College Football Playoff Bracket if 2022 Season Ended Today

College Football Playoff Bracket if 2022 Season Ended Today

The nation's top college football teams are battling it out to see who will reach the College Football Playoff at the end of the season. There are a number of teams with good national championship odds, and these will change a great deal over the course of the season. Here’s how the playoff would look if the season ended today.

The first semifinal would pit the No. 1 team in the country and the defending champions, the Georgia Bulldogs, against the No. 4 Michigan Wolverines. These programs have only played three times, with Georgia winning the past two meetings.

The most recent contest occurred in 2021, with Georgia wiping the floor with Michigan in the Orange Bowl. There are reasons to believe this meeting could be quite different.

For one, Michigan’s running game is proving to be dominant. They have a pair of backs that are racking up yards, the offensive line is one of the best in the country, and they are incredibly physical.

Second, the Michigan defense is more well-balanced than it was a year ago. The great individual pass rushers are gone, but they may be deeper than they were in 2021. Can they throw it well enough vertically against a defense like Georgia?

Michigan’s biggest test was passed with flying colors as they pounded Penn State in the second half. They also handled rival Michigan State with ease. The Georgia Bulldogs beat rival Florida in Jacksonville, dominating early and then hanging on late despite a comeback from the Gators.

The Bulldogs now host No. 2 Tennessee in the biggest game the SEC East has had in years, perhaps decades.

The other semifinal would feature the second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes against a team that has not played in the playoff before, the No. 3 Tennessee Volunteers. The Vols joined the fray after a thrilling victory over Alabama a few weeks ago.

The Crimson Tide dropped to No. 6 but likely still controls their own destiny. If they can win out, they’ll represent the SEC West, and if they win the SEC championship game, the Tide will be in the playoff.

Ohio State and Tennessee would be a fun matchup of two unstoppable offenses and tremendous quarterbacks, C.J. Stroud and Hendon Hooker.

Tennessee is a high-powered squad, and Hooker is a Heisman contender. Speedster Jalin Hyatt is a threat every time he touches the ball, and Hooker is playing at an incredibly high level. The defense leaves much to be desired, but they’ve proven they can win shootouts against other high-powered attacks.

Tennessee housed Kentucky and now plays in the potential “Game of the Year” against Georgia.

If the Volunteers lose that game, they could finish at 11-1 and have the win over Alabama. Would that be enough to get them into the College Football Playoff? If they win that game, it seems likely they’d be the number one team and would be in the playoff regardless of what happened in the SEC championship.

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When is the 2022 College Football Playoff?

The semifinals will occur at the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl on New Year’s Eve. The first contest will begin at 4:00 p.m. ET and the second game will kick off at 8:00 p.m. ET so that you can ring in the New Year with the four best teams in the country. The semifinal winners will battle for the national championship on January 9, 2023.

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