Last Tuesday, the first playoff rankings were announced. If a team winds up at #5, that position can be a prime one to make a serious run at the national championship.
The 4 highest ranked conference champions get first-round byes. The balance of the playoff teams are seeded. Suppose that two highest ranked teams were either in the SEC or the Big 10. In such case, the conference runnerup would be the #5 seed.
Being #5 has two advantages. The #5 squad will have home game against the #12 seed. Usually, #12 will be the Group of 5 representative, although this year’s Boise squad may prove the exception to this generalization. The Group of 5 has been greatly drained of solid programs in recent years due to conference expansion and limited NIL funds. The Group of 5 will likely produce no more brilliant Boise State squads led by the likes of Kellen Moore.
Assuming that the #5 team survives, their next opponent would be the #4 seed at a neutral site. The #4 seed will be almost always be the least imposing conference champion from the “Power 4” conferences. Thus, the #5 team’s route to the semifinals may well be as easy or easier than for any other squad.
Nobody is going to be aiming for the #5 spot. But in many years, this seed may prove to be a blessing in disguise.