Published 2 days ago • loading... • Updated 21 hours ago

CFP Doesn't Have 12 Best Teams. Here's What It Would Look Like if It Did

On this season, Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY Network senior national college football columnist, published a 12-team College Football Playoff bracket with seeding, picks and commentary, saying no athletic directors or television executives helped select the teams.
Amid debate over automatic bids, Toppmeyer argues that Tulane and James Madison 'clogged' the first round, noting five automatic bids barged in and no conferences have guaranteed spots.
His bracket lists first-round matchups including Miami vs Texas A&M and James Madison vs Oregon, with published odds; the column proposes NIT games on Dec. 13 and a Dec. 31 title at bowl venues.
The column argues the playoff should attempt to gather the nation's 12 best teams as a selection standard, while critics acknowledge realignment and bloated conferences have complicated implementation.
As the postseason nears, the proposal arrives amid chatter building ahead of the 2026 College Football Playoff kickoff , with Georgia, Alabama, and Notre Dame hosting a Round 1 game.

Insights by Ground AI

33 Articles

The Billings Gazette

+30 Reposted by 30 other sources

Center

CFP doesn't have 12 best teams. Here's what it would look like if it did

The CFP format probably requires fine-tuning after seeing Tulane and James Madison clog the first round.

2 days ago·Billings, United States

Read Full Article

Las Vegas Sports Network

The 2026 College Football Playoff kicks off this Friday, December 19, when the 9-seed Alabama Crimson Tide takes on the 8-seed Oklahoma Sooners. Then on Saturday, 10 Miami battles 7 Texas A&M, 11 Tulane throws down against 6 Ole Miss, and 12 James Madison tackles 5 Oregon. Which teams are good plays to cover spreads […] The post 2026 CFP First Round Preview appeared first on MyNitro.io.

2 days ago

Read Full Article

Think freely.Subscribe and get full access to Ground NewsSubscriptions start at $9.99/year