College Football Playoff Controversy: Time for Big Ten Commissioner to Explain his Radical Proposal

[NJDuck]

 

Posted by Jon Joseph:

 

Below is my response to an article by Jon Wilner of the Wilner Hotline,  I’m disagreeing with only one side of the 11-5 format being told and making the B1G the Playoff format bad guy.

 

Every CFB metric, including the number of folks tuning in, supports the B1G and the SEC having at least 4 teams each in the PO field. Viewers equal dollars at a time when CFB desperately needs dollars. 

 

Why trust a committee that had Boise State ranked as the ninth-best team in the country? Would Boise have defeated the 3-loss Illinois, Bama, Ole Miss, and South Carolina teams? Compared to these four teams, Boise had a weak strength-of-schedule. There was no explanation from the committee as to why Boise's SOS was ignored. 

 

Since the inception of One True Champion, the BCS, no team without a Blue Chip Roster has won a title. The B12 has no Blue Chip teams. The ACC has two Blue Chip teams, Clemson and Miami, and sometimes a third in FSU. 

 

The ACC, in particular, with eight conference games, and the B12 do not have an in-conference strength of schedule close to the SEC and the B1G. The CBB committee, with its disclosed and followed metrics, would publicly deal with this. The football committee decides its rankings sub rosa. 

 

If the ACC wants 3 teams in, stop enabling Notre Dame's independence. And play 9 conference games. Many 9 conference game B1G teams plan 10 P4 games, so don't try to justify 8 conference games because Louisville plays Kentucky, or because you're propping up Notre Dame.

 

The B1G has indicated that it would consider the 5-11 format IF the SEC plays 9 conference games. An entirely reasonable request, no?

 

If you believe Sankey and the SEC ADs weren't aware that the SEC would have had 6 teams in a 16-team 2024-25 PO field before being so informed by SEC coaches in Destin, Florida, don't get hurt falling off the pumpkin wagon. The Advisory Committee was a phony detente move by Sankey, who will be hailed as a hero if he goes 11-5, notwithstanding staying at 8 conference games. 

 

Sports journalists can't see through Sankey's ploy? They need Petitti to speak up and tear down the SEC's newfound interest in 11-5? So much for impartial journalism. 

 

And Jon, to the best of my knowledge, the NFL does not invite UFL teams to its PO. Add Notre Dame, Clemson, ASU, CU, FSU, and perhaps a couple of others to the Power 2, and what program outside of this group could win a PO? This is not CBB, where mid-majors can make tournament noise and win four games in a row on the way to a CFB title. 

 

The ACC and the B12 readily accepted media money. The media marketplace has decided on two winners, the SEC and the B1G. Harsh, but thus goes capitalism.

 

From the B1G's POV, take a look at the SEC cheerleader, ESPN's FPI top 25. Only 81.25% of the SEC is ranked in the top 25. If I'm Tony Petitti, here's my Exhibit A(uburn.)

 

Thanks for the great coverage of CFB, but as a Ducks fan, I prefer Petitti to follow the advice attributed to Teddy Roosevelt: Speak softly and carry a B1G stick. 

 

I never want to see Tony doing the Sesame Street act Sankey went with in 2023-24 when lobbying for Bama to be in instead of FSU. Sankey won the argument. Tony should roll over for the 11-5 model without the SEC playing a 9th conference game? 

 

I hope you are willing, without supporting the position, to explain what you believe to be the B1G's reasons for four automatic qualifiers.

 

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

 

* Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti remains silent on his controversial playoff proposal.

* The 4-4-2-2-1 model gives Big Ten and SEC four automatic bids.

* Critics demand transparency, comparing Petitti's silence to other commissioners' open discussions.

 

College Football Playoff controversy: Time for Big Ten commissioner to explain his radical proposal

WWW.KSL.COM

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As the College Football Playoff world debates proposed formats for 2026 and beyond, the architect of what many consider the nuclear option has remained deafeningly silent.

 

[Jon Joseph]

 

An example of why the B1G is concerned over 8 vs. 9 SEC conference games.

 

 

Alabama has a few extra bye weeks on its 2025 schedule with these 3 cupcakes

BAMAHAMMER.COM

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With just an eight-game conference schedule in the SEC, Alabama and the rest of the league has room for a few more cupcake opponents in the race for the CFP.

 

And will the opener at FSU be a test for The Tide? Last year, it was DTU who bombed at QB. 

 

QB Thomas Castellanos was benched by Bill O'Brien at BC and immediately left the team before transferring to FSU. I see SSDD headed FSU's way. 

 

Oh, and BTW, Ole Miss's toughest OOC opponent in 2025 is Wazzu .

 

The above is not emblematic of all SEC programs. Florida plays two P4 teams OOC in 2025, and Georgia played two in 2024. Texas does step up against Ohio State, but it and an Oklahoma team that plays Michigan, both have OOC three weenie-roasts. 

