This is our second look at this situation for 2023 on MNC Wednesday: our first glance was two weeks ago, and now we have a clearer picture as we head into the Championship Week after the conclusion of the regular season. To recap, we have our own way of doing this, since the College Football Playoff committee has proven itself to be corrupt repeatedly over the last decade since its inception for the 2014 season.

We will have 10 FBS Division conference champions, plus two wild-card slots for independents and also rans. Here is how we would seed the tournament for 2023, using the SRS rankings right now—which, of course, will change after this weekend’s upcoming title games in various conferences. Ultimately, a conference title trumps a high sabermetric rating, so that’s what the wild cards are for in the end.

  • Ohio State (WC): 11-1 (21.69 SRS)
  • Texas (Big XII): 11-1 (20.62)
  • Penn State (WC): 10-2 (20.06)
  • Oregon (Pac-12): 11-1 (19.82)
  • Georgia (SEC): 12-0 (18.84)
  • Florida State (ACC): 12-0 (18.28)
  • Liberty (C-USA): 12-0 (10.99)
  • James Madison (Sun Belt): 11-1 (10.36)
  • Iowa (B1G): 10-2 (9.05)
  • SMU (AAC): 10-2 (9.00)
  • UNLV (MWC): 9-3 (4.86)
  • Toledo (MAC): 11-1 (4.35)

As you know, we do not include cheaters in our MNC analyses, dating back to our original miniseries which started in March 2020. If there was something resembling an NIT Tournament for football, by the way, this is what it would look like—making it clear we need more than just 12 teams in a legitimate football playoff (some divisions of NCAA football include 32 teams in the championship tournament, for example):

  • Oklahoma (Big XII): 10-2 (17.77 SRS)
  • Washington (Pac-12): 12-0 (17.72)
  • Alabama (SEC): 11-1 (17.37)
  • Notre Dame (Independent): 9-3 (15.83)
  • Kansas State (Big XII): 8-4 (15.67)
  • Missouri (SEC): 10-2 (14.94)
  • LSU (SEC): 9-3 (14.82)
  • Arizona (Pac-12): 9-3 (12.63)
  • Mississippi (SEC): 10-2 (12.32)
  • Louisville (ACC): 10-2 (12.02)
  • Oregon State (Pac-12): 8-4 (11.01)
  • Clemson (ACC): 8-4 (10.31)

These are the best 24 honest teams in the country, including the projected conference champions and the next-best 14 squads. If the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) has a 24-team tourney, why not the FBS? Furthermore, if we were reaching for a 32-team tourney like Division III does—Division Fuckin’ Three!—then these extra 8 teams would qualify for the coolest football tournament the world has ever seen:

  • Texas A&M (SEC): 7-5 (9.94)
  • Troy (Sun Belt): 10-2 (9.80)
  • Miami-FL (ACC): 7-5 (9.44)
  • Maryland (B1G): 7-5 (9.11)
  • Kansas (Big XII): 8-4 (9.04)
  • Duke (ACC): 7-5 (8.93)
  • Tennessee (SEC): 8-4 (8.90)
  • Iowa State (Big XII): 7-5 (8.64)

There you go. Just like the basketball tournament, some teams will make it with “lesser” records based on strength of schedule and other sabermetric measurements. That’s just the way it goes. But clearly, this 32-team concept opens up a lot of access and equity to a variety of teams—including more than just one from the small conferences. We see two Sun Belt teams here, for example, so everyone can play their way in.

Bring it on, crooks; you have nothing to be afraid of but more money and respect. And isn’t that what you pretend to crave, anyway? At least on the respect part …