How many teams belong in the Playoff?

The college football playoff debate has raged for years: too few teams or too many? Four spots or less left deserving teams on the outside looking in. Twelve spots waters down the regular season. Some clamor for more than twelve, which would just give us more playoff blowouts and make September, October, and November mean a whole lot less. But there’s a number that solves both problems, preserves the urgency of winning every week of the season, and gives every deserving team a shot.

Do you remember the days when two losses dashed your team’s national championship hopes? Even with one loss, you were lucky to be considered for the championship game. Aside from 2007, the infamous year of the upset where 2 loss LSU won the SEC championship and the national championship, every national champion since 1960 has had one loss or less. That is, until 2-loss, conference championshipless Ohio State stormed through the 12 team playoff last year. You could still have a great year and go to a great bowl game with two losses, but you just couldn’t be the national champion. I’d argue that’s the way it should be. With the way it works now, conference play and the regular season are watered down. In any case, it should take a truly special season to be at the top at the end of the year, and there certainly should not be a world where a 3-loss, conference championshipless team is in the discussion for a playoff spot (2024 Alabama, Ole Miss, and South Carolina).

We also want to guarantee that teams that earned a spot in the playoff actually get their spot. There’s no debate in my mind that 2023 Florida State earned the chance to compete for a national championship, but I understand why the committee went with Alabama. I just believe that an undefeated Power 4/5 team should never be left out. The problem there was the number 4, and the solution is the number 8. That’s right, an 8 team playoff is the correct number. Let me lay it out for you.

***DISCLAIMER: This is my system. I am liable to change my mind about this, but it makes the most sense for me right now, and it’s a fun thought exercise.***

The 5 highest ranked conference winners get an automatic bid, so no one can complain about not getting a chance. If you want to be included, win your conference. The 3 at large bids should be seen as a bonus/house money/godsend, not your birthright as a two loss or even one loss team. Under my 8 team playoff, there’s no complaining if you don’t win your conference (or go undefeated if you’re Notre Dame). Also, I do not believe in auto bids getting the highest seed. Last year under this system, Oregon, Georgia, Boise State, Arizona State, and Clemson would be the playoff as conference champions. The 3 at large bids would go to Texas, Penn State, and Notre Dame (* = at large).

• 1 Oregon (13-0 B1G champ) vs. 8 Clemson (10-3 ACC champ)
• 2 Georgia (11-2 SEC champ) vs. 7 Arizona State (11-2 Big 12 champ)
• 3 Texas*(11-2 SEC runner up) vs. 6 Boise St. (12-1 Mountain West champ)
• 4 Penn State*(11-2 B1G runner up) vs. 5 Notre Dame* (11-1 independent)

Sorry Ohio State; if you wanted to be in, you should have beaten Oregon when you saw them in October or at least made your conference championship! Make it so that big time regular season games define your season again. If you want to argue Ohio State would have gotten in over Notre Dame here, that’s fine. Notre Dame shouldn’t lose to Northern Illinois and expect a spot at a national championship either. Again, in my 8 team playoff system, there’s no complaining if you don’t win your conference or, in Notre Dame’s case, lose to a MAC team. A 3-loss Clemson getting in is pretty gross, but they won their conference! Most years it doesn’t work out like that. Let’s look at what 2023 would have been with 8 teams:

• 1 Michigan (13-0 B1G champ) vs. 8 Oregon*(11-2 PAC-12 runner up)
• 2 Washington (13-0 PAC-12 champ)vs. 7 Ohio State*(11-1)
• 3 Texas (12-1 Big 12 champ) vs. 6 Georgia*(12-1 SEC runner up)
• 4 Alabama (12-1 SEC champ) vs. 5 Florida State (13-0 ACC champ)

Look how pretty that is. Florida State gets their fair chance. Conference championships are rewarded while 2-loss bids are limited. Admittedly, this system works a whole lot better without the current mega-conferences and Power 5 instead of Power 4, but that’s a separate issue for a different day; college football in general makes a lot more sense without the mega-conferences. I still think that an 8 team playoff is the best way to include everyone who deserves a shot at the national championship while preserving the significance of regular season games.

Just for fun, let’s look at 2025 as of November 17 AP Poll:

• 1 Ohio State (B1G Champ) vs. 8 James Madison (Sun Belt Champ)
• 2 Indiana* vs. 7 Georgia Tech(ACC champ)
• 3 Texas A&M (SEC champ) vs. 6 Texas Tech (Big 12 champ)
• 4 Georgia* vs. 5 Ole Miss*