Poll: How Should The College Football Playoff Look In The Future?

I wish to express this ahead of what follows: There is not a Ducks fan that is happy with the structure of the CFP as it was set up this season. What I’m soliciting through this poll, though, is beyond what happened to Oregon, or what would have been ideal; rather, it’s about the playoff structure as a whole.

The fact is that all four of the teams that had a bye lost in their first game and did not advance. Mathematically, there is the possibility that was a coincidence. It’s possible; that’s all I’m saying. I’m inclined to think that the seeding of the CFP was flawed from the beginning, however. If that is the premise, then 1) What is the flaw?, and 2) What is the best fix for that flaw? Is a better structure using a 12 team playoff possible? Is a playoff that uses other than 12 teams a better approach?

I definitely have my opinions on the best approach(es), but that’s not what I’m advancing here. I want to try to be as inclusive of all ideas as I can be. You may have an idea that doesn’t quite fit in this poll, and if so then tell us in the comments below.

Photo by CFP/Getty Images

Let’s outline the poll options:

Go Back To The BCS

Is the BCS format the way to go? My hunch is that if it were operating properly, we would not have found ourselves with a 12 team format. This is presented as an option, though, and there are probably some that thought the BCS was just fine.

Have An Eight Team Playoff

The rationale here is this: Does a team that’s ranked #9 and under really have a chance against the top eight in the country? Against the top four? (Because in a proper playoff, you’re going to play the best teams first). Maybe you think they do, and that’s a strike against an eight team playoff. The upside is that the setup is very clean – seed numbers 1-8 and let them have a go in a traditional playoff.

Go With A 16 Team Playoff

This may seem like overkill, but I think that if you go with a 16 team format then you eliminate conference championships. They are unnecessary (and probably unwanted) in this structure. Having 16 teams is clean – No byes, no conference championships, so there really isn’t an additional burden over the 12 team format. If college football wants to be inclusive – and I become an immediate cynic when money is the issue vs. what is “right” – then this is a viable option.

Continue With The 12 Team Playoff

Everyone involved is going to have to put up with this for another year, but does it really have to be the same as 2024? Here is an interesting Tweet:

If you’re going to stick with the 12 team format, then do these discussions address the issue of the top four teams having a bye? I thought that having the time to rest and prepare would be a positive, but all four teams lost and I really have to reconsider that train of thought.

The clumsiness of the 12 team format is that it almost demands a bye to work. Is the bye all that great? If you go with rankings instead of conference champions, then what is the value here? Does seeding regardless of conference champions work? Should the field be re-seeded after the so-called play-in games? There are a few ways to go, but what is a good direction? And is there any one approach that overcomes the flaws of a 12 team playoff?

With that in mind, here we go – what is best for FBS football, going forward? Place your vote.

If you think you have a better idea, then speak up. I think the CFP can be improved, and you probably do as well, so do elaborate. What should we be taking into consideration?