Critics have claimed for years that college football would ruin the regular season through endless playoff expansion. It didn't happen with four teams, where the bubble was still quality. The postseason race still mattered with the 12-team field, when quality teams still found themselves on the outside.
In reportedly moving to a 24-team playoff, college football has officially jumped the shark. According to reports, the 24-team playoff will lead to the end of conference championship games. The leaders of college football have done almost everything in their power to try and mortgage the soul of the sport for more money in recent years.
The 24-team playoff is a massive strike to the heart. For a moment, let's look at what the bubble would have looked like one year ago. The last at-large spot would have gone to 8-4 Iowa.
The Hawkeyes went 0-4 against AP Top 25 opponents. The 9-3 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets actually beat ranked Clemson, but the Tigers finished 7-6. The rest of the bubble included 9-3 Michigan, 8-5 Duke and 8-4 Illinois.
There's a perception that making the postseason would lead to additional attention and focus on programs that make the playoff. Instead, fans will soon realize that the quality of slop they're being presented will fall precipitously. They'll just be expected to see a mediocre matchup between No. 14 Tennessee and No. 19 USC and keep it moving.
Amazingly, there's not even clear evidence that the playoff will even lead to a financial windfall. Conferences will lose tens of millions in rights fees after canceling conference title games, and there's no guarantee they'll make much additional profit. So when it comes down to it… why are we doing this?
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