- New system comprised of four conferences of 20 teams
Over the years it has become clear that the college bowl system, including the four-team playoff orchestrated by 13 powerful pooh-bahs, would cede control only at the point of a bayonet.
Thanks to Army, appropriately, the tipping point has arrived. The plight of the Black Knights, 9-2 and initially bowl-abandoned until getting a backdoor invitation to the Liberty Bowl, brought more attention to an archaic system built on backslaps and boys club behavior.
The cadets’ crisis was the final straw telling me that change is needed. After witnessing the injustices already served upon Cincinnati and Indiana, Army’s bowl brouhaha hastened the call for new marching orders aimed at bringing more equity to college football.
The format is broken — or maybe rigged? — when 9-0 Cincinnati is not even considered for the playoff and 6-1 Indiana finishes ranked behind two three-loss teams and out of a New Year’s Day bowl. When that happens it is no longer a playoff but a party where only the cool kids get invited.
Ohio State is one of the cool kids, but don’t blame or punish the Buckeyes for their good looks and success. Instead, throw open the doors to let more schools join the fun.
How? Not by expanding the playoff to six, eight or 16 teams. No, only a complete overhaul will do, something that produces a legitimate national champion while still placating the “lesser” bowls that exist as a reward for teams not named Ohio State, Clemson, Alabama and a handful of others. (In seven years only 11 teams have filled the 28 spots in the College Football Playoff; and only Alabama, Ohio State, LSU, Georgia, Clemson and Oregon have won games.)
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