With the latest CFP rankings being released on Tuesday, it is further proof that we need expansion to happen sooner rather than later.
On Tuesday night the latest College Football Playoff rankings were revealed, just as they were the last three weeks beforehand. With the latest results of the games played over the weekend and how the rankings fell, it was just further proof that they are in need of expansion.
When you break down the top four teams, it is hard to argue with any one of them. Alabama Crimson Tide, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Clemson Tigers, and the Ohio State Buckeyes have a combined one loss between them. That just so happened to come when Notre Dame and Clemson faced off earlier in the season. One could make an argument that the Buckeyes didn’t play enough games but they are in the top four.
The next four involve a Texas A&M Aggies team that has one loss and that came at the hands of Alabama. Then a two-loss Iowa State Cyclones team. That is a head-scratcher. They lost to Oklahoma State, who was undefeated at the time six weeks ago before going on a five-game winning streak. Circle back to the beginning of the year, they lost a dreadful game to Louisiana-Lafeyette 31-14 to begin the season. Is their resume worthy of No. 6?
The same argument can be made for the Florida Gators. Their first loss of the season came by three points to the No. 5 Aggies, but their last loss over the weekend to Lousiana State should have dropped them by more than one spot. The Tigers had won just three games this year going into the game, in their five losses, LSU has been beaten by 102 combined points this year. They have dealt with COVID-19 issues, top players opting out, and started a true freshman in his first game. The Gators had no business losing that game to LSU.
Then we have the No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs. Another two-loss team in the top eight of the latest CFP rankings. They lost to the No. 2 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, who are undefeated this year. The Dawgs lost by 17 in that game, then lost to the No. 8 Florida Gators by 16. While those aren’t terrible losses, they did struggle against Kentucky and Mississippi State. They won those games but is their resume worthy of No. 8? Possibly.
The first Group of Five school to join the rankings comes with the Cincinnati Bearcats at No. 9. Luke Fickell has his team sitting at 8-0 and facing a top 20 team in Tulsa for the conference title game. They already have two top 25 victories on their resume (Southern Methodist and Army), winning on Saturday and they will have a third. Should they be higher than they are seeded?
The top 12 rounds out with a two-loss Oklahoma Sooners team ahead of a one-loss Indiana squad, whose only defeat came at the hands of Ohio State by one score. Followed by another Group of Five school in Coastal Carolina, which is also undefeated. They also just beat another playoff hopeful in Brigham Young.
If there was ever a year that the playoffs need to be expanded, it was in 2020. Coastal Carolina and Cincinnati are the two undefeated schools on the outside looking in, while you can make a statement that the top four deserve their spots, for a true championship it should be expanded.
Too late for that to happen this year with Selection Sunday arriving in a few days but this should be a topic going into 2021.
*ESPN published an article detailing what the expanded playoff would look like and the Longhorns would play North Carolina in their matchup.
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So just how many teams would you add for a true playoff? Eight should be the starting point and 16 would make it interesting.
