RJ Young's 24-Team College Football Playoff Bracket Entering Week 15

Thirty-one teams.

That’s how many would still be alive in a 24-team College Football Playoff right now.

Instead, we’re staring at seven programs that appear safely positioned in the 12-team field — a far narrower group than the sport could offer. And imagine the alternative: a playoff with 16 potential home games. Notre Dame Stadium, Bryant-Denny Stadium and Michigan Stadium are just a few of the venues that could deliver some of the sport’s most electric postseason atmospheres, especially with national-title stakes at their peak.

Another shortcoming of the 12-team format is how 10-win Power 4 teams like Miami, Vanderbilt and Utah can still be left out of a tournament they’ve genuinely earned the right to play in — particularly in seasons that may be among their most memorable. It’s just one more reason I’d like to see the playoff expand further, so every deserving team gets its shot … before eventually being eliminated by Ohio State.

In August, the Big Ten and others began "populating" the idea of an expanded College Football Playoff of 24 or 28 teams. The 24-team model, which seems to have the most support in private circles, would include: 

Which begs the question: How would the 24-team CFP look if the tournament began today?

In my analysis of a 24-team format, 26 Power 4 programs — including eight from the SEC, six from the Big 12, six from the Big Ten, and six from the ACC — would still have a path to the postseason. And that’s before factoring in Notre Dame or the Group of 6 contenders.

Heading into conference championship week, teams that have proven themselves in conference play still have just as much opportunity to win it all as No. 1 Ohio State. That’s a huge win for the sport. It creates a more democratic