The 2024 college football season has been surrounded by controversy, particularly regarding the new College Football Playoff (CFP) ranking system and the team performance tracker following the top 12 expansion. CFP committee chairman Warde Manuel, who is also the athletic director of the University of Michigan, has been outspoken about the changes. When fans expressed frustration over Alabama receiving a vote of confidence instead of Miami and SMU, Manuel attributed it to Alabama’s “weaker body of work.” However, after Alabama was excluded from the bracket the following week, he explained that SMU, remaining undefeated in their conference, was a better fit. Manuel’s response highlights the fluid nature of the ranking system and how it could evolve further.
The top 12 expansion has created a chaotic environment for athletes, coaches, and fans. Fox analyst Joel Clatt has criticized the system, stating that he doesn’t understand how the top 12 rankings are determined. He raised concerns about teams like Indiana and BYU rising in the rankings despite having poor matchups, which he believes makes the rankings unstable and unpredictable. The fear is that lower-ranked teams could quickly rise, while higher-ranked teams might fall unexpectedly, adding uncertainty to the system.
While the top four format is not coming back, there is speculation that the top 12 could eventually expand to 16 or even 32 teams. Manuel, speaking on the Rich Eisen Show, mentioned that college football commissioners should discuss further expansion after the current season’s outcome to determine the best path forward.
This year, the six highest-ranked conference champions are guaranteed automatic bids to the playoffs, while the next six highest-ranked teams will also secure spots in the CFP. The top four ranked teams will earn first-round byes, with games held either at the home field of the higher-ranked team or at a venue of their choosing.
The quarterfinals will take place at four New Year’s bowl games, and those who advance will compete in the semifinals, ultimately battling for the national championship. While the process may seem straightforward, it involves multiple layers of complexity. However, the CFP chair is optimistic about the system’s benefits, emphasizing that it offers playoff opportunities to more teams than ever before. This expanded format provides significant motivation for teams to strive for success.
The Michigan AD explained, I’ve enjoyed hearing the excitement about the playoff and people having the potential to make the playoff more than just the top four, and so for m,e having been on the committee for the last, you know, two years prior to this to see the excitement of a 12 team playoff to see how the season end in everybody’s eyes on the ACC outcome and the Big 10 outcome. What happened in the Big 12 games was that they were way more intriguing to people because of the college playoff than just another championship game for those teams. So, I think it really is an exciting time.”
However, regardless of all the debates, Oregon and Dan Lanning stand on the victim’s side as a brutal effect of the top 12 complications.
Oregon deals with the ‘tougher’ side of the new top 12 system
The Oregon Ducks maintained their No. 1 tag right from the beginning. Every team had their lulls, showcasing a huge fluctuation in their position. But Oregon remains an exception. They took care of their business every single game no matter who the opponent was, ranked or unranked. In the latest College Football Playoff rankings, they clinched a first-round bye after a Big Ten Championship win over Penn State Nittany Lions. But it seemed more of a curse than a blessing.
They eventually are paying the price of being the best. Lanning and his boys got one of the toughest paths to the national championship compared to any other team in the playoff.
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