Mock 2013 FBS Playoffs

Since the new College Football Playoff is set to begin next season, we wanted to see how a similar system would work for this season. We've taken the top 8 teams in the BCS Standings and thrown them into our own playoff system, and we want to know who would win. Here are the quarterfinal match-ups:

Florida State has dominated everyone this season, but the Missouri Tigers have been quite the Cinderella story. In just their 2nd season in the mighty SEC, they've rose to the challenge and are the SEC East champions. However, they did lose their glass slipper in the SEC Championship Game, and the Seminoles do have Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston slinging the ball around, but those Tigers are a resilient bunch.

The Auburn Tigers are the SEC Champions, and arguably have the best rushing attack in the country. Only Mississippi State have been able to slow them down, and they've had Lady Luck bail them out quite a few times this season. Ohio State would come into this match-up winning 23 of their last 24 games, which is unheard of from a team in an Automatic Qualifying conference. Braxton Miller was a Heisman hopeful before injuries hampered him, but the Buckeyes have been a winning machine the past two seasons.

This is the match-up that many people wanted to see (and probably would have seen had Ohio State beaten Michigan State) in the Fiesta Bowl this season. But since this is our mock playoff, we'll get to analyze it anyway. The Crimson Tide are still considered by a vast majority to be the best team in the country, even after a heartbreaking loss in the Iron Bowl. But don't tell that to the Baylor Bears. With a seemingly unstoppable offense, and an underrated defense, they are capable of competing with just about anyone.

This year's Rose Bowl is a first round playoff game. That should be everything you need to know about how a playoff would improve college football. Regardless, this game is as old school as you'll see in this day and age. Both are big, strong, physical teams in the trenches that run the ball downhill and play tough defense. Michigan State may not have the playmakers that Stanford has, but that defense is nasty. Plenty of NFL players line the field on the defensive side of the ball for the Spartans, but Stanford isn't scared of a little talent, just ask the Oregon Ducks.