Four Team CFB Playoff

For those already screaming for an eight team college football playoff, stop it! Four is the perfect number, at least so far. College football is not college basketball, or even the NFL. College football doesn’t need December Madness, with eight seeds being “Cinderella” and knocking off one seeds. College isn’t the NFL, where you’d have all the power conference champions playing. No, the purpose of the four team playoff is to have a playoff system for college football that allows for the best team to be champion. For me, this year, whoever wins the playoff can legitimately say they are the best team. Sorry Baylor and TCU. You two both have chances in your New Years Eve/New Years bowls to prove that you belonged though, so if you want to send a message, show up and win your bowl games.

Yes, if the playoff was eight teams, Baylor and TCU would be in, but so would Mississippi State and Michigan State, both of whom lost twice and in no way, shape or form deserve an opportunity to compete in a playoff to be crowned national champs. A two loss team, in any year other than that chaotic 2007 season, does not have a legitimate claim to be the best team in the country. Sure, you could have a Cinderella eight seed win it all, but that misses the point. They lost twice. They had their chances and lost. Mississippi State lost to Alabama and Ole Miss. Michigan State lost to Oregon and Ohio State. To be considered the best, you have to win those games. They didn’t. Two loss teams don’t deserve another opportunity that an eight team playoff would provide them. Maybe in future years teams ranked 7 and 8 will be deserving one loss teams, but not this year.

As for Baylor and TCU, they didn’t get screwed, they screwed themselves. On top of being conference champion, the playoff committee values strength of schedule, both in conference and out of conference. After all, the best teams are those that play tough games and win. Baylor didn’t play anybody out of conference. Every year, Baylor employs the now old SEC model of playing the little sisters of the poor. The committee sent them a message, which is if you want to be considered one of the four best teams, you have to challenge yourself outside your conference. Alabama played West Virginia, Oregon played Michigan State, FSU played Florida, Notre Dame and Oklahoma State, Ohio State beat Cincinnati and Navy. If Baylor had played, say, Utah and Duke, two average Pac 12/ACC teams instead of Buffalo and some other creampuff, it’d be in, because it had a stronger in conference schedule than Ohio St. Also, they were hurt with Oklahoma losing to Oklahoma State, which took away a 3^rd top 20 win.

Now with TCU, they can only blame themselves for blowing a 21 point 4^th quarter lead with 11 minutes to go against Baylor. If they don’t blow that, they are 12-0 and in the playoffs, probably with the #1 seed. Unlike Baylor’s coach, players and fans who won’t shut up about being left out, TCU’s have acknowledged that it’s their own fault for blowing the Baylor game. Just like how Alabama has made sure to never let up on a big lead after the Auburn comeback in 2010 with Cam Newton, you know TCU will never let up on a big lead again.

The other ridiculous thing is this talk of the Big 12 needing a conference championship game. Even if the committee kind of hinted at that, it’s nonsense, at least for right now. Like I’ve said, if Baylor plays real teams out of conference, they are in. If TCU doesn’t blow their lead against Baylor, they are in. The Big 12 didn’t screw them by not having a conference championship game. The conference doesn’t need a title game for now. If its teams want to play for the national title, they need to play and beat good teams out of conference, and not blow huge 4^th quarter leads. It’s that simple. If you play in a power five conference, you control your own destiny. If you don’t make the four team playoff, it’s because you didn’t do something, not because the committee screwed you.

All in all, the committee got it right this year, but more importantly, four teams is the perfect playoff size. Perhaps in future years we’ll have legitimate claims to expand to eight teams, but for now, shut up and enjoy these playoffs. We have two perfect dream matchups. Alabama and Nick Saban vs Ohio State and Urban Meyer in the Sugar Bowl and Florida State and Famous Rapist Jameis ‘I stole crab legs’ Winston vs Oregon and Jesus, Girls, and Marcus Mariota in The Granddaddy of Them All, The Rose Bowl.

We also have the other committee picked New Years Eve/New Years bowls. On New Years Eve, we have TCU vs Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl, Arizona vs Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl and Georgia Tech vs Mississippi State in the Orange Bowl. On New Years, before the two playoff games, we have Baylor vs Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl. Honestly, these are all great matchups and I can’t wait! Shout out to the playoff selection committee and this new system. It worked perfectly this year and sent the messages it needed to send. I don’t miss the BCS one bit.

The four team playoff is under contract for 12 years. Year one was a huge success. Before we scream for eight teams, let’s wait and see how next years selection committee process plays out. For now though, just kick back and enjoy the games! More importantly though, Go Ducks! Let’s kick the living shit out of the CrimiNOLES! P.S – Roll Tide! ‘Bama vs Oregon has been five years in the making, plus, I hate Ohio State. Fuck them and fuck their fans! Whoops, I meant to say Ohio. I have Michigan cousins.