PROTEST PLAYOFF 2024: Data and Analysis - Kansas City Sports Today

The final 16-team 2024 playoff bracket | Courtesy Bracket HQ

In which BracketCat analyzes a variety of data from the 2024 16-team playoff simulation and draws conclusions.

The 2023 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 12-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 2024-25 Associated Press Poll (with final game result)

Ohio State (14-2) — beat Notre Dame 47-3 in the National Championship
Notre Dame (14-2) — lost to Ohio State 47-3 in the National Championship
Oregon (14-1) — lost to Indiana 34-27 (OT) in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal
Georgia (13-3) — lost to Ohio State 27-23 in the Orange Bowl semifinal
Indiana (13-2) — lost to Notre Dame 30-23 in the Cotton Bowl semifinal
Penn State (12-3) — lost to Notre Dame 37-34 in the Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal
Texas (12-3) — lost to Ohio State 45-21 in the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal
Tennessee (11-3) — lost to Georgia 34-26 in the Peach Bowl quarterfinal
Arizona State (11-3) — lost to Notre Dame 38-24 in the CFP first round
Boise State (12-2) — lost to Indiana 34-23 in the CFP first round
BYU (11-2) — beat Colorado 36-14 in the Alamo Bowl
SMU (11-2) — lost to Tennessee 45-10 in the CFP first round
Iowa State (10-3) — beat Louisville 42-41 in the Pop-Tarts Bowl
Miami (10-3) — lost to Penn State 31-22 in the CFP first round
Illinois (10-3) — beat Texas A&M 21-17 in the Citrus Bowl
Syracuse (10-3) — beat Washington State 52-35 in the Holiday Bowl
Missouri (10-3) — beat Iowa 27-24 in the Music City Bowl
Clemson (10-4) — lost to Oregon 45-13 in the CFP first round
Army (12-2) — beat Louisiana Tech 27-6 in the Independence Bowl
Alabama (9-4) — lost to Ohio State 28-23 in the CFP first round
Ole Miss (9-4) — lost to Texas 59-34 in the CFP first round
South Carolina (9-4) — lost to Georgia 14-3 in the CFP first round
Memphis (11-2) — beat West Virginia 42-37 in the Frisco Bowl
UNLV (11-3) — beat California 24-13 in the LA Bowl
Colorado (9-4) — lost to BYU 36-14 in the Alamo Bowl

Top 5 Winners of 16-Team CFP over 12-Team CFP

Indiana: The Hoosiers clearly benefitted with a winnable home game versus being sent off to Notre Dame and were able to parlay than into a Rose Bowl quarterfinal upset of Oregon.
Georgia: Instead of losing to Notre Dame in the second round, the Bulldogs were able to beat two familiar SEC East Division foes before falling to Ohio State in the semifinals.
Tennessee: Rather than being immolated at Ohio State, the Volunteers are able to win a comfortable home game against SMU and at least advance to the second round here.
The $EC: What’s better, getting Alabama/Ole Miss/South Carolina into the playoff but losing all 3 games, or 2 of those 3 teams losing in meaningless bowls? Hint: It’s the playoff money. (Plus they actually get a Final Four team in this scenario, which did not occur in real life.)
Miami: Similarly, I am sure the Hurricanes would much rather prefer to cash the playoff check and lose at Penn State than blow a huge halftime lead to Iowa State because their QB sat out, then watch the Cyclones devour a giant Pop-Tart live on the field after the game.

Top 5 Losers of 16-Team CFP over 12-Team CFP

Texas: The straight seeding changes forced the Longhorns into their ill-fated matchup with Ohio State one round earlier than in reality, costing them several spots in the final AP poll.
Penn State: It’s the exact same story for the Nittany Lions, only it’s Notre Dame as their foil.
Arizona State/Boise State: As expected, straight seeding and the loss of byes screws the Big 12 and Group of 5 the most. But honestly, if the money stays the same, what’s really the difference between losing in the first round or losing after a bye? If we have any beef, it’s with the committee’s refusal to seed good teams into home games so they can win them.
The Big 12: For those counting, this is one of those years where the 4-4-2-2-1-3 model would have been beneficial to the beleaguered league, rather than the 6-4-3-1-1-1 we actually get.
The Pac-12: Their failure to get a TV deal literally cost them two playoff bids, plus everything else this “conference” (in name only) lost when 8 of its teams fled the coop in August 2023.

Playoff Records

BracketCat’s Protest Playoff Archives