It was a quiet Sunday in the sports world, but we are less than two weeks away from the first college football game, so I thought why not talk about the teams at the top of the standings & let AI predict who will make the College Football Playoff, and more importantly who will win it.

I had ChatGPT simulate a 12-team playoff bracket for the upcoming season. Shoutout to all my freaky AI bros, let’s have a great week!

Format Refresher

  • 12 teams qualify: the five highest-ranked conference champions (CFP-ranked), plus seven at-large teams.

  • The top four seeds (based purely on overall CFP rankings, no longer needing to be conference champs) receive a first-round bye.

  • Seeds 5 vs. 12, 6 vs. 11, 7 vs. 10, and 8 vs. 9 meet in the first round, with higher seeds hosting.

My Projected 12-Team Field (with seeding)

Here’s how I see the bracket shaping up, blending ESPN’s playoff odds, CBS bracket insights, and overall schedule analysis:

Simulated Bracket Progression & Winner

First Round (on campus higher seeds):

  • Penn State (5) beats Boise State (12)

  • Oregon (6) over Illinois (11)

  • Clemson (7) upsets Notre Dame (8)

  • Tennessee (10) surprises Miami (9)

Quarterfinals (New Year’s Six Bowls):

  • Texas (1) defeats Tennessee (10)

  • Alabama (4) over Clemson (7)

  • Ohio State (3) bests Oregon (6)

  • Georgia (2) handles Penn State (5)

Semifinals:

  • Texas edges Alabama

  • Ohio State defeats Georgia

National Championship:

  • Ohio State vs. Texas — I give the slight edge to Ohio State with their playoff pedigree and depth.

Final Champion: Ohio State

Well, there you have it folks. Despite a completely inaccurate bracket in which ChatGPT had the 7 seed take on the 8 seed alongside a 9/10 matchup, you get the gist of who is in contention according to the internet aliens that will rule the world one day. Sip your coffee and think about that. Cheers!