Musings and grumblings
Ross Pattermann, Reporter, The Tribune-Phonograph
It’s come to my attention that I’ve done a lot of musings, but not much in the way of grumblings these past few weeks. With the college football landscape now dominated by the year end bowls that have become so ubiquitous that everything from potatoes to mayo has a bowl game, it seems only appropriate that I grind one of my favorite axes.
That would be the College Football Playoffs (CFP). The structure as it is now, is really just a joke. Even before the season begins we pretty much know who three of the four teams are that will make an appearance in the CFP.
Since this farce of a system was implemented seven years ago Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Oklahoma have made into 20 of the available 28 slots. Notre Dame is making it second appearance, and many question if they even belong, since they have blemishes on their record.
And therein lies the problem. The gates are barred to all teams that don’t play in a top tier conference like the Big Ten or the SEC. If you belong to one of the so-called “Group of Five” you won’t even merit consideration.
Take the University of Central Florida in Orlando. In 2017 the Golden Knights finished the season with a 12-0 record. They were the only team to finish undefeated that year, and knocked off Auburn in the Peach Bowl, one of college football’s blue bloods, and the winner of the 2010 national championship.
This year witnessed a slew of undefeated teams, and many of them didn’t even get close to being considered for the CFP. What we have come see now over the last seven years is a lack of diversity at the top that is stagnating the game.
With the same four to five schools always getting in this has led to disadvantages in recruiting as well, ensuring that the teams at the top will stay there. Just this year Clemson and Alabama took the top two recruits in California, something that has never happened before.
In a system in which over 130 schools compete, the sport has become increasingly routine, redundant and downright boring. Every season seems to just be a long march towards one of the aforementioned teams being crowned champion.
And yet, we don’t even know if they are the best teams, since only four teams can play. I propose, in order to create some parity, the NCAA adopts an eight team playoff format. This way any school that wins its conference gets in, along with one of the Group of Five, and two at-large bids. It makes it more fair for those schools with a smaller operating budget, and keeps local kids closer to home, friends and family.
It might be that the same old teams win the title, but that’s the beauty of sports. You just never know when a team gets upset, when the underdog has his day. That’s far more enjoyable than an old and tired story-line.
