Ohio State and Ryan Day ran roughshod through the first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff. Still, that doesn’t mean Day thinks the system is flawless.
After a shocking season-ending loss to Michigan ruined their chance of winning the Big Ten, Ohio State was seeded eighth in the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes blew out Tennessee at home in the first round before beating top-seeded Oregon in the quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl. Ohio State later beat Texas and Notre Dame to win the national title.
If it were up to Day, the Buckeyes’ path to a championship would have looked a little different. During an appearance on “The Triple Option” podcast with Urban Meyer, Rob Stone and Mark Ingram, Day became the latest prominent college football voice to advocate for changing the playoff seeding system.
Like the others who have weighed in, Day doesn’t think the four first-round byes should automatically go to the four highest-ranked conference champs.
“I think it was clear this year that the automatic byes were a little out of whack,” Day said. “When you see how it all shook out, I think they need to rethink that. I understand why, in the first year, it was done that way. I think that if you win your conference, sure, you should get in. But you get a bye? I think that’s a little much.”
Day wants the committee’s four highest-ranked teams to receive byes, regardless of whether they win their conference or not. If that change went into effect, Oregon and Georgia would have still received byes, but Arizona State and Boise State would not have.
Instead, Penn State and Texas would have earned automatic trips to the quarterfinals. Removing the conference title prerequisite for first-round byes could also mean Notre Dame would now have the chance to earn a top-4 seed down the road.
We’ll have to wait and see if this change is ever implemented though. ESPN’s Pete Thamel said last month he was not anticipating any major alterations to the CFP structure for 2025.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen Rece and here’s the reason why. Unanimous approval could cost the others outside the Big Ten and SEC some money and I don’t think they’re going to risk that,” Thamel said on the “College GameDay” podcast.
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