No way it becomes a rule that you must play as a full conference member to get a playoff spot. The BT still hopes to bribe ND to join and won't risk another major offense. THE SEC also won't do anything that might have any chance to nudge ND toward the BT, and the SEC and ACC have been working very close together this century.
Sporting News article title: How Should CFP Expand to 8?
- Thread starter WoadBlue
- Start date
No way it becomes a rule that you must play as a full conference member to get a playoff spot. The BT still hopes to bribe ND to join and won't risk another major offense. THE SEC also won't do anything that might have any chance to nudge ND toward the BT, and the SEC and ACC have been working very close together this century.
I thought that it was funny that in a recent interview with Brian Kelly he mentioned that an 8-team playoff would guarantee that a P5 champion would not be left out of the playoffs as was the case this year, and he felt that was unfair to those conference champions....He also stated that an 8-team playoff would allow Notre Dame the opportunity each year to make the playoffs as a Wildcard team....Honestly, I think that Notre Dame wants the playoffs to expand because they know that they will be in the conversation every year for a playoff spot without having to give up their Independence...
An expansion to 8 teams would likely guarantee that Notre Dame would stay an Independent!
Agreed. Right now ND has no room for error. If they lose one game, they will most likely be jumped by a one loss conference champion that had to play a championship game. Expanding to eight gives them some breathing room.
One thing to also consider is that it's not out of the realm of possibility that one/some/all of the P5 conferences do away with divisions. Obviously, it's not an issue in the Big 12. If that were to happen, it would mitigate any chance of a team like Pitt making it in with an average record.
If you have at last 12 members and want to play a Conference Championshiop Game, you must have divisions. The ACC has tried to change the rule, but the Big Ten led the fight to keep it the same.
The BT needs the NCAA rule changed. Then it can do away with divisions, just like the ACC will, and probably the SEC and Pac.
And that is the reason the P5 should not agree to a slot for the 'best' G5 champ even if undefeated. Strength of schedule must matter.
