College Football Playoff expansion may surprisingly level the playing field, enhance the regular season

The Faculty Soccer Playoff introduced Thursday a proposed enlargement of the dimensions of its area from 4 groups to 12. There are just a few stunning parts of the proposed new construction and the variety of groups is barely the start.

The creation and enlargement of the championship construction in school soccer historically occurs a glacial tempo. The Bowl Championship Sequence was the primary iteration of a playoff, albeit one with solely two groups, and even that ended up with a “cut up” nationwide championship in 2003.  The BCS lasted for 16 seasons. The Faculty Soccer Playoff got here subsequent with a four-team format starting in 2014 on a 12-year contract.

So for the powers that be to instantly have a thirst to triple the sphere to 12 — skipping proper previous six- and eight-team fashions — is unusually progressive.

The second greatest shock of the enlargement proposed by this CFP working group is the format, which requires the sphere to be made up of the six highest-ranked convention champions and 6 at-large groups with the highest 4 champions receiving byes.

Whereas that definitely places a premium on successful your convention, the stunning half is that no concession was made for Notre Dame. The Combating Irish, which can’t win a convention as a result of they’re an impartial, can’t qualify for an opening-round bye even when they end the season at No. 1 within the CFP Rankings. Notre Dame completed No. 4 within the rankings in 2023 and No. 3 in 2018; if the 12-team format had existed then, it could be seeded no greater than No. 5.

One last shock is that this format nonetheless doesn’t assure a spot for champions from each Energy 5 convention.  Certainly, had this format existed in 2023, Pac-12 champion Oregon would have missed out.  In actual fact, the No. 25 Geese had been solely the eighth-highest ranked convention champion.  No. 8 Cincinnati and No. 12 Coastal Carolina would have made the sphere, and No. 22 San Jose State was additionally ranked greater than Oregon. Two Group of 5 convention champions would have earned playoff spots.

Although the 2023 season was an anomaly in each attainable approach, it does present how unusual issues can occur, and historical past has proven us we don’t want a pandemic for unusual issues to occur.

Our personal David Cobb gave you a have a look at how the 12-team format would have been bracketed within the first seven seasons of the CFP, so I’ll refer you to that, however listed below are some footnotes on what would have occurred if this had existed because the onset of the CFP.

In solely three of the seven seasons have the 4 playoff groups all been convention champions.  Which means now we have a superb of an opportunity of groups outdoors the highest 4 receiving byes in any given season.  It is not going to be stunning to have a 4-5 sport in with the No. 5 seed ranked greater than the No. 4 seed.

A number of the greatest CFP choice debates can be principally resolved. Notably, within the first CFP, the large controversy was Ohio State leaping to No. 4 within the last rankings after successful the Large Ten championship as Baylor and TCU, which had been idle as a result of the Large 12 didn’t have a convention championship sport, didn’t make the sphere.  Within the 12-team mannequin, that may merely be an argument over which crew will get a primary spherical bye, however all three groups would get into the playoff.

The Buckeyes at all times appear to be in the midst of CFP controversy.  In 2016, 11-1 Ohio State obtained in forward of 11-2 Penn State, which beat the Buckeyes and gained the Large Ten title. The Nittany Lions had been ranked No. 5 behind No. 3 Ohio State and No. 4 Washington, lacking the playoff totally. Within the new format, Penn State will get that fourth seed with a bye, and Ohio State sits within the fifth spot.

Ohio State was additionally in a decent battle for the fourth spot with Alabama in 2017.  The Buckeyes had been Large Ten champions, whereas the Crimson Tide missed out on enjoying for the SEC title as a result of their solely loss was to Auburn, which gained the SEC West consequently.  The committee selected Alabama for the fourth playoff spot, however within the 12-team mannequin, Ohio State would get a bye and Alabama can be the fifth seed, establishing a doubtlessly juicy 4-5 sport to settle the matter within the quarterfinals.

Controversies will now transfer down the rankings the place related groups will all really feel equally certified for the final spot or two within the at-large pool.

It’s possible you’ll be stunned to be taught that the convention with essentially the most groups showing in a 12-team mannequin over the primary seven years of the CFP wouldn’t be the SEC however the Large Ten.  The Large Ten would have positioned 20 groups within the 12-team playoff with the SEC falling one brief at 19 during the last seven years.  The Large Ten can be the one convention that may have put at the very least two groups within the playoff in every season and has the one crew that may have appeared in all seven of them. Ohio State would have acquired a bye in 4 of the seven playoffs and been seeded no decrease than seventh within the different three.

Clemson and Oklahoma can be driving six-year look streaks with every lacking the primary CFP in 2014. Alabama would even have six appearances, lacking in 2019.  No different crew would have greater than 4 appearances.

Convention USA is the one convention that may haven’t but made an look. It’s additionally the one one to not have a crew end the season within the last CFP Rankings.

Conclusion: This proposed 12-team format will convey extra power to the common season and truly assist make it extra related and fascinating, not much less, because the powers that be have been saying up till Thursday.  We must wait just a few months to see if it involves fruition.