quote:
The parity is off the charts. Having a large playoff for them is fine but having a 12-16 team playoff in college is utterly stupid. there simply aren't more than about 5 teams each year that after 13 games truly deserve to be called national champion.

While I'm sure most here agree that maybe only about 5 teams each year are national championship capable, what is the damage caused by having 12-16 teams in playoffs?

For the examples below, lets assume that the current format will stay the same except seed the teams based on actual final CFP rankings.

Using your 5 team example, a four team playoff excludes one of those teams.

If we have a 6 team playoff, then a "non NC capable team" will be allowed in the field. This, of course, will cause big controversies each year when selecting the 6th team.

Using the current 12 team format, if there are truly 5 teams capable teams of winning the NC, then those five should all definitely make the quarterfinals, with all but one making it to the semifinals. If they don't, then the premise that there are only 5 teams capable of winning the NC will be proven invalid because there is absolutely no selection criteria that can guarantee the "best teams" are selected. With some obvious exceptions, that opinion is very subjective.

By having a 12-16 team playoff, the 5 teams most people consider NC caliber will NEVER be left out...such as 2004 Auburn. We felt screwed, but if USC or OU would have been left out, the travesty would have been just as great...a non win situation.

Even though Auburn never had a chance to make the playoff this year, I admit I enjoyed watching many schools play games late in the season with NC hopes (no matter how unrealistic) still on the line. Those fan bases have usually checked out by late Sept/early Oct.

One of the great things about America is the "American Dream". To me, that (for the most part) means living in a country where my opportunities for success are not determined by people and decisions out of my control...although there will always be exceptions. Schools making the playoffs should not be judged by " lineage". That, IMO, is un-American.

Use Auburn basketball as an example.

Most everyone here that has followed college basketball for the last 40-50 years knows that historically Auburn basketball has been very mediocre for the most part with some short term outliers sprinkled about.

However, since Bruce took over, I think many people would agree that Auburn has become one of the top programs in the SEC and nationally. That was unthinkable ten years ago. Schools shouldn't have to be anchored down by a lack of previous success.

I believe there are a number of college football programs capable of having a similar transformation now. I actually think that is a good thing for college football in general.

All of that said, if the TRANSFER PORTAL is not regulated ASAP, then the future of college sports in general is dismal. That is way more damaging than NIL.

I personally preferred an 8 team field with no byes, but they will never reduce the field now.