What a college football 64-team playoff bracket would look like in 2023
What teams are the No. 1 seeds? Which teams pull off the major upset in the first round? We reimagined a March Madness-style bracket for college football.
1-seeds: Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama
2-seeds: Penn State, Tennessee, LSU, Oregon
3-seeds: Florida State, USC, Clemson, Washington
4-seeds: Utah, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Ole Miss
(4) Ole Miss 40, (13) Houston 37: It's never dull when a couple of offensive gurus like Lane Kiffin and Dana Holgorsen face off in the postseason. Both are known for their explosive, high-scoring offenses, but Ole Miss' running game -- Quinshon Judkins rushes for 164 yards -- helps the Rebels play keep-away from the Cougars in the fourth quarter.
(4) Ole Miss 33, (12) Nebraska 24: Once upon a time, Kiffin and Rhule were both NFL head coaches. Their meeting in this second-round game boils down to Ole Miss quarterback Spencer Sanders time and time again scrambling for the first-down marker on critical third and fourth downs. The Rebels punt only once in the game, as Kiffin in vintage fashion keeps going for it on fourth down.
Crowning a champion in college football's 2023 64-team playoff
Can Georgia three-peat? Can Nick Saban get Alabama back into the title game? The rest of our 64-team bracket has a few surprises.
(1) Georgia 34, (4) Ole Miss 24: Back in the day, Kirby Smart and Lane Kiffin used to go at it on the Alabama practice field when they were working under Nick Saban. Both had elite players, too. Kiffin has significantly upgraded the Rebels' roster, but the Dawgs are still too strong on the defensive side of the ball and get a two-sack performance from Mykel Williams to thwart Ole Miss drives in the fourth quarter.
