Road to the College Football Playoffs

Photo Credit:(AP Photo/Eric Gay)

The College Football Playoffs (CFP) represent the pinnacle of college football, where the best teams in the nation compete for the coveted National Championship. The journey to the CFP is a rigorous and competitive process that tests the mettle of every team involved. With 12 spots waiting to be filled in one of the most anticipated seasons to date, here is a look at what it takes to make it to the playoffs and the key factors that determine success.

This season, with new rules in place for the first time in over a decade, the CFP has expanded from just four teams to 12.

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The five highest-ranked conference champions will practically seal their ticket, but for the other potential seven teams, they will be sitting at the edge of their seats waiting to see if they will be selected by the 13-member committee. That committee will make its selections based on five criteria: strength of schedule, head-to-head game results, results vs. teams in top 25 rankings, results vs. common opponents, and conference championships.

As of now, out of the top 12 teams ranked, only 6 teams have played against another ranked team. In the top 25, only 15 teams remain undefeated, and that number is certain to dwindle this weekend. This is a crucial part of the season for some teams, just one loss has the chance to knock them out of the CFP.

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The number one ranked Texas Longhorns and the number 12 ranked Michigan Wolverines are the only teams to beat a team who, at the time of play, was ranked inside the top 12. These numbers will change as teams are now entering conference play, and for some teams, they will play possibly their toughest matchups of the year.

For many fans, they have felt in the past the National Championship has not represented the best team in the nation, and that was due to a small playoff bracket and a small window to get in. This year, with eight extra teams in the playoffs, it will open the door to potential upsets that college sports is famous for and allow smaller schools a chance to hoist that golden trophy that so many teams dream of.