College Football Playoff: Making a national championship case for each of the 12 teams in the field

More teams than ever dream of a national title in the second week of December.

The first 12-team playoffs are less than two weeks away as Indiana and Notre Dame open the postseason on Friday, December 20. The three other first round matches will take place a day later ahead of the quarter-finals on December. January 31 and 1.

At the moment there are six teams that can rightly call themselves contenders and six teams that are long shots. At least according to the betting odds. But you can make a case for each of the 12 teams in the postseason winning the College Football Playoff. Even if you have to squint a bit.

Here, that's the case for every team in the field. (All betting odds come from BetMGM.)

Why the Broncos can win it all: It doesn't make much sense why Boise State is the top contender at this point. The Broncos will be allowed to play one fewer game than eight other teams and could potentially face a Georgia team without Carson Beck in the semifinals with a win over SMU or Penn State.

Regardless of who Boise State plays in the playoffs, it can argue that it has the best offensive player on the field in Ashton Jeanty. The Heisman finalist has rushed for 2,497 yards so far on 7.3 yards per carry and nearly 5.5 of those yards have come after contact. Only 66 qualifying players in college football average more yards per carry than Jeanty after contact. He is capable of making a big play against anyone, regardless of the opponent's game plan.

Boise State's defense is buoyed by a pass rush that can get after the quarterback in a variety of ways. Four different players have at least five sacks and the Broncos have collected 51 sacks as a team. A disruptive pass rush in big moments can change football games.

Why the Sun Devils can win it all: Like Boise State, ASU's odds may also be a bit too low due to their first-round bye. RB Cam Skattebo is a wrecking ball and one of the toughest players to tackle in college football. He made life miserable for Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game.

The offense wasn't limited against the Cyclones despite the absence of leading receiver Jordyn Tyson, as QB Sam Leavitt averaged over 10 yards per attempt. If the opposing defense makes an effort to stop Skattebo without Tyson on the field, Arizona State is able to get chunk plays.

Why the Tigers can win it all: There may not be a looser team in the field than Clemson. With numerous teams entering the playoffs with title-or-bust expectations, Clemson is the only team with three losses in the field and is here because of a last-second 56-yard field goal in the ACC title game.

The Tigers offense can go off, especially if the run game functions. If Clemson can rediscover what worked midseason, the Tigers could surprise a few teams. The Rise of Bryant Wesco Jr. at the end of the season creates a serious threat to Clemson. Wesco had eight catches for 143 yards and two scores against SMU and is averaging almost 18 yards per catch.

The defense has also forced twelve goals in the last five games. The Tigers have a turnover margin of +16 for the season.

Why the Mustangs can win it all: Only five teams score more points per game than SMU at 38.5 and Kevin Jennings has emerged as one of the better QBs in college football. Jennings has thrown for more than 3,000 yards and eight different offensive players have at least 275 receiving yards. Even though TE RJ Maryland is injured, the defense can't tighten up any players in the passing game. RB Brashard Smith is also averaging almost six yards per carry.

The defense is holding opponents to just 4.6 yards per play and opposing offenses are rushing for just 2.7 yards per carry. Only five teams have rushed for more than 100 yards in a game against SMU, and Boston College is the only team to average more than four yards per carry at 4.2. That's a good thing if you're playing Penn State and then possibly Boise State.

Why the Hoosiers can win it all: Indiana has one of the best offenses in the country and has scored fewer than 31 points just twice all season. Yes, those games came against Michigan and Ohio State the Hoosiers, two toughest opponents, but Indiana will have had time to address those issues before the playoff. If they can be solved, QB Kurtis Rourke can pick apart opposing defenses. He has completed 70% of his passes and thrown just four interceptions.

The defense has been very effective at stopping the run. That's huge with a Notre Dame team that loves to run the ball and a Georgia offense that will likely be much more ground-oriented than it has been all season.

Why the volunteers can win everything: The Vols could have the best defense in the SEC. James Pearce Jr. has 7.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss and leads a ferocious defensive line. Georgia is the only team to score more than 23 points on Tennessee all season and Vanderbilt, which returned the opening kickoff for a TD, is the only other team to break 20.

The offense has been very inconsistent, but RB Dylan Sampson is able to open up a game. He rushed for 1,485 yards and 22 touchdowns. WR Donte Thornton is also a big play waiting to happen. He has 25 catches for 647 yards and six touchdowns.

