Those of you who follow this blog knows how much I loathe the thought of expanding the College Football Playoff.
Such a scenario would mean that it would mostly consist of conference champions, no matter how bad their records would be. Do I really want to see a playoff with the likes of Northwestern and Pitt possibly making it? Do I really want to see those squads get blasted in the opening round?
Bleacher Report reported there has been a groundswell for the playoff to expand to eight teams, and it may happen sooner rather than later. Given that these are “influential voices in college football”, I’m guessing one of them is Big Ten commissioner Jim Delaney.
I could imagine Delaney made lots of noise about expanding the playoff to keep from being left out consecutive years. We had to know that one of the most powerful conferences whose arguably most powerful brand (Ohio State) being left out wouldn’t stay quiet for long.
First of all, I’ve predicted on my podcast that this day would come. I thought that Notre Dame making the College Football Playoff would mean that TWO Power Five conferences would be left out, and if the wrong one gets left out it would be making LOTS of noise.
Well you wouldn’t believe it, but your boy is starting to warm up to the idea.
I mean sure, we wouldn’t have that build up to the CFB Playoff committee rankings starting in Week 6. And there wouldn’t be the whole premise of “who will get left out?” on a weekly basis.
I just think that as long as the playoff is not expanded TOO far (like say, 16 teams), it could still be just as good.
If the playoff was expanded THIS season, these would be your match-ups:
#1 Alabama vs. #8 Washington
#2 Clemson vs. #7 UCF
#3 Notre Dame vs. #6 Ohio State
#4 Oklahoma vs. #5 Georgia
All of those first round games would be played on the home field of the higher seeds. The semifinal round would be played in the “big bowls” (Sugar, Rose, Peach, Orange, Cotton, Fiesta).
Could you imagine the excitement surrounding those games?
The Fighting Irish hosting the Buckeyes? The Georgia-Oklahoma rematch from last season’s playoff? And of course, the “little guy” from the Group of Five going up against a power in Clemson?
One would have to think those games would draw LOTS of eyeballs and in turn would rake in LOTS of money. And you know that age-old saying:
If it makes dollars, it makes sense…
Categories: college football, college sports
Leave a Reply