 

Penn State's OOC slate in 2025 is a LOL joke, but PSU does play 9 B1G games. 

 

Based on a small two-season sample size, and notwithstanding the ESPN FPI cheerleading and its own 'It Just Means More breast breast-beating, the B1G was on par with or better than the SEC in 2023 and 2024. 

 

Does it matter? One cannot tell how the CFB PO committee values SOS. Yes, 2-loss champ game loser SMU was in the field and not 3-loss Bama, Ole Miss, and South Carolina. However, with its by far most difficult game being a loss at an Oregon team finding its footing, how in Hades can Boise State's ranking as the 9th best team in CFB be justified?

 

Nothing to see here, move right along.

 

[Mike West]

I had to think about this issue for awhile.

 

Sankey just bamboozled the ACC and Big 12.  They are going to regret going the 5-11 route.  It essentially means the ACC and Big 12 will fill ONE SLOT EVERY YEAR IN THE PLAYOFFS.

 

So basically, Clemson, FSU and Miami are going to start fighting for recruits with schools like USuC, Nebraska, Indiana, the Fuskies and Illinois on a regular basis, because all it will take is any of those teams winning 10 and the ACC is cooked.

 

Reputation doesn't matter anymore.  The ACC is Miami,FSU Clemson and Notre Dame.  Norte Dame gets a free pass with 9 wins, with two against those three.

 

The Big 12 probably wouldn't get two in if both had 11 wins because their SOS is totally weak (and all you have to do is watch them play-you can see the vast difference in talent -mid level SEC teams would storm the Big 12).

 

The winner of course, will be the SEC.  All it will take is teams like Auburn defeating Baylor, and Georgia Tech beating Colorado and the discussion is over.  And the SEC will crow for centuries about the mediocrity in the Lesser Two. 

 

The only thing the lesser Two have going for them is scheduling.  They'll have to start scheduling the P2 regularly.  They'll have to demand it, in fact call out the P2 so they can schedule OOC games regularly.

 

This is going to be interesting.  The SEC knows this is a move to get five minimum every year.  Petitti will have to explain himself because it just might impact the B1G as well. We know for a fact the SEC won't dare schedule the B1G in OOC games if this model goes through.

 

Like I said, plenty of SEC teams will only need to defeat one SEC power to demand their spot.  With an 8 game conference schedule, Vandy, Mississippi State, Kentucky, are gimmie wins for above average SEC teams.  Add bad years for another two or three and you're looking at an easy five win SEC record.  With the four high school teams they play, 9-3 is a playoff berth.

 

That won't be as easy for the middle of the B1G to accomplish.  

 

[Jon Joseph]

 

USA takes a look back at what the PO fields would have been with a 16-team, 5-11 format. 

 

Big winner? Not the SEC, it's The B1G.

 

 

Who benefits from College Football Playoff expansion to 16 teams?

WWW.USATODAY.COM

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If College Football Playoff indeed expands to 16 teams, it will become a more attainable destination for three-loss teams from coast to coast.

 

FWIW, I believe the B1G should go with the 5-11 format, IF the SEC plays 9 conference games. 

[30Duck]

On 6/13/2025 at 12:34 PM, Jon Joseph said:

IF the SEC plays 9 conference games. 

IF Gus Johnson becomes a calming influence

[Jon Joseph]

 

Is Sankey Schizo? Didn't he call out the PO committee last season for counting losses and not quality wins? Now, the 13 experts will certainly 'Get It?'

 

 

Greg Sankey explains why he's in favor of keeping College Football Playoff selection committee over computers - On3

WWW.ON3.COM

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Greg Sankey is in favor of a College Football Playoff selection committee over utilizing computers to figure out who the top teams are.

 

Why not the CBB committee approach of using human beings who rely upon disclosed metrics and explain if they go 'off-metric '?

 

'The SEC wants guaranteed PO spots because we don't trust the committee.' 'Oops, what we really want is our champ in and 11 teams chosen at large.'

 

'We need to play 9 conference games?'  'Oops, considering our conference has a gauntlet like no other, 8 games is just fine.'

 

'Let's have an SEC vs. B1G Football Challenge!' 'Oops, maybe not?'

 

Is he trying to drive Tony Petitti crazy? 

[30Duck]

On 6/16/2025 at 10:48 AM, Jon Joseph said:

 

'The SEC wants guaranteed PO spots because we don't trust the committee.' 'Oops, what we really want is our champ in and 11 teams chosen at large.'

Sankey really thinks that involving other conferences at all just clutter things up. The last two seasons should be vacated due to lack of SEC participation. 

[Jon Joseph]

 

CBS Sports Ideas for 2026-27 PO Format. Good ideas on the whole.