Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby discusses potential changes to CFP format on SEC Network’s The Paul Finebaum Show.
soonerswire.usatoday.com
When they get to the part where they need to be fair to all parties and start saying the same teams make the playoff every year I have to start disagreeing with them. It makes me think tgeir idea of fairness will include automatic qualifiers.
One of the things we’ve been considering and looking at is whether the access is right. Are we getting the right teams in and the right numbers?
Well, Oklahoma had no damned business being there in 18 or 19, but whatever.
Is it fair to people that are marginally on the outside looking in?
Let's turn that question around and ask, "Do we want five-loss teams in the playoff?"
The current four-team playoff system has been more functional than previous structures but most years are repetitive with the same programs making an appearance and coming out victorious.
PRE-BCS
ROSE BOWL
1969 - 1980 - Michigan or Ohio State every single year
1966-1986 - UCLA or USC 16 out of 21 years (and most times they didn't was due to probation)
ORANGE BOWL
1976-1998 - Nebraska or Oklahoma all but 4 times - and one of those Nebraska would have gone but the Bowl Alliance was in a different contest. That's 22 of 26 games the same two teams making it.
SUGAR BOWL
1973-1982 Alabama or Georgia all but one time
You had JUST AS MUCH REPETITION prior to the BCS, with the exception of the heavy parity 1980s in the SEC. The only reason you didn't have the same teams facing each other in the bowls year after year was because of bowl game obligation contracts. USC played Ohio State in the Rose Bowl 3 straight years (1972-73-74) and played Michigan twice in 3 years. One more win and it would have been 3 in a row.
BCS ERA
Florida State played in the championship in 1998-1999-2000-2013
Miami played in the championship in 2001-2002 (and folks thought they should have made it in 2000)
Oklahoma played in the championship in 2000-2003-2004-2008
LSU played in the championship game in 2003-2007-2011
Ohio State played in the championship game in 2002-2006-2007 (3 times in 6 years)
USC played in the championship game in 2004-2005 (and folks wanted them in 2003)
Texas played in the championship game in 2005-2009
Florida played in the championship game in 2006-2008 and came within a game in 2009 and 2012
Alabama played in the championship game in 2009-2011-2012
Auburn played in the championship game in 2010-2013 (twice in 4 years)
Every single team that was in the BCS had AT LEAST two appearances in the 16-year history of it except for Tennessee, Nebraska, Oregon, and Notre Dame. Most had either consecutive appearances or three in six years or something like that.
Ohio State was in the BCS title game 3 times in 6 years and in the playoff 3 times in 6 years.
Alabama was in the BCS title game 3 times in 4 years and in the playoff 5 straight years
The reality is that the same teams were always there; you just didn't notice it because they didn't always play each other for the national championship.