The four-team College Football Playoff format had a 10-year run that is unlike any other sport’s postseason format.
The four-team format is in the midst of its 10th and final year. College football will be moving to a 12-team playoff format in 2024. The game first switched over to the College Football Playoff after a similarly short run of the BCS system.
The BCS, or Bowl Championship Series, selected the top-two teams in the nation via computer. While the algorithm would sometimes get it right, there were very few years in which the algorithm’s choice did not invoke great debate among college football fans.
The new playoff system went the other way, and now uses a committee to choose who will be playing for the national title. The committee’s decision to leave an undefeated Florida State Seminoles team out of the playoff this year invoked just as much outcry from fans as any decision made by the BCS system. In an article from The Ringer, executive director Bill Hancock explains why the Seminoles were left out.
“Most deserving is not anything in the committee’s lexicon,” Hancock said. “The [committee members] are to rank the best teams in order, and that’s what they do. Just keep that word in mind: best teams.”
Now that the four-team format has given way to its final championship game, its validity can be analyzed and compared to that of the BCS.
The BCS and the College Football Playoff would’ve resulted in a different championship game seven times
The first year of the College Football Playoff exemplified why moving on from the BCS was a good decision for college football. In the 2014-2015 season, the BCS would’ve had the Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1 ) going up against the Florida State Seminoles (13-0 ).
Instead, we got the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Oregon Ducks facing off in the National Championship Game. The playoff also gave us one of the most iconic plays in college football history, which was Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott’s 85-yard run “through the heart of the south.”
We’re 85 days away from the return of Ohio State football, so you know what that means…
85 yards through the heart of the south 😈pic.twitter.com/GJopoJjlXe
— Barstool Ohio State (@BarstoolOSU) June 9, 2021
The 2016-2017 season’s simulated BCS rankings had Ohio State (11-1) taking on Alabama (13-0), which would’ve left out the Clemson Tigers (12-1). The Tigers ended up beating the Buckeyes 31-0 in the College Football Playoff semifinal game, and they also went on to win the championship.
January 9, 2017: Deshaun Watson finds Hunter Renfrow for a TD with one second left to give Clemson a 35-31 win over Alabama in the College Football Playoff National Championship game. pic.twitter.com/YRyb5aq7r1
— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) January 9, 2021
The next year would’ve likely seen something similar. The eventual champions, Alabama (11-1), would’ve likely been left out in favor of the Georgia Bulldogs (12-1) and the Clemson Tigers (12-1). This would leave us without the iconic 2nd and 26 throw from Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Alabama be Georgia 2018 national championship we really thought we fumbled the bag but TUA saved us! Such an amazing game https://t.co/GNgjAzhKEt pic.twitter.com/DFJEkP6vHA
— Mexikage (@armando_polo) October 13, 2020
While the 2019-2020 season would’ve resulted in a different championship game, it is hard to believe anyone would’ve stopped the Joe Burrow-led LSU Tigers with wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson on the field. Ohio State and Clemson were both 13-0, but the simulated BCS rankings would’ve favored the Buckeyes. This one is kind of a push because the semifinal game could’ve gone either way, and the end result would’ve likely been the same.
Today in 2020: Joe Burrow and #1 LSU defeated #3 Clemson 42-25 in the CFP National Championship pic.twitter.com/DA6N04UapW
— Joe Burrow Fan Club (@JoeyBClub) January 13, 2023
It is hard to say how the COVID year would’ve been handled by the BCS, but one of the eventual championship participants only played eight games that year. The Ohio State Buckeyes (7-1) won their semifinal game against the Clemson Tigers (10-1), but it is likely that the BCS would’ve matched up the championship-winning Alabama Crimson Tide (11-0) with the Tigers or the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-1).
#Bama Video Day: 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship win over Ohio State. pic.twitter.com/lUhulGXOpq
— Bama247 (@Bama_247) June 16, 2021
The 2021-2022 season simulated BCS rankings had the Michigan Wolverines (12-1) taking on the Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1). Michigan was dominated by the eventual champion Georgia Bulldogs (12-1) 34-11 in the semifinal game. Georgia beat Alabama in the championship game, but the BCS would not have given them that chance considering they lost to them in the SEC Championship.
Kelee Ringo ran it back to Athens and secured the national championship victory.
A moment Georgia fans will never forget pic.twitter.com/BlPiccLAay
— Matt DeBary (@MattDeBary) January 11, 2022
Last year, the BCS would’ve had Michigan (13-0) taking on Georgia (13-0) in the National Championship. It would’ve robbed us of one of the best College Football Playoff semifinal games of all time in which the TCU Horned Frogs beat the Wolverines 51-45, but it would’ve prevented one of the worst National Championship games of all time in which TCU lost to Georgia 65-7. It also would not have given the Buckeyes (11-1) a shot to beat the Bulldogs, despite the fact that they were just a field goal away from a victory.
College Football Game of the Day!
Fiesta Bowl: #3 TCU vs #2 Michigan (2022)
– TCU did not trail the entire game
– TCU had two pick 6
– The two teams combined for 69 total points in the second half
– It was the second highest-scoring CFP game behind Georgia’s 54-48 Rose Bowl… pic.twitter.com/ajp6pcr2Vg— College Football Alerts (@CFBAlerts_) June 24, 2023
The College Football Playoff and the BCS would have agreed on a National Championship game just three times
The first time the BCS and the College Football Playoff would have ended up with the same result was the 2015-2016 season. The BCS would have had the Crimson Tide (13-0) taking on the Tigers (12-1). The two teams waltzed into the championship game, and were the clear-cut best two teams in the nation.
50 Days till Alabama Football 🐘🔥
Derrick Henry with a 50-Yard Touchdown vs Clemson in the 2015 National Championship to show why he won the Heisman Trophy 🏆🔥 pic.twitter.com/6G7UoMvfg7
— Alabama DieHards (@DiehardsAlabama) July 15, 2022
The 2018-2019 season was extremely similar as the same two teams would have faced off in the championship in both systems. Both teams won by double digits, and were head and shoulders above the rest of the competition. The only discrepancy is that this season would’ve left out the undefeated Fighting Irish, who lost to Alabama 31-14 in the semifinal, if it took place in the BCS era.
44 days
January 7, 2019: Despite being underdogs to an Alabama team hailed as the greatest ever, Clemson dominated the Tide from start to finish, handing Nick Saban his worst loss at Bama.The 44-16 beatdown capped a 15-0 season to bring home the Tigers’ third national title. pic.twitter.com/olvXKcirb3
— Austin Pendergist (@apthirteen) July 23, 2021
This season would’ve been the last time that the two systems would agree on a championship game. The Washington Huskies (13-0) and the Michigan Wolverines (13-0) would be playing in the championship regardless of the era. The undefeated Florida State Seminoles were left out regardless of the system, something that would not be the case with the 12-team playoff future.
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