CFB Playoff Expansion Fun: Which Model Is Best For The SEC?

Sweet 16. Unless you have been living under a rock for the last week, you probably have heard the conversation. No, we are not talking about Greg Sankey ruining college football. We will save that for ACC and Big 12 fans. Instead, we know that the College Football Playoff is expanding to 16 teams. When you ask? Probably in 2026? The format of what that is going to look like is still in flux. Sankey and the SEC coaches and administrators had plenty of ideas, some of which were even pretty good. Let’s take a quick look at the projected CFB Playoff expansion models and what they would have looked like using the 2024 final rankings. We will then give our evaluation of the format.

Out With the Old: 2024 CFB Playoff Bracket

In 2024, the College Football Playoff (CFP) expanded to a 12-team format, including the five highest-ranked conference champions who received automatic bids. The top four teams were seeded 1-4 and received first-round byes. The remaining seven teams, selected by the CFP selection committee, filled out the bracket. Teams seeded 5-12 played each other in the first round, with the higher seed hosting. Here is what the bracket looked like this year.

Conference Champions

• SEC: Georgia Bulldogs
• B1G: Oregon Ducks
• ACC: Clemson Tigers
• Big 12: Arizona State Sun Devils
• Mountain West (At-Large): Boise State Broncos

2024 College Football Playoff Matchups: 

CFB Playoff Expansion Fun: Which Model Is Best For The SEC?

Joey Freshwater’s Brightest and Best 16

Lane Kiffin’s proposal for a 16-team College Football Playoff (CFP) is straightforward: select the 16 best teams in the nation, regardless of conference championships or automatic bids. Here is what the first round games would look like under the model. 

• No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 16 Clemson
• No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 15 South Carolina
• No. 3 Texas vs. No. 14 Ole Miss
• No. 4 Penn State vs. No. 13 Miami (Fl.)
• No. 5 Notre Dame vs. No. 12 Arizona State
• No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Alabama
• No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 10 SMU
• No. 8 Indiana vs. No. 9 Boise State

Verdict: 💤

Keep dreaming. In theory, Kiffin’s model makes sense. Those games would be a surefire hit and surely bring in big television viewer numbers. The challenge is if you have a Power 4 or a Group of 5 team that is outside the Top 16. Clemson was borderline Top 16 last year, and what if Boise was just average? Sure, it is fun to say “kick rocks and just win,” but let’s be honest, Ole Miss, Alabama, and South Carolina didn’t like that logic as they were left on the outside looking in.

I Need a Calculator: 4+4+2+2+1+3 

The proposed “4+4+2+2+1+3” format for the College Football Playoff (CFP) outlines a 16-team structure with automatic qualifiers and at-large bids. Under this model, the SEC and Big Ten would each receive four automatic bids, the ACC and Big 12 would get two apiece, and one spot would go to the highest-ranked Group of Five conference champion. The remaining three slots would be filled with at-large teams selected by the CFP committee. Here is what we think that might have looked like.

Automatic Qualifiers:

• SEC (4 teams): Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, Ole Miss

• Big Ten (4 teams): Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State, Indiana

• ACC (2 teams): Clemson, Miami

• Big 12 (2 teams): Arizona State, BYU

• Group of Five (1 team): Boise State

• At-large: Notre Dame, Alabama, and South Carolina

Vedict: 💩

Your playoff should not be confusing. This CFB Playoff expansion model is just too complicated, and to be honest, it stinks.  There are way too many numbers in this one. Also, there is talk about a double bye for top teams. We don’t want to know what that looks like or care to try to break it down. This is a model that Sankey discussed this week, which caught the attention of some SEC administrators. Guaranteed spots could open up conversations about the SEC finally adopting a 9-game conference schedule and a possible scheduling alliance (still don’t like this word) with the Big Ten. Playoff spots should be earned, not given (thank you, Pat Riley).  Conference champions are one thing, but being the 4th best team in the conference guarantees you a spot? No thanks. That’s a hard pass.

Give Us (Alabama and Ole Miss) More At Large Teams: 5+11 Model

The proposed “5+11” model for a 16-team College Football Playoff (CFP) keeps things structured: five automatic bids go to the top conference champions, and at-large teams fill the other 11 spots. Here’s how it would shake out.

• No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 16 Clemson
• No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 15 South Carolina
• No. 3 Texas vs. No. 14 Ole Miss
• No. 4 Penn State vs. No. 13 Miami (Fl.)
• No. 5 Notre Dame vs. No. 12 Arizona State 
• No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Alabama
• No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 10 SMU
• No. 8 Indiana vs. No. 9 Boise State

Okay, we’re going to a 16-team playoff. Save the “there aren’t 16 worthy teams.” 16 teams provide more inventory for TBS, TNT, or the CW to televise more games. In addition, it provides more teams with an opportunity to compete (if it is more theoretical than based on reality). This 5+11 model is simple and easy to understand. It gives the little guys (ACC, Big 12, and everyone else) at least one spot for their conference champion. The rest of the spots are earned. This is a CFB Playoff expansion model we should all get behind. Now, if we can only get the home games through the championship game. A writer can dream…

Main Image: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images