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College Football Playoff expansion necessary


The regular season is near its end. Twitter has been buzzing with news on possible Big 12 expansion and the college football playoff. Following one of the most injury ridden and surprise packed seasons to date, the college football playoff committee has chosen that Clemson, Alabama, Michigan State, and Oklahoma to represent the top four in the playoff.

In a turn from the wild and whacky endings of previous years, including last year when Ohio State made a surprise entry, this year was simple. Ohio State lost to Michigan State in a nail biter near the end of the season. The loss not only paralyzed their chances of retaining Ezekiel Elliot, but also a chance at the playoff. On the last Saturday of the regular season, In a last gasp for hope, Ohio State beat Michigan handily. Ohio State had made a case that they were the better team, but received no condolences.

As a neutral viewer, I argue that the one loss Ohio State team deserved a chance. Not only were the defending national champions riding a great motivating wave toward the playoff, but also they proved their dominance. The committee argued that with limited space, the champions just didn't fit. The mentality of the the playoff committee must change. College football is becoming a corrupt business looking for clients to prey on.

Even lower divisions within the NCAA have concluded toward the expanded playoff model. FCS teams play annually in the playoff to find the FCS national champion. Teams like Southern Utah and Weber state face teams like Sam Houston and Maine at the home location of the better teams first, then at a neutral site as the playoff finishes. Their current model much outdoes the FBS playoff model, and is arguably more attractive than even the eight team model.

With an eight team expansion, the changes to college football would be immense. As we wrote earlier in the year, there are multiple options to overcome the playoff complexity. The option to play an eight team playoff would allow sponsors to show their brand on a national level as each game is sponsored. The issue becomes even more complex regarding bowls when we notice that three 5-7 teams made a bowl game this year. The self-coined, "condolence Bowls" pose a threat to the college football climate as mediocre match ups and underperforming or undervalued teams play for millions of dollars. No honorable mention team should deserve such money, nor glut in the shadow of their empty meaning trophies.

College football could retain the New Years six bowls with a playoff expansion. Such an expansion would allow a more competitive field and allow players to better prepare for a professional environment, much like they do in the classroom at their respective universities. Just like any other professional, experience in their professional environment is necessary, so why not help them adapt.

Outcomes to the season would definitely be different having Ohio State, Notre Dame, Iowa, and Stanford present. As those teams prepare for bowl games, certainly underachievement is looming in their mind. With a college playoff expansion, we are only more supporting the progress of the sport, but more importantly the student athlete. Please playoff committee, do it for the sake of the game. Make a change to improve quality, and not your pocket books.

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