Mescalero
Well-Known Member
I'm surprised no one has posted about this news. I've long been a 4 teams is enough guy, but have to admit I kind of like this idea. Man, right now the only argument is over #4 vs #5 or some years #1 vs #2, but this expansion will also expand the areas to argue over. #4 vs #5 is still important, as that decides who gets a bye. Next, of course #12 vs #13 (Alabama in 2019) becomes the last seven seasons' #4 vs #5. And then, the rankings of 5-8 vs 9-12 for who gets to host the first round game. I love that element of it. Go back over the prior seven seasons and see who finished #5-#12 in the final CFP Committee rankings and there would have been some awesome inter-regional games. Oh the dreams of Big Ten fans will finally come true to see Auburn or Florida have to play in Wisconsin or Michigan in December! (Only to probably see heartbreak, as a similar outcome occurs as when the Miami Marlins played the Cleveland Indians in the 1997 World Series, with the Marlins winning in extra innings and in the snow in October in Cleveland.)
Let's get this out of the way now. If the CFP had started with 12 teams and this set-up in 2014, only one school would have been in all seven such CFPS since then. Yes, THE Ohio State University! Of course. Alabama, Clemson, and Oklahoma would be next at six appearances (Clemson missing in the inaugural and Alabama in 2019, see above). Oklahoma would also have made the CFP six times during that span if it was 12 teams. With that said, not much else would have changed.
Georgia and Penn State are next and would have been in the CFP four out of the last seven seasons. ND, Florida, Wisconsin, and Washington had three finishes in the CFP top 12. That's 10 of the 12, and then the G5 flavor of the year - UCF (2x 2017, 2018), Cincy and Coastal in 2020. Only nine other schools have made the CFP final 12 two times since 2014: Auburn, Baylor, Oregon, LSU, Michigan, USC, Ole Miss, TCU, Michigan State. Another 14 made it once. Who cares who are those schools.
I think there will be an "upset" here and there in R1, but after that I think it basically goes chalk and the usual suspects are there for the Final Four.
Let's get this out of the way now. If the CFP had started with 12 teams and this set-up in 2014, only one school would have been in all seven such CFPS since then. Yes, THE Ohio State University! Of course. Alabama, Clemson, and Oklahoma would be next at six appearances (Clemson missing in the inaugural and Alabama in 2019, see above). Oklahoma would also have made the CFP six times during that span if it was 12 teams. With that said, not much else would have changed.
Georgia and Penn State are next and would have been in the CFP four out of the last seven seasons. ND, Florida, Wisconsin, and Washington had three finishes in the CFP top 12. That's 10 of the 12, and then the G5 flavor of the year - UCF (2x 2017, 2018), Cincy and Coastal in 2020. Only nine other schools have made the CFP final 12 two times since 2014: Auburn, Baylor, Oregon, LSU, Michigan, USC, Ole Miss, TCU, Michigan State. Another 14 made it once. Who cares who are those schools.
I think there will be an "upset" here and there in R1, but after that I think it basically goes chalk and the usual suspects are there for the Final Four.
