This couldn't be timed any better. Weeks before the "playoff expansion committee" meets for the last time to see if the playoffs can be expanded before the 2026 season....we have another rematch. It was an SEC rematch that pushed the buttons to go from the two team BCS to the current 4 team "playoff", a system which now looks like the proverbial camel designed by a committee. Are they the two best teams in the country? Yes. Is it "Must See TV"? Nope. The playoff committees have twisted themselves in knots over what to do about the conference champ game. Sometimes they matter. Sometimes they don't. This year...it's as if the SEC champ game was never played. For a sport with 65 P5 teams and only 12 regular season games, it's quite an accomplishment to make a critical SEC champ game in December somewhat meaningless. Yeah, I know, had Bama lost, they might not have been in the 4 team playoff....but that is not certain.
Every proposed version of a 12 team playoff has an automatic bid for 6 conference winners and then 6 at large teams. It's going to get interesting. If the game next week is a ratings disaster, one wonders if it will encourage faster movement on the expansion front.
Purists will say that the rematch is required because they are the two best teams. Fair enough. The ratings will be the ultimate decider.
Every proposed version of a 12 team playoff has an automatic bid for 6 conference winners and then 6 at large teams. It's going to get interesting. If the game next week is a ratings disaster, one wonders if it will encourage faster movement on the expansion front.
Purists will say that the rematch is required because they are the two best teams. Fair enough. The ratings will be the ultimate decider.
