Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said the seniors on his roster are looking forward to being able to "control their own destiny" when it comes to reaching the 12-team College Football Playoff -- unlike before, he said, when they "had to rely on outside help" in the four-team format.
This year, the five highest-ranked conference champions are guaranteed a spot in the CFP, which means the winners of the Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and ACC are almost certainly locks (barring some improbable circumstance in which a second Group of 5 conference champion is ranked ahead of one of them).
Which means the Big 12 champion is in. (And in case you missed it, Utah is now in the Big 12).
"We're definitely excited about the new playoff format and the opportunity to make the playoffs on your own merit and not to be voted by a committee to get into that exclusive club," Whittingham said.
Wellll ... the committee is still there. And it will still rank 25 teams each week. Because if a contender doesn't win its league? The committee's next seven highest-ranked teams are in.
The entire system, though, is more inclusive. It's more forgiving. And Utah isn't the only team in the country that now has a legitimate chance to make the CFP for the first time. Ranked in order from best-to-worst chances (according to ESPN Analytics), here are eight teams that could get their first shot at playing for the national title in the CFP era.
1. Penn State Nittany Lions
Last year's record: 10-3
Highest CFP ranking: No. 4 on Nov. 5, 2019
ESPN Analytics: 59.1% chance to make playoff
