Saban: 12-team field will not end CFP ‘speculation’

• Alex Scarborough, ESPN Personnel WriterDec 30, 2023, 04:26 PM ET

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  • Covers the SEC.Joined ESPN
  • in 2012.
  • Graduate of Auburn University.PASADENA, Calif.– As

Alabama coach Nick Saban looks ahead to the growth of the College Football Playoff next year from 4 to 12 groups, he doesn’t anticipate much to change. “The huge games are going to be the big games,”Saban said on Saturday,” and there’s always going to be speculation of who the very best 12 teams are just like there’s speculation now who the very best 4 groups are.”Speaking ahead of Monday’s Rose Bowl

Game provided by Prudential against Michigan, Saban compared the choice process to the males’s NCAA basketball tournament, which has 68 teams taking part.”Then you have a two-hour program speaking about who got in and who

didn’t,”Saban said.Making yet another comparison, Saban said he takes a look at it” no different

“than the NFL playoffs.” People want to win the division,” he said.

“They do not wish to be the wild-card team. If you have a chance to be a wild-card team that’s much better than not remaining in the playoffs. Everyone is defending home-field benefit. I believe all those things will exist in college football, also.”Editor’s Picks 2 Associated While Saban didn’t foresee championship game being lessened, he has

consistently spoken about the effect of the playoff on non-CFP games.”I think the bigger the playoff gets, the more it decreases bowl games,

“he stated.” One of the terrific traditions of college football for several years was if you had an excellent season, you got to go to a bowl game. It’s fantastic for the players. They got a great deal of positive support. Perhaps you didn’t win a champion but you had a good team. It was excellent for the fan base. “As soon as we started having playoffs– this is new and I’m not complaining about that– it began to lessen the significance of bowl games. The more we expand the playoffs– which I’m not versus, I’m for– it minimizes the value of bowl games.”Lots of potential NFL prospects in non-CFP games have opted out, picking not to compete and rather beginning their preparation for the NFL draft.Even the Orange Bowl, a so-called New Year’s 6 bowl, will have numerous stars enjoying from the sidelines.Florida State, despite ending up the season undefeated and winning the ACC champion, landed outside the playoff at No. 5. The Seminoles will be without star edge Jared Verse, receivers Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman, and running backs Trey

Benson and Jaheim Bell.