College football will finally settle the championship on the field. No more BCS and computer polls deciding No. 1 vs. No. 2. Although the playoff is expected to be an improvement, is this the right move for college football?
Did College Football Get it Right With a Four-Team Playoff?
David Fox (@DavidFox615 [9])
In the barest sense, college football got it right by establishing a four-team playoff. It’s a system that presumably keeps the regular season relevant, enhancing it in some cases, while giving two more deserving teams a shot at a national title. However, I’m concerned about the unintended consequences -- how the selection committee selects its four teams could impact the regular season. Conference realignment already has devastated rivalries and led to awkward geographic partnerships. I worry the playoff may push those trends further. And the process of subjectively selecting four teams to play in bowl games -- the same outdated and sometimes corrupt ventures we've had for decades -- is hardly the ideal solution. A four-team playoff gives twice as many teams a chance to play for a title, but the system doesn’t look that much different to me if it proceeds in the same way the BCS did 14 years ago.
Braden Gall (@BradenGall [10])
I will go to my grave fighting for an NFL-style, six-team playoff that features two bye weeks, two total extra games, home sites for every game with the exception of the rotating National Championship game. But alas, the powers that be in college football haven't asked me yet. So, for my money, the next best thing was a four-team playoff with a seeded bracket that features the four best teams in the nation. This has been our wish as college football junkies for more than a quarter of a century and now we have it. Money, selection process, TV contracts, bowl games, timing and site locations, while very important, are all secondary to the simple fact that we have a playoff in college football. The rest of the process will fall into place and will likely create dissension, but don't miss the forest through the trees. The second your eyes fall upon a Football Four bracket with Michigan-Alabama on one side and Texas-USC on the other, you will instantly understand who the biggest winner was in all of this: The Fans.
Steven Lassan (@AthlonSteven [11])
I have to admit, I never thought the BCS was that bad of a system. Sure, it had negatives, but what system doesn’t? There’s no perfect format for the college football postseason and controversy will exist every year. However, I think a four-team playoff is a good move. The college football regular season is easily the best in sports and there’s no reason to change that. I have concerns about the selection committee, but the real issues would start if college football expanded to an 8- or 16-team playoff. When you start expanding the field, that’s when the regular season will be devalued – and hopefully college football’s postseason format never gets bigger than four teams.
Mitch Light (@AthlonMitch [12])
Well, I would have preferred to see an eight-team playoff, and I am not in favor of a selection committee, so it’s hard for me to say that college football “got it right.” But I believe that this is a big step in the right direction and will add a tremendous amount of excitement to what is already a great sports. If I had to give college football a grade, I’d go with a solid B+.
Mark Ross
Truthfully, I don't know if we'll know this answer until after the initial four playoff teams are chosen. I am very curious to see how the playoff selection committee is put together and what criteria they will use in determining the four-team field. That said, I do think replacing the BCS with a playoff is certainly a step in the right direction.
I am a big proponent of settling things on the field rather than through computer-generated formulas. It remains to be seen how much of a role "human error" will potentially play with the selection committee, but in the end four teams, and not two, will get a shot at winning the national title, and that's a good thing. Personally, I would like to see the field expanded to eight to allow more teams a chance, but four is a good start.
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