3. College Football Playoff Scenario: The Nuclear Option
Either Clemson, Alabama or Ohio State, and … three mediocre 12-1 Power Five champions
What would’ve happened if Clemson got whacked big by Virginia in the ACC Championship?
What if that happened, and Baylor pulled off the Big 12 Championship win over Oklahoma, Utah got by Oregon to win the Pac-12, and Minnesota managed to beat Wisconsin and shock Ohio State on the way to the Big Ten title?
There are a LOT of unrealistic ifs in there, but going into late November there was a possible wacky scenario for the College Football Playoff to be made up of LSU, Minnesota, Baylor and Utah.
Okay, okay, okay, so a one-loss Ohio State still probably gets in, and Clemson might have snuck in, too, but you get the idea.
That takes things to the extreme, but you saw what LSU did to Oklahoma and was able to pull off against Clemson. Imagine what it would’ve done against teams down a peg or two talent-wise?
Even if you get a scenario where two very-good-but-not-national-title-good teams happen to find their way in – for example, 2018 Notre Dame, and, to a lesser extent, 2018 Oklahoma – then you’ll likely have a bad tournament.
Miami has a relatively easy schedule. What if it goes 11-1 and shocks Clemson in the ACC Championship?
What if Minnesota gets by Wisconsin on the road and rows the boat from there on the way to the Big Ten title?
Oklahoma State doesn’t have that bad a slate. If it goes 11-1 and pulls off the Big 12 title, and then …
It’s those three and the dominant SEC champion in the playoff.
Yippee.
It won’t happen, but we are overdue for …