What the College Football Playoff would look like if it was based on point differential

Imagine a world where Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia, and Oklahoma get left out of the College Football Playoff. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?

Now picture a system that only chose playoff teams based on their point differential. Sounds as flawed as the BCS rankings, right? Even though we are two weeks into the college football season, it’s interesting to look at some of the teams that have come out the gate swinging. Dominating their opponents on the scoreboard.

This is what the College Football Playoff would look like if it was based simply on point differential.

NOTE: These point differentials only include games between two FBS schools.

1. Auburn Tigers (+50)

John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

They're focused. They're having fun. In this scenario, the Tigers aren't a darkhorse for anything. They are on top of the college football world. Let us enjoy this before Penn State take the +50 point differential down a notch.

2. Marshall Thundering Herd (+42)

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Marshall, congrats. Despite your quarterback throwing as many interceptions as he did touchdowns through his first two games (3/3 TD/INT ratio), you still get a seat at the adult's table. Enjoy your 30 point loss to your opponent.

3. Cincinnati (+35)

© Albert Cesare / The Enquirer

In all seriousness, Cincinnati has a shot at the playoff this season. They play Indiana this week. They play a top 15 Notre Dame team next week. UCF will most likely be in the top 25 when the Bearcats play the Knights in October. Tulane is currently averaging 53 points per game and took Oklahoma down to the wire (had that game been played at Tulane, the Green Wave would have had a very good shot to win it). Cincinnati might be in this hypothetical playoff right now and could see themselves right on the outside looking in at the end of the season.

4. Wake Forest (+32)

Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Wake Forest sneaks right past the Alabama Crimson Tide into the College Football Playoff. No sentence has ever felt more right and wrong at the same time.

Teams that were just left out

Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

5. Alabama (+31) 6. Purdue (+29) 7. Rutgers (+28.5) 8. Virginia (+28) 9. Georgia (+28) 10. Michigan (+27)

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