By Matthew Miller — Sports Staffer
Week 10 of college football saw six AP top 15 teams lose. Oregon went on the road and beat Ohio State. Fans rushed the field after Utah beat BYU in the Holy War. Tennessee beat sixth ranked Kentucky in Knoxville. And of course, in the game of the week Notre Dame beat Miami in drama filled game proving themselves as a top tier team
What a great week for the best sport in the world – but next year all those games will not matter.
ESPN’s Heather Dinich broke the news that the College Football Playoff and ESPN agreed to a five-year deal that will expand the playoff from 12 teams to 24 teams.
24 teams.
That accounts for 96% of the AP poll.
A team like Texas A&M who lost a game to an unranked opponent at home could still make it into the playoff.
The CFP committee destroyed what made college football special. Three years ago, if someone lost a single game it would put their entire season in jeopardy.
Even with the 12-team format, only one team with three losses from the regular season has made the playoffs. With a 24-team format, last year there would have been six different three-loss teams and one team with four losses.
That rarity sets college football apart from every other sport. College football has never solely been about whether a team has the ability to win a championship, but also whether that team deserves a shot at the title.
The committee would not allow a group of six team in the playoff if was about the best teams. They let them in because they deserve a shot.
College football and basketball are not the same. There will be no Cinderella runs.
With this format, teams have no incentive to schedule hard out of conference games. Within two to three years, matchups like Texas vs. Ohio State could become a thing of the past. Every major team’s schedule will look like Notre Dame’s, weak and avoidant.
The season will not truly begin until December, which takes away all excitement.
Take Ohio State for example. Once they hit nine wins, they are all guaranteed to get a spot in. Which means their game against Michigan, the greatest rivalry in the sport, could lose its significance. Teams could even choose to rest their starters in preparation for up to five post-season games.
Rivalry weekend delivers some of the best non-playoff football across every level of the sport. Now it just does not matter. Without conference championship it will be the last game of the season.
Even if the starters take the field, that game will have basically no impact on who lifts the coveted championship trophy.
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