An ode to the College Football Playoff, the postseason system we always needed
Picking four teams instead of two. Still not enough, right?
Wrong.
We were all guilty of questioning aloud whether the new postseason format would make any difference, whether the right number of teams were involved, whether we'd ever have a true, unquestioned champion.
Well, the early poll results are in: the system works.
Certainly the majority of the credit belongs to the kids on the field in what has been a terrific start to the season. But the new playoff format has added importance to games by keeping more teams in the national title picture, while still ensuring the elite of the elite are the ones in contention.
That's all we could ever ask for.
Now, none of this is to say there aren't flaws to the new system. We haven't even gone through the selection process yet, though we should have a clearer picture of what to expect when the College Football Playoff selection committee releases its first weekly top 25 national rankings Tuesday.
Some have already begun to wonder whether an unworthy program will find its way into the four-team playoff. As things stand entering Saturday, there can only be a maximum of two undefeated teams from Power 5 conferences. That would mean a mess of one-loss teams for the committee to sort through.
Then there's the issue of the SEC – specifically the SEC West, which is loaded at the moment – holding four of the top five spots in the Week 9 AP poll.
If the SEC teams are to beat up on one another to the point that there is a two-loss SEC champion, could the conference be left out of the playoff altogether?
Or could the reverse be true? Could a second, or even a third SEC program be selected in favor of a champion from another conference?
These questions and many more keep college football folk awake at night, but for now, all we can do now is enjoy what the system has given us.
The showcase game for the new system came Saturday night in Tallahassee, where second-seeded Florida State took on No. 5 Notre Dame in the weekend's marquee matchup.
Past editions of such a game would have had a more stressful feel to them. With few other signature games on each team's schedule, the contest would have effectively all but eliminated the loser from title contention.
Instead, Saturday night's game was a résumé-builder, a chance to make a case for inclusion in the playoff. A chance to prove worth.
With a win, Florida State moved one step closer to defending its national title. The loser, Notre Dame, took a hit, but is still very much in the hunt.
And that's the new system in a nutshell: games mean more without meaning everything.
The playoff that we begged for is still months away, but it is already creating a positive impact on the games today.
That's all we could ever ask for.