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PROTEST PLAYOFF 2021: Data and Analysis

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The final 16-team 2021 playoff bracket
The final 16-team 2021 playoff bracket | Courtesy Bracket HQ

In which BracketCat analyzes a variety of data from the 2021 16-team playoff simulation and draws conclusions.

The 2020 COVID-19 College Football Playoff 16-team field will be unveiled at noon Sunday.

Today, I have just a “few” tables for your digestion. Below, you will find:

  • Final playoff bracket and game results
  • What the final AP Poll might have looked like after this playoff
  • The top 5 winners and losers from expanding the 4-team field into a 16-team field (IMHO)
  • A running tally of real and mythical champions and national runners-up, for comparisons
  • Appearances and win-loss records of all conferences (both pre- and post-2023 realignment), coaches, seeds, and teams in the Protest Playoff (all cumulative)

If there’s anything else you’d like me to track in these, just let me know!

Final Playoff Bracket and Results

Final 2021-22 Associated Press Poll (with final game result)

  1. Georgia (16-1) — beat Alabama 38-13 in the National Championship
  2. Alabama (15-2) — lost to Georgia 38-13 in the National Championship
  3. Cincinnati (15-1) — lost to Alabama 41-28 in the Cotton Bowl semifinal
  4. Michigan (14-2) — lost to Georgia 48-27 in the Orange Bowl semifinal
  5. Baylor (12-3) — lost to Michigan 52-27 in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal
  6. Oklahoma State (12-3) — lost to Alabama 35-28 in the Peach Bowl quarterfinal
  7. Pittsburgh (12-3) — lost to Cincinnati 28-23 in the Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal
  8. Ohio State (11-3) — lost to Georgia 56-35 in the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal
  9. Notre Dame (11-2) — lost to Pittsburgh 41-17 in the CFP first round
  10. Wake Forest (11-3) — beat Rutgers 38-10 in the Gator Bowl
  11. Louisiana (13-1) — beat Marshall 36-21 in the New Orleans Bowl
  12. Michigan State (10-3) — lost at Baylor 27-17 in the CFP first round
  13. Oklahoma (10-3) — lost at Alabama 37-27 in the CFP first round
  14. Ole Miss (10-3) — lost to Oklahoma State 31-23 in the CFP first round
  15. BYU (10-3) — lost at Cincinnati in the CFP first round
  16. Clemson (10-3) — beat Iowa State 20-13 in the Cheez-It Bowl
  17. Kentucky (10*-3) — beat Iowa 20-17 in the Citrus Bowl
  18. Utah (10-4) — lost at Ohio State 44-31 in the CFP first round
  19. Oregon (10-4) — lost at Georgia 48-10 in the CFP first round
  20. Iowa (10-4) — lost at Michigan 44-14 in the CFP first round
  21. Houston (12-2) — beat Auburn 17-13 in the Birmingham Bowl
  22. NC State (10**-3) — was set to play UCLA in the Holiday Bowl, later canceled due to COVID
  23. Arkansas (9-4) — beat Penn State 24-10 in the Outback Bowl
  24. Utah State (11-3) — beat Oregon State 24-13 in the LA Bowl
  25. Texas A&M (8-4) — was set to play in the Gator Bowl, later withdrew due to COVID

*Kentucky’s 10 wins were later vacated by the NCAA due to recruiting violations.
**NC State claims this as a 10th win due to forfeit, but it’s not recognized by the NCAA/ACC.

Top 5 Winners of 16-Team CFP over 4-Team CFP/New Year’s 6

  1. Pittsburgh: Instead of losing to Michigan State in a forgettable Peach Bowl, the Panthers collect a huge road upset at Notre Dame and then get to play Cincinnati in a Big East game.
  2. Oklahoma State: It’s debatable if winning at Ole Miss is more meaningful than beating Notre Dame in a New Year’s 6 game, but hey, a playoff win is a playoff win. Losing to Alabama by just 10 only serves to further validate the Cowboys’ quality in the 2021 season.
  3. Cincinnati: Still suffers its fated loss to Alabama, but collects two additional playoff wins.
  4. BYU: I would argue losing at Cincy is better than falling to UAB in the Independence Bowl.
  5. The New Big 12: The Big 12’s current composition would have had a whopping FIVE (5) teams in this playoff, plus Oklahoma. The current ACC? One (1). The current SEC? Four (4).

Top 5 Losers of 16-Team CFP over 4-Team CFP/New Year’s 6

  1. Oklahoma: Exchanges an Alamo Bowl win over Oregon for a 10-point loss at Alabama.
  2. Michigan State: Loses a playoff road game at Baylor in the first round instead of ending its season with a nice bowl win over Pittsburgh.
  3. The Old Big East: If it had stayed together, this league would have collected two (2) bids.
  4. Notre Dame: Losing a bowl to Oklahoma State by just two points probably stings less than a home throttling at the hands of Pittsburgh in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
  5. The Pac-12: Continued insult to injury for the dying league, which would have placed two (2) teams in the field. Now? Those bids would go to the Big 12 and the Big Ten instead.

Playoff Records

BracketCat’s Protest Playoff Archives

2024: Kickoff | Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | NC | Data

2023: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | NC | Data

2022: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | NC | Data

2021: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | NC

2008: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Orange

2007: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Sugar | Data

2006: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Fiesta | Data

2005: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Rose | Data

2004: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Orange | Data

2003: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Sugar | Data

2002: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Fiesta | Data

2001: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Rose | Data

2000: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Orange | Data | Encore

1999: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Sugar | Data | Encore

1998: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Fiesta | Data | Encore