Ever since the current College Football Playoff system took over in 2014, there have been numerous controversies surrounding it. Lets look at some of the complaints, and how we can ultimately fix them.
2014 controversy
In its first year, Ohio State got put in over a one loss TCU team as the number four seed. TCU had four Top 25 wins, compared to two from Ohio State. Ohio State would go on to win the National Championship, and the committee sent the message of inviting the best four teams overall.
2017 controversy
In 2017, Alabama was voted in over Big Ten Champion Ohio State. Alabama would not even compete in their conference championship, and would head into the playoffs without beating a ranked team all season. Meanwhile, Ohio State won three games against top fifteen teams. Despite a fourteen point loss to Virginia Tech early in the season, Ohio State should have been in the four team playoff. Alabama got the invitation instead, with the committee saying they were more deserving.
2018 controversy
2018 was perhaps one of the most confusing of all. An undefeated Notre Dame team got in over Georgia in the playoffs, despite Notre Dame not even being in a conference. While going undefeated in college football is an impressive feat, it should not make you an automatic qualifier a four team playoff. Despite losing two games, Georgia proved to be one of the only two teams in the country to have a chance at beating a seemingly unbeaten Alabama team. They picked Notre Dame because they were more deserving, but not the better team. Notre Dame was crushed in their matchup against Clemson 30-3.
Continuous National Championship Matchups
It has become a problem that the same teams are repeatedly in the National Championship Game. Alabama and Clemson will square off for the third time in the National Championship Game since it began. Viewership will take a huge hit this season, and the attendance for the game has already been less than expected.
Everyone Is Not Included
It has been an ongoing problem that teams from the Group Of Five conferences are being left out, despite finishing undefeated. UCF has finished the regular season undefeated for the past two years, and could not finish higher than seventh. Western Michigan finished the 2016 season undefeated, and could only move up to fifteenth in the College Playoff rankings. While they compete against lesser competition, we should at least give them a chance to prove themselves.
How To Fix It
There have been numerous suggestions on how to fix the playoff to include teams that should be in. Lets take a look at the best way I could come up with.
Regular Season
For the regular season, I propose an eleven game season. Teams could cut out an out of conference game. They will stick to the normal cross conference games, and play everyone in their division.
Playoffs
I suggest a sixteen game playoff. There are two reasons that I think this would work. The first reason, is to have more competitive games towards the end of the season. If you replace an “easy win” game from a high ranked team, and replace them with a top sixteen team, it just makes for better football. The second reason, is that it would encourage NFL Draft prospects to play in their teams bowl game. If they are still able to compete for a Championship, prospects will continue playing.
Selecting The Teams
Conference Champions from the Power Five conferences would get the top five spots in the Playoffs. At least one team from the Group of Five Conferences would receive an automatic bid. The rest of the field would be determined by the Playoff Committee based on who they think should be in. The Playoffs would start two weeks after Championship weekend, and each team will have a game every weekend going forward. When we get down to the final two teams, they will have two weeks to prepare for the National Championship.
Where The Playoff Games Are Played
All of the Playoff games will be home games for the higher seeds in the matchups, until the National Championship Game. The BCS Bowl sties will rotate on where the National Championship is played. The losers from the first round matchups will get placed in BCS Bowls, which will all be played on New Years Day.
This could be a good format to run with in the future, and it would just make for better college football.