I was very happy when the NCAA dumped the BCS and went to a playoff to decide the national champion. However, four teams are not enough. What I don't like is a team like Middle Tennessee State could have the quality of a SEC team one year, go undefeated, and not have a chance at the national championship, even if it is the best team that particular year, because it plays in a weak conference. If I was king of sports, the college football national championship would be a 12-team playoff. The ten conference champions would qualify plus two wildcards. The bowl system would be used like NIT is in basketball, as a reward for teams with a good season, but who did not qualify for the main tournament. For those who say 12 teams is too many, every other division in the NCAA or NAIA uses at least a 16-team playoff, including Division III that has a 32-team playoff.
In my vision, a committee would seed the teams from 1-16. The top 4 would be granted a bye in the first round. A wildcard would not be allowed to have a top-4 seed, unless it has a top 4 record, regardless of the strength of the other conferences.
This would be my bracket after week 6. Unless a head-to-head matchup has actually occured, I used point differential to break a tie. At this point, it is just a model. Things will happen the way they are supposed to be at the end of the season. (Update 11/5 Now that the college football playoff rankings are now out, if two teams are tied and have not had the opportunity to play each other, yet, the higher ranked team will be considered "the conference leader". Also, the record for Toledo is reflected before the week began, which is when I would have updated the project if I had time).
*=Wildcard
(1) Clemson (8-0 ACC, 13-0) would have a bye
(9) Western Kentucky (8-0 CUSA, 11-2) @ (8) Houston (7-1 AAC, 12-1)
(12) Arkansas St. (8-0 SBC, 10-3) @ (5) Iowa (8-0 Big 10, 12-1)*
(4) Oklahoma (8-1 Big 12, 11-1) would have a bye
(11) Bowling Green (7-1 MAC, 10-3) @ (6) Stanford (8-1 PAC-12, 11-2)
(3) Michigan St. (7-1 BIg 10, 12-1) would have a bye
(10) San Diego St. (8-0 MWC, 10-3) @ (7) Ohio St. (7-1 Big 10, 11-1)*
(2) Alabama (7-1 SEC, 12-1) would have a bye)
First two teams out: Notre Dame (10-2), Florida St. (10-2)
Is this idea a perfect way to decide the national champion? No, unless there was a way every team could play each other, there will be no perfect way to determine a champion. Someone will always have a gripe. I think this way has less of a chance to be open to bias, and it gives everyone a fair chance at the beginning of the season to win a championship.
NIT BOWL GAMES
Peach Bowl
Notre Dame vs. Florida St.
Fiesta Bowl
TCU vs. North Carolina
Sugar Bowl
Oklahoma St. vs. Florida
Rose Bowl
Northwestern vs. USC
Citrus Bowl
Michigan vs. Mississippi
Orange Bowl
Pittsburgh vs. Georgia
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