Why the Fighting Irish can win it all: The Fighting Irish have emerged as one of the best teams in the country since the loss to Northern Illinois. Notre Dame scores nearly 40 points per game and has a run game that averages over six yards per carry. Jeremiyah Love will likely surpass the 1,000-yard mark against Indiana and is averaging over 7.1 yards per carry. His No. 2, Jadarian Price, is averaging 7.3 yards per carry. QB Riley Leonard has been a dangerous, speedy threat all season and has become much more comfortable as a passer as the season has progressed.

The defense is led by defender Xavier Watts. He has 49 tackles and a team-high five interceptions. Opposing offenses are scoring fewer than 14 points per game on a unit that has shown serious depth due to numerous injuries throughout the season.

Why the Nittany Lions can win it all: A healthy Nick Singleton helped Penn State to what could have been its best offensive performance of the season against Oregon in the Big Ten title game. The Nittany Lions rushed 35 times for 292 yards and averaged seven yards per play. Oh, and Tyler Warren is one of the few skill position players who can challenge Jeanty for the title of best offensive player on the court. Warren has over 1,000 yards receiving and has also rushed for four scores while throwing another.

Edge rusher Abdul Carter has 20 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. It's a tough job for anyone to block. Oregon was only the second team all season to have more than 400 yards of offense against Penn State and the only team to do so without overtime.

Why the Buckeyes can win it all: The Buckeyes are probably the most talented team in the field and are more than capable of putting together four games and a national title with a loss to Michigan as motivation. Will that happen?

A reshuffled offensive line will have had three weeks to practice as it opens holes for star running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson. Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka are one of the best receiving duos in the country, and Will Howard is still completing over 72% of his passes this season.

They have the nation's top scoring defense at 10.9 points per game with 35 sacks. Defensive back Caleb Downs is also an impact point returner. All the pieces are there for Ohio State.

Why the Bulldogs can win it all: The case for Georgia is a little tougher without Carson Beck, but Gunnar Stockton will practice with the No. 1 unit for three weeks, assuming Beck is unavailable for the College Football Playoff. Georgia's offense can be at its best with a power run game, and the time off will also help RB Trevor Etienne get healthier. WR Arian Smith has made big playoff plays before. This postseason is an excellent time to emerge from his recent slump.

The defensive line is capable of taking over games, just ask Texas. Potential first-round pick Mykel Williams has 20 tackles and five sacks, while linebackers Jalon Walker and Chaz Chambliss are tied for the team lead of 6.5. It's tough to bet against a Kirby Smart-coached team. He is 7-1 in SEC title games and the College Football Playoff against teams not coached by Nick Saban.

Why the Longhorns can win it all: Texas has only lost to Georgia this season and wouldn't have to meet the Bulldogs until the national title game. Despite playing in the first round, Texas is now the co-favorite to win it all thanks to a defense that is giving up 12.5 points per game; it's the stingiest in the country against the pass. Opposing quarterbacks are throwing for just 143 yards per game against the Longhorns. The 211 yards that Kentucky's Cutter Boley and Brock Vandagriff were responsible for are the most against Texas all season.

A lack of depth hasn't hurt the running game against teams not named Georgia. Texas has 55 rushes for 60 yards against the Bulldogs and TE Gunnar Helm and WR Matthew Golden are very reliable targets for Quinn Ewers. Steve Sarkisian is also one of the most creative offensive coaches in college football and he certainly has more tricks up his sleeve to use with QB Arch Manning during the postseason.

Why the Ducks can win it all: The Ducks don't get flustered in close games and can blow anyone out. Penn State was Oregon's fourth one-score win of the season after a Week 2 win over Boise State, the one-point win over Ohio State and a three-point scare at Wisconsin. Dillon Gabriel plays better than any QB in the country and is also capable of beating teams with his legs. WR Tez Johnson's importance to the offense was on full display in the Big Ten title game, as he ran at will through the high school at Penn State.

DE Matayo Uiagalelei was a force in the second half and leads the team with 10.5 sacks. Jordan Burch is back after missing four games and has 8.5 sacks in just nine games. They are a fantastic tandem and Kansas State transfer Kobe Savage has bolstered the secondary with 61 tackles.