There are few evolutions in college football that made me more ambivalent than the addition of the current four-team playoff format in 2014.
Expanding it to an often-discussed eight teams would make it only worse, in my humble opinion.
When the original decision to go to four teams was enacted, the natural initial thought was, “Good, this should provide Notre Dame a better chance to win the national title rather than just picking the top two teams.”
This was proven last season when Alabama (13-0), Clemson (13-0) and Notre Dame (12-0) all finished undefeated.
In the 1998-2013 Bowl Championship Series format, the Fighting Irish would have had no room at the playoff inn and no recourse at the opportunity to play for the title. As conference playoff winners and unbeaten champions — plus the top two programs overall the past five years — the Crimson Tide and Tigers were going to receive the 1-2 nod no matter what Notre Dame’s strength of schedule had been.
