College Football's Playoff Problem

Here we are again, another college football season wrapped up. It was not an easy season to complete due to all the COVID spikes that struck down even the game's Socrates in Nick Saban not once but twice; fear not because he recovered swiftly and led his Alabama to another national title, his sixth with the school and seventh overall. This national championship was gassed up like it was going to be a game of epic proportions as we had the college game's version of the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers battle for glory. In the end, it was one of the most one-sided affairs in the national championship game history. It would've felt better if the scoreline was a little bit closer, but it was all Bama. The part that is really funny to me about this Bama win is that nobody is happy unless they are a Tide fan. The reason? The college football playoff and championship have become stagnate. 

Each year, the CFB landscape is supposed to change, because a new season offers a fresh slate, or so we are supposed to believe. Ever since the NCAA adopted this playoff bracket idea, they have typically chosen the top four schools in the AP rankings. Now that makes sense, but it gets rather dull when three out of the four schools are either Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, with one outlier in Oklahoma, Notre Dame, LSU, and Oregon. So the first problem is the talent gap between the top four teams and the rest of the pack. This year was extremely tough as many programs like Ohio State and other Big 10 schools did not start until late October-early November. In years past, everyone has been on the same schedule and start date, and the selection committee seems to pick what I call the royals of college football. Bama and Clemson are basically locked for the playoff at this point; OSU is usually the next team in and the fourth spot is reserved for whoever wins the Big 12 or Pac-12. The utter gaps in talent are kind of shocking. 

The playoff structure has also hindered the possibility of lower-tier programs making the big dance. Sure, a team like Coastal Carolina or BYU probably would've been shellacked by Bama, Clemson, or OSU, but think of the media coverage the playoff gives that school. Not to mention there is always the possibility of upsets, which would make the game that much more appealing. Instead, the kings of the game are constantly feuding with each other as their lower-elite vassals continue to play out in meaningless bowl games. Nobody watches those games unless they are fans of the school. So the problem at hand is there are such gaps in talent by these three or four major schools that it takes away from the rest of the pack. The selection committee is forced to show love to the big boys, leaving their little brothers out to pasture like dead cattle. This was already one of the major talking points sports pundits were talking about in regard to this year's playoff. Everyone got angry when Ohio State was selected despite having played six games total, especially when teams like Coastal went undefeated. It seems like no matter what the top four ranked schools are going to get selected, which in turn creates stagnation.

The other problem is the championship winners. Since the CFB playoff was created in 2014, only two teams not named Clemson or Bama have won the natty in Ohio State and LSU. I saw more hype last year for LSU-Clemson because there was a new face in the game; however, LSU now looks more like a one-season wonder. These bigger programs recruit for longevity and dominance and it has shown. Even though Bama is likely to lose their best players to the NFL draft this year, there's no doubt in fans' minds they will back in the big dance again, barring any bombshell developments. So in order to create a more engaged fanbase, it is time to start thinking more creatively (I'm looking right at you, NCAA). This new championship structure has caused grief among fans as they hoped it would create more parity from the old BCS system but it doesn't seem to be changing anything. 

Don't expect changes to come in any time soon. The NCAA continues to secure the bag from this playoff because of the national TV broadcasts and the fact the most marketable teams make the playoff. However, this will lead to less interest from fans as college football becomes more predictable and it becomes Bama vs. Clemson vs. the rest of the pack. I hope we will see a new face of the game next season but don't hold your breath. Instead, watch in the glory of Bama's victory. Don't worry, Ohio State, you'll be back here again, probably with a trophy to take back to Columbus.