Grading the College Football Playoff ideas under consideration, from pass to fail
Battle lines are forming in the ongoing debate for the future of the College Football Playoff's format. The Big Ten wants to rig the playoff with a stacked deck of auto-bids. The Big 12 and ACC fight against that.
The SEC hangs out in the middle, unsure whether to side with the Big Ten or the other power conferences.
To rig, or not to rig? That is the question.
On this edition of "SEC Football Unfiltered," a podcast from the Paste BN Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams unpack the leading playoff formats under consideration.
Here's what the hosts think of the top 16-team formats being debated:
4+4+2+2+1 (plus three at-large)
What it is: In this model, the SEC and Big Ten would be preassigned four auto bids apiece. The Big 12 and ACC would get two each, with the top remaining conference champion getting the final auto bid. That would leave just three at-large bids among the 16 total bids.
Our rating? Hate it. If the SEC and Big Ten are the nation's two best conferences (they are), they shouldn't have any trouble proving it on the field and stockpiling bids via at-large selection, rather than having the bids preassigned. This model fixates on conference standings and play-in games, and it would dilute the value of non-conference matchups. Also, it rewards preseason conference prestige as much as in-season merit, and it shifts the season's focus unduly toward play-in Saturday.
5+11
What it is: In this model, the top five conference champions would receive auto bids, leaving 11 spots to be filled via at-large selection. In effect, this is the 12-team playoff with the addition of four extra at-large spots.
Our rating? Like it. This model rewards conference champions, while preserving a big batch of at-large bids that can be pursued from one conference to the next. It builds off the concept of the 12-team playoff, which we like. This model contrasts from the auto-bid plan that would mark a 180-degree pivot from the current 12-team setup.
16 at-large
What it is: In this wild-card model floated by Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, all 16 bids would be filled via at-large selection. No auto-bids. While the 4+4+2+2+1 (plus three at-large) and 5+11 are the leading models under consideration, this one is more of a talking point.
Our rating? Like it. We'd prefer to preserve a handful of auto bids for conference champions, as the 5+11 model does, but we're not entirely against this model. It's a similar concept to the 5+11. When you examine the first-round matchups this model would have created last season, it's easy to get excited about this idea.
Final verdict
We're on board with the idea of a 16-team playoff, but there's no need to stack the deck before the season kicks off, like the 4+4+2+2+1 model would do. We prefer a model that keeps a majority of the bids available for at-large pursuit, from one conference to the next, and may the best conference assert itself throughout the season to secure those bids.
Where to listen to SEC Football Unfiltered
Blake Toppmeyer is the Paste BN Network's national college football columnist. John Adams is the senior sports columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. Subscribe to the SEC Football Unfiltered podcast, and check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox