With the news that the CFP is expanding to 12 beginning in 2024, thought I would share my own expansion idea that expands the playoff while keeping some traditions intact, hear me out: eight-team playoff, every P5 champion and the highest rated at-large teams. However, keep traditional bowl tie-ins so it’d look like this:
- Cotton Bowl: Big 12 champ vs at-large
- Orange Bowl: ACC champ vs at-large
- Rose Bowl: B1G champ vs PAC champ
- Sugar Bowl: SEC champ vs at-large
The highest-ranked conference champion from the ACC, Big 12, and PAC would play the lowest-ranked at-large, and so on. This would help to at least try to balance the matchups. For 2022, assuming all favorites win this weekend, it would look something like this:
- Cotton Bowl: #3 TCU vs #6 Alabama
- Orange Bowl: #9 Clemson vs #5 Ohio State
- Rose Bowl: #2 Michigan vs #4 USC
- Sugar Bowl: #1 Georgia vs #7 Tennessee
Note: all of these games would be played on New Year’s Day like they ought to be. From here, the highest-ranked remaining team would play the lowest-ranked remaining team, and the second-and-third-ranked teams would play. The higher-ranked team would host the semifinal. Finally, the two remaining teams would play at a neutral site for the national championship.
Is it a little bit goofy? Would, say, Michigan and USC get shafted having to play each other? Perhaps, but IMO college football is supposed to be a little goofy.
- Cotton Bowl: Big 12 champ vs at-large
- Orange Bowl: ACC champ vs at-large
- Rose Bowl: B1G champ vs PAC champ
- Sugar Bowl: SEC champ vs at-large
The highest-ranked conference champion from the ACC, Big 12, and PAC would play the lowest-ranked at-large, and so on. This would help to at least try to balance the matchups. For 2022, assuming all favorites win this weekend, it would look something like this:
- Cotton Bowl: #3 TCU vs #6 Alabama
- Orange Bowl: #9 Clemson vs #5 Ohio State
- Rose Bowl: #2 Michigan vs #4 USC
- Sugar Bowl: #1 Georgia vs #7 Tennessee
Note: all of these games would be played on New Year’s Day like they ought to be. From here, the highest-ranked remaining team would play the lowest-ranked remaining team, and the second-and-third-ranked teams would play. The higher-ranked team would host the semifinal. Finally, the two remaining teams would play at a neutral site for the national championship.
Is it a little bit goofy? Would, say, Michigan and USC get shafted having to play each other? Perhaps, but IMO college football is supposed to be a little goofy.