Coleman Talks College Football: Playoffs

The introduction of the College Football Playoffs at the end of the 2014 season brought a change from the BCS(Bowl Championship Series) format that had been in use since 1998. The playoff format expanded on the system that was previously being used to find a national champion. In the BCS format, the two teams to play in the national championship game were picked by a selection committee at the end of the season. This process brought controversy as questions around the committee and who they were choosing to play in these games were brought to the forefront. This controversy led to the system that is used today.

In the playoff model, at the end of the season, the top four ranked teams are selected to play in a bracket-style tournament. Similarly to the BCS model, these teams are chosen by a selection committee at the end of the season. This committee is comprised of a variety of former coaches, players, analysts, and other people from the world of college football that are given the responsibility to rank the best teams in the country. The members of this committee serve terms as so to keep the perspectives of the members fresh and to rule out any bias that may form. This model is not perfect though and has brought its own controversy and questions.

The main criticism that has been brought against this model is that it is too limited in its selection. Since its inception in 2014, six separate teams have made the playoffs with the Alabama Crimson Tide leading in the competition with six total appearances. This has brought many suggestions that the number of teams participating in the competition should be expanded to a potential eight to twelve competitors. 

This system would bring a wider variety of teams that could win the national championship and would bring different competition to the playoff regulars. A system like this could also bring more revenue to the smaller programs if they are able to qualify for the competition. This is why many people around the sport have argued for the expansion of the playoff structure and why many believe that the expansion could be necessary for the future health of college football.