We are a day away from the Semifinal games of the college football playoff. It is the end of the college football season. A very depressing day in my household. We have been seeing for the last few weeks that some people believe that the College Football Playoff is going to be expanded. When ESPN bought the rights to the Playoff, it was for 12 years. Most believed that if the Playoff was going to be expanded, year 6 was the year that it was most likely going to be done.
With the Big Ten Champion being left out of the playoff for back to back years, along with the PAC-12 only having 1 representative in that playoff in it’s history. SEC fans will tell everyone to get better. The ACC will tout that it has had a representative in every playoff that has been completed. I am going to say, this is not a good thing. When you are excluding vast swaths of the geographic country and some of the biggest media markets the advertisers are going to start putting pressure on the CFP.
Now, I never understood going to a strict 4 team playoff. It made no sense, it’s almost like the CFP committee looked at the BCS and said “the plus one model is the way to fix this situation.” Everyone remembers the plus one model right? That was the magical fix to everything. Just after the bowl games, play 1 more game with the 2 best teams. Isn’t that what we have done with the CFP? It sure does feel that way to me.
Now, when the BCS was shelved and the playoff started I was always believed that 8 teams was the minimum amount of teams that should be allowed in. That way you have the Power 5 conference’s champions get in plus 3 wild cards. And if a Group of 5 team were to be good enough they could get in with one of those wild cards. Now last season that would have been UCF, and they deserve a shot at getting into the playoff.
This year though, I don’t think so. The McKenzie Milton career ending injury changes UCF and I don’t think so. He was the X factor, a player that changes the trajectory of a program. When he blows out his knee (and from reports, Milton almost had to have his leg amputated), it changes how you look at UCF. However, an 8 team playoff would be amazing, the first round being played at the home field of the higher seed. Then using the bowls just like they currently do. Imagine a CFP with Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Georgia, Washington, and Florida. Yes I left Michigan and UCF out, UCF for the reason listed above, and Michigan, well because they got boat raced by Ohio State.
Now personally, I believe the best was to have the playoff is 16 teams. Everyone is going to say that is way to many. My argument is that with just 4 or 8 you are leaving out over half of D-1 College football. Just think about that, we watch, endorse, and condone half of college football being excluded from a chance to play for a championship. How is that fair?
The argument will be made, that the MAC, Mountain West, AAC, Conference USA, and Sun Belt don’t play “big boy” football. Give me a break, that is a weak and lazy argument. If you believe that these leagues don’t play the type of football you deem as “big time,” stop scheduling them. Stop putting them on the schedule. As long as the Power 5 conferences are scheduling Group of 5 teams, those Group of 5 teams belong.
Now, my 16 team playoff would be the 10 conference champions and 6 wild cards. This way, everyone gets a shot. You now are giving everyone a shot to win the championship. Now, would App State beat Alabama, absolutely not.
However, if you put Army in there? Now we’re talking. Think I’m lying? Go ahead and look at what happened the last time Alabama played a pure triple option team. Alabama played the Citadel. They were tied at the half, that’s right, a triple option team from D-1 AA hung with Alabama for a half. Army is better then the Citadel and could have made it an interesting game.
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