So here we are once again, ready for the college football playoff to begin. LSU will take on Oklahoma on Saturday, while Ohio State and Clemson will be the nightcap. Make no mistake, the current four team College Football Playoff (CFP) is a drastic improvement over the former Bowl Championship Series (BCS), which used computer rankings to determine the two teams that would play in the BCS National Championship game. Oddly enough, the BCS was a drastic improvement over the old system that didn’t match up the top two team at all. In fact, the old bowl system had conference tie ins, that in only a few occasions would determine a true national championship game.
Every level of football has a playoff. From youth football, high school and the National Football League (NFL). That caused the powers to be over college football to scurry to get with the times, which lead to the formation of the current CFP system. Before I explain why I prefer 8 teams over the current format, let’s look at some of the things that isn’t broken. Currently, a committee will release rankings starting in the second half of the season, which allows fans, coaches, and players to see where they stack up. There’s really no secrecy leading into the stretch run of conference championship games. The rankings are laid out 1-25 and teams know exactly where they stand. Strength of schedule with overall record are still the most important criteria in the selection process, but there still isn’t complete transparency to the public. With that, comes some really good football teams left out of the playoffs. It’s no secret that the SEC is far and away the most dominate football conference, which adds to the argument that the SEC should get two teams in every season.
The argument for eight teams is that you could use the conference championship games to earn automatic bids, much like the NCAA basketball tournament does. With football have five power conferences (SEC, ACC, Big 10, Big 12, and PAC 12), those five conference would receive bids for their conference champs. That would leave three spots for at-large bids. With the SEC’s dominance, there’s the possibility for a second SEC team, as well as a couple of non-power 5 teams with great records (ie Central Florida 2018, Boise State, etc) So with that said, let’s take a look at what an expanded 8 team playoff would look like in 2019:
First round matchups:
1 LSU vs 8 Memphis (in Baton Rouge): We’ve always wanted the little guys to have a place at the table, so what better way than to let a fantastic Memphis Tiger team have a shot against the big dogs from the jump? Memphis comes in with a great 12-1 record and an American Athletic Conference (AAC) championship. LSU is the juggernaut of 2019 and boast Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Joe Burrow. I think Memphis’ explosive offense would give the Tigers problems early. Memphis star Antonio Gibson is one of the most electric players in college football that no one knows about. That said, games are won in the trenches, and the SEC depth of LSU on both sides would beat Memphis into submission by early 3rd quarter. Prediction: LSU 49, Memphis 28
4 Oklahoma vs 5 Oregon (in Norman): Two offenses that can light up a scoreboard would be on full display in this showdown. For both of these teams, having to outscore the opponent is no problem, with the Big 12 and the PAC 12 conferences being known for their less than stellar defenses. Sooner stars Jalen Hurts, CecDee Lamb, and Charleston Rambo are difficult for any team to stop, but for Oregon it would be a nightmare. The Ducks would counter with star QB Justin Herbert, RB CJ Verdell, Jaylon Redd, and Johnny Johnson III. The old saying is defense wins championships, and while neither team has a top level defense, Oklahoma has more overall size, talent, and depth on defense led by Kenneth Murray. Prediction: Oklahoma 42, Oregon 38
2 Ohio State vs 7 Notre Dame (in Columbus): This game would feature two of the most historic names in the college football world. It’s no secret that Ohio State hasn’t done well of late in the CFP, but Notre Dame hasn’t exactly been stellar in that regard either. Ohio State is dynamic on both sides of the ball. Most people will point to Justin Fields as the catalyst, but I’d point you in the direction of the Buckeye offensive line. IMO, Ohio State has an SEC caliber offensive line that allows Fields all day to throw the ball, as well as JK Dobbins to rush for over 1800 yards. Notre Dame also has a solid quarterback in Ian Book along with a reliable wide receiver in Chase Claypool. Again, defense wins championships and Ohio State may have the best defensive player in the nation in Chase Young. Prediction: Ohio State 35, Notre Dame 21
3 Clemson vs 6 Alabama (in Clemson): For my money, this is by far and away the best matchup of the first round. Clemson is once again undefeated, but the ACC is such a bad conference that it doesn’t provide the Tigers with the challenge needed against top competition. The good news for Clemson: they don’t need it. Last season Clemson DESTROYED Alabama 44-16 in route to the national championship. It’s hard to pick against Clemson this time around. The Tigers have it all starting with super sophomore QB Trevor Lawrence. Wide receivers Justyn Ross and and Tee Higgins provide explosion down the field, but the home run hitter from the backfield is Travis Etienne. Alabama has an explosive offense of their own with Najee Harris being one of the most complete running backs in the nation. Jedrick Wills Jr may be the best offensive tackle in the nation, which provides QB Mack Jones time to throw. The deal breaker for me is the Alabama defense. Typically, the Crimson Tide are lights out on the defensive side of the ball, but in 2019 Bama has given up over 28 points 4 times this season. That is simply too big of an obstacle for Bama to overcome. Prediction: Clemson 49, Alabama 35
The irony of my mythical 8 team playoff is that is leads us to the exact same 4 teams that are playing in the current CFB semifinals. However, I think having teams play an extra game rewards teams like Memphis, gives second chances to teams like Bama & Notre Dame, and also makes a team like Clemson (who hasn’t played a difficult schedule) play a tough opponent. Having an extra playoff game also gives teams a reason to keep fighting during the regular season. By the end of the year, it’s pretty much a given as to who has a chance to get in the playoff. I believe having more teams will help keep fans engaged because of the possibilities that will still exist.
There you have it. 8 teams, for all the marbles. What do you think?
