First, the teams that will make the playoff, provided they take care of business on Saturday, are Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State, Notre Dame, Georgia, Tennessee, Indiana and Boise State (assuming they win the Mountain West Championship). That leaves four spots.

Expanding to 14 teams, as some of the conference commissioners have proposed when the new CFP contract takes effect in 2026, is not likely to increase the season's entertainment value much, if at all. But it would almost certainly provide lifelines for teams that have not achieved much on the field and have no chance of winning the championship.