Big Ten Tops SEC With Four College Football Playoff Bids

The Big Ten topped the SEC—and every other conference—with four bids into the first 12-team College Football Playoff.

Big Ten champions Oregon earned the top overall seed, with runners-up Penn State and rival Ohio State getting home first-round Playoff games, while Indiana will play on the road.

After being projected to also end up with four Playoff teams most of the season, the SEC ended up with only three: conference champion Georgia, runner-up Texas, and Tennessee. 

Alabama was the first team left out of the bracket, due to Clemson’s upset of SMU in the ACC championship game. The Tigers earned an automatic CFP berth, and the Mustangs got in after being ranked one spot higher than the Crimson Tide.

The ACC’s unlikely two bids give the conference a win over the Big 12 and Mountain West, which each sent just one team to the CFP (conference champions Arizona State and Boise State, respectively). Notre Dame, which is independent, also earned a spot.

Cash Rewards

The number of schools each conference has in the CFP correlates to a significant financial reward. Conferences receive $4 million for each school that reaches the CFP and another $4 million for each that qualifies for the quarterfinal.

That puts guaranteed payouts so far at:

• Big Ten: $20 million
• SEC: $16 million
• ACC: $8 million
• Big 12: $8 million
• Mountain West: $8 million

Conferences will also receive $6 million for each school that reaches the semifinals and each that plays in the national championship game.