With future of College Football Playoff still up for grabs,
Unlike last season, there’s very little brand-new with the College Football Playoff in 2025. And you might wish to prepare to get used to this format in spite of the relentless growth discussions.After a growth from four groups to 12 for the 2024 season, the only change for the 2025 version of the College Football Playoff is with the seeding. In 2015, the top 4 conference champions received the four first-round byes no matter where they were ranked in the committee’s final set of rankings.Advertisement Texas and Penn State were Nos. 3 and 4 in the
rankings but were the No. 5 and 6 seeds because they were at-large teams. Boise State, at No. 9, was the No. 3 seed as the third-highest ranked conference champ and Arizona State was the No. 4 seed even though the Sun Devils were ranked No. 12. That won’t be duplicated in 2025. While the top 5 conference champions still get automatic berths to the playoff, the leading four seeds will be the top four groups in the rankings no matter if they’re conference champs or not. [Join or produce a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season]
The modification most likely ways that a conference like the Big 10 or SEC will get several groups with byes. Had actually the format been in place in 2024, each conference would have had 2 groups with byes.Advertisement Having a bye wasn’t a great thing, either. All 4 groups that got byes in 2024 lost their very first games
of the playoff. Was that attributable to the prolonged layoff between the routine season and the postseason for those 4 groups? Was it since all 4 front runners were underdogs in the 2nd round? Was it both, together with other factors?It’s difficult to see how all four front runners will lose in the 2nd round this season after the seeding change. And it’s likewise difficult to see how the playoff will be expanding to 16 teams in the future. With future iterations of the College Football Playoff still up for grabs, everybody has their own ideas on what’s finest.(Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports)The conferences are presently at an impasse as the Big 10 is adamant in its support for a playoff format that nobody else likes. The conference is promoting for a 16-team playoff that guarantees four quotes each to the Huge 10 and SEC, while the ACC and Big 12 each get two bids. The staying four areas would be booked for the leading Group of Five champion and three at-large teams.Advertisement Huge Ten commissioner Tony Petitti appears enamored with the idea of a play-in competition for the conference at the end of the season where the third-place group would play the sixth-place team and the No. 4 group would play the No. 5 team for the conference’s last 2 playoff spots while the two teams playing in the conference title game would be immediately certified.”[ A record of] 8-4 is a winning portion,”Petitti stated at Big Ten media day.”If you forecast that winning percentage in every other sport, I’m quite sure you make the postseason, whether it’s hockey, basketball, anywhere else. That kind of winning record– we have actually conditioned ourselves to believe that if you’re not a one -or two-loss team, you’re not worthwhile of competing. There are lots of teams in professional sports who get approved for the playoffs who can’t get past the first-round game. That’s OK. They still get to play. We’ll figure it out on the field instead of being in a space. “You don’t need to be a die-hard fan to comprehend that college football is still far various from expert sports, even as players are now earning money above the table and schools are sharing their revenues with them. The possibilities of a three-or four-loss group winning the national title are exceptionally slim.And none of the other conferences wish to deliver a playoff area or 2 to a Huge 10
(or SEC)team with four losses. The SEC’s coaches have actually promoted for a 16-team playoff that merely adds 4 more at-large teams and it’s a format preferred by Notre Dame, the ACC and the Huge 12. Though the Big Ten and the SEC have the playoff power, the Big Ten seems outflanked.Advertisement And unless the Big Ten pull back, the expansion stalemate
is likely to continue. What would that indicate? A 12-team playoff for 2026 and maybe beyond.That wouldn’t be the worst concept. Having just two seasons of a 12-team playoff before broadening once again seems foolish. Particularly if each of those two seasons were seeded differently.The push to broaden the playoff isn’t due to competitive reasons, it’s because more championship game equates to more TV revenue. Yes, it’s yet another college sports decision
being pursued in the
name of money.The disagreement in the chase for the dollar could eventually exercise for college football fans. While four more fan bases would enjoy the chance to
make the playoff, teams seeded 13-16 aren’t going to be winning four games en route to the nationwide title.Advertisement Instead, the 12-team playoff is worthy of at least five years or more to establish itself.
If teams seeded outside the top 10 regularly make the semifinals, maybe there will be a more powerful case for expansion. However there isn’t a great case now. And that may end up being simply fine.