they are 7-2 with a near upset of Kansas State.

Now onto what I consider the most American Conference, the Independents… Notre Dame to be specific. Notre Dame’s season has been turbulent with the massacre of a game against Northern Illinois. (“Who”? Exactly.) Aside from the stain of the NIU game, the Irish have actually been pretty decent. They beat Texas A&M in the opener, then routed every other team including ranked Louisville and Navy. QB Riley Leonard has finally figured things out, and the Irish Defense, (despite losing key contributor Benjamin Morrison to injury) has been as dominant as ever. The Irish have slipped under most radars, which is good. My prediction is the Irish make the Playoffs.