Who Would LSU Football Have Played in Matt Rhule's 40-Team College Football Playoff?

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule has quickly become one of the more outspoken shot-callers across the college football landscape.

From voicing his thoughts on annual Spring Games to now commenting on the College Football Playoff, Rhule has quickly become an prominent figure.

With a current 12-team College Football Playoff model, Rhule joked that the NCAA should expand even further to 40 teams.

It's no secret a 40-team College Football Playoff is improbable, but it's clear the committee is looking into an expansion of 16 teams.

“The more spots the better, man. Make that thing 40 and let’s go,” Rhule said smiling. “I think, again, you’re talking about a league that we play nine conference games where some others play eight. So I think that puts you at an automatic disadvantage.”

“You look at two years ago we were 5-7 and you think about the years with  where he was 5-7, now you add in one more Group of Five team, you take out one more Big Ten, and actually now you’re 6-6. This year you’re 6-6, now you’re 7-5. You’re just adding another win in. …

“So the more spots, the better. We’re playing in a really, really tough league. We’re playing really, really good teams. And you know what? If you play in this league you deserve a chance to get to the postseason and see what you can do.”

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers were on the outside looking in when it came to the 2024 College Football Playoff, but with expansion, it sets the stage for more SEC schools.

Where would the Bayou Bengals have landed in a hypothetical 40-team College Football Playoff?

What would Rhule's 40-team College Football Playoff have looked like in 2024?

By using the ESPN Football Power Index, On3 Sports broke down the first two rounds and what it could have been.

The "What-If" Bracket: Matt Rhule's 40-Team CFP

First-round
No. 25 BYU vs. No. 40 UNLV
No. 26 Iowa State vs. No. 39 Vanderbilt
No. 27 Boise State vs. No. 38 Nebraska
No. 28 Minnesota vs. No. 37 Virginia Tech
No. 29 Michigan vs. No. 36 Baylor
No. 30 Oklahoma vs. No. 35 TCU
No. 31 Auburn vs. No. 34 Arkansas
No. 32 Tulane vs. No. 33 Kansas