Expand to 8 teams, but don’t be dumb about it

The NCAA has made a stunning discovery. It turns out, the people like having a playoff, and there seems to be an appetite for a bigger playoff. That’s perfect! It should definitely cut down on all those debates over a team’s worthiness to get into the playoffs, right? Ha! Of course it won’t.

Every year brings with it more controversy, and more questions about whether or not the SEC “deserves” more teams in the playoffs. Do you know what other leagues have controversy like this? None. None of them have these debates year in year out, at least not like this. Maybe the NCAA should take a page from the rest of the entire sporting universe when building an 8 team playoff.

I’ve long harbored a desire to see college football completely upended, with new conferences and a level playing field, but that ship has likely sailed, thanks to all the money teams have invested in their new conferences, networks and infrastructure. So I have a new request: Make concrete rules for reaching the playoffs. Boom. That’s it.

Professional sports allow the divisional or conference winners to reach the playoffs. Next, it’s the teams with the best records, until all the slots are filled. There aren’t computer formulas or anything like that. Even in college basketball, conference champions make the tournament, without any exception, and then there are so many teams that the cut off lines for in or out aren’t really as pertinent, because the team that would have been the 12^th seed isn’t a likely threat to emerge from a field of 68.’

With college football, the title game was based on a computer model, which was based on rankings which were based on whoever seemed the best. The playoffs are the same, but with 4 teams. This is the underlying problem with crowning a champion in college football. Make teams earn their trip there with a clear and concrete goal. Don’t even give the third place team in a conference a spot, if the 2^nd place team isn’t also there, is what I’m saying. 

Let us know from the outset what you want teams to do to get into the playoffs. Win the SEC? In. Win the Pac 12? In. Have the best record in the group of 5? In. Let everyone know how to get into the playoffs. Don't just let in teams that people "think" are the best. The playoffs are supposed to be about earning it on the field. Earn the playoffs on the field too.