Do conference title games still matter? Expanded playoff already diminishing worth of extra data point

ATLANTA — The value of a conference championship has diminished before our eyes. Like it or not, they just don’t matter as much. 

Monday’s Notre Dame-Ohio State College Football Playoff National Championship was long ago guaranteed to produce only the fourth ever national champion that did not win its conference in the championship game era. 

That history goes back to 1998, when the BCS first decided the championship on the field. Since then, Alabama (2011, 2017) and Georgia (2021) did not win the SEC title game but won the national championship. In both 2011 and 2017 the Crimson Tide didn’t even play in the SEC title game.

Eight times in 26 years (BCS/CFP), at least one team that didn’t win its conference played for the national championship. Perhaps most infamously, Nebraska in 2001 lost by 26 at Colorado in the last regular-season game, didn’t qualify for the Big 12 title game and still got to play Miami for a national championship. (Pre-1998 Notre Dame, Miami, Army, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Penn State won championships as independents.)

We knew with the expanded playoff this season, the likelihood of a conference runner-up (or worse) winning it all would increase. It had already been determined that in 2024 and 2025, there are five guaranteed CFP spots (all conference champions) and seven at-large teams. Beginning in 2026 almost everything regarding the CFP is up for reconsideration. 

For now, simple math screams that what happens Monday night might become the norm. We knew 15 days ago a conference champion would not win the 2024 national championship. Knocked out in order over a three-day period (Dec. 31-Jan. 2) was Mountain West champion Boise State, Big 12 champion Arizona State, Big Ten champion Oregon and SEC champion…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/do-conference-title-games-still-matter-expanded-playoff-already-diminishing-worth-of-extra-data-point/

Author : Dennis Dodd

Publish date : 2025-01-17 15:50:00

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