The first year of the expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff has sparked many opinions. Many were upset when the expansion was announced, and more people have voiced their thoughts leading up to the first-round playoff games. Fans have been upset by their teams’ exclusion, and others have been bothered by certain teams qualifying. Miami Hurricanes quarterback and Heisman Trophy Finalist Cam Ward gave his opinion, saying the “sweet spot” for an ideal College Football Playoff would be 16-24 teams. This would mean more expansion and more teams qualifying, but would also lead to more discourse and debate among football fans and media.
A 16-24 Team College Football Playoff
A 16-24 team playoff would be like the FCS playoffs. Cam Ward was part of one of these 24-team playoffs when he played for Incarnate Word. The FCS playoffs include 24 teams, with the top 8 seeds getting a first-round bye. The remaining sixteen teams compete in first-round matchups, with the winner advancing. From there, it is a traditional sixteen-team bracket-style tournament. If this 24-team format were applied to the FBS, then the playoffs would essentially consist of the College Football Playoff Rankings with the 25th-ranked team being left out. This would still spark debate, though, as there would likely be a decision between multiple teams with two, three, or four losses ranked in the 20s.
If the playoffs expanded to 16 teams, or somewhere in the “sweet spot” Ward suggested, there would still be debates over what teams get left out. Instead of debates between the 12th and 13th teams, it would be the 16th and 17th teams. The reason for the 12-team playoff was that too many good teams were left out of the four-team playoff, but in the first year of the 12-team playoff, fans and media members were already up in arms about teams like Alabama and Miami not making the cut.
The 24-team FCS playoffs are entertaining, and anything from 16-24 would be interesting. But the first 12-team playoff has not even begun, and people are already discussing changes. It feels like many in the college football world will never be satisfied. The four-team playoff was done to stop teams from being left out of the National Championship. Then, the 12-team playoff was made to stop teams from being left out of the four-team playoff. The reality is that teams are always going to be left out, no matter how much the playoff expands. A 16-24 team playoff would be fun, but College Football would need to stick with it.
College Football Playoff Expansion Harms Bowl Games
One aspect of College Football that has suffered since the inception of the College Football Playoff has been the bowl games. In the College Football Playoff, marquee games like the Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, and Sugar Bowl have been relegated to simple playoff matchups. Now, when a team plays in the Rose Bowl, it is not the same. It is still an important game, but the goal is no longer to win the Rose Bowl, it is to advance in the College Football Playoff. New Year’s Six bowls are now interchangeable quarterfinal and semifinal matchups that hold little value because every team just wants to win the National Championship.
This has also devalued bowl games outside of the College Football Playoff. To some players and teams, bowl games still matter, but the playoff expansion has made more players and even teams opt-out. Some of this is because of the transfer portal and NFL Draft, but it is still an issue in College Football. So, if the playoff is expanded again, it needs to be a format that they stick to and make sure it doesn’t completely devalue the bowl games that make College Football special.
