College Football Playoff redesign could come soon, including supercharged Championship Saturday with play-ins

For some, a reconsideration of the College Football Playoff can’t come fast enough. Days after the announcement of the first CFP 12-team field there is already meaningful movement in changing the structure and format for 2026 sources told CBS Sports. 

On the table is the continued sensitive subject of automatic qualifiers going forward. The question is how to implement such a structure seemingly preferred by the SEC and Big Ten. 

One format being discussed is so-called play-in games during the regular season that would decide at least some of those automatic qualifiers on the field. 

The championship Saturday could be enhanced by not only the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds meeting for the league title but teams below those two playing for automatic berths. 

Think of the top six teams – at least — being involved in a massive championship Saturday three-game play-in. Using this season’s Big Ten and SEC standings this is how it would look.

Big Ten

No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 2 Penn State.

No. 6 Iowa vs. No. 3 Indiana

No. 5 Illinois vs. No. 4 Ohio State

SEC

No. 1 Texas vs. No. 2 Georgia

No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Tennessee

No. 5 LSU vs. No. 4 Alabama 

The three winners would advance to the CFP. It is not known if or how a fourth automatic qualifier would be added. That fourth team could come from an additional play-in game or merely including the championship game loser. 

“I heard rumors of it. I haven’t studied it,” CFP executive director Rich Clark told CBS Sports Tuesday. “Ultimately that’s a Big Ten [and SEC] decision on how they play within their conference and a commissioner decision on how we look at that in regard to the playoff.” 

Earlier this year, the Big Ten proposed a 14-team playoff with three automatic qualifiers each for the SEC and…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-playoff-redesign-could-come-soon-including-supercharged-championship-saturday-with-play-ins/

Author : Dennis Dodd

Publish date : 2024-12-10 21:24:00

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