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College Football Playoff Expansion Debate Explained

By Jerry Trotta

The current College Football Playoff format, though good enough, needs to undergo some changes.
The current College Football Playoff format, though good enough, needs to undergo some changes. / Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The final edition of the College Football Playoff rankings were unveiled on Sunday after conference championship weekend, and the debate about a future expansion (rightfully) began almost immediately.

The NCAA's current format is good enough, but year after year deserving teams are left out. Should the playoff grow to eight teams, or more?

College Football Playoff Format

The CFB Playoff was inserted back in 2014 as a knockout bracket to determine the national champion. Four teams appear in two semifinals that are played in bowl games. The location of the semifinal game is determined via a rotation of six bowls: the Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl, and Peach Bowl.

For 2019, No. 1 LSU and No. 4 Oklahoma will meet at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in the Peach Bowl.

Whereas No. 2 Ohio state and No. 3 Clemson will meet at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix in the Fiesta Bowl.

With time, however, comes a clamoring for change, so let's make the case for a future expansion of teams permitted in the Playoff.

College Football Playoff Expansion Argument

In our eyes, the most obvious perk would be seeing a team with one or two losses immediately be eliminated from contention. An expanded field would mean that teams like Oregon, Georgia, Wisconsin, Penn State, Florida, and Alabama wouldn't be cruelly punished for losing to elite programs.

The best case for an expanded format, however, is the automatic bid for each Power-5 champion. The fact that there's five major conferences and only four spots is nothing short of maddening.

Don't let the fact this year's undisputed top four teams -- LSU, Ohio State, Clemson, and Oklahoma -- got the nod fool you into thinking this format is foolproof.

Are we really supposed to believe that teams like Wisconsin, Oregon, Alabama, or Penn State, among a few others, don't deserve to compete for a national championship because of one or two hiccups throughout their season?

The margin for error is so slim that imperfect teams are bound to slip up. The NCAA needs to change that narrative and welcome the change of an expansion, plain and simple.