The Wildcats' best path to the 12-team College Football Playoffs would be to reach the conference championship game and win it, but with their No. 16 ranking, if enough teams ahead of them stumble, they could conceivably receive an at-large bid even without making it to Arlington, though it would be a longshot.

The previous version incorrectly listed Georgia as the No. 2 seed in the quarterfinal bracket instead of Texas.) The College Football Playoff and its newfangled 12-team format is nearly here.

Three weeks remain in college football's regular season, and things continue to feel as delightfully messy as ever. The SEC could end up with anywhere from three to five teams in the College Football Playoff (though the CFP committee's most recent rankings suggest three or four is more likely than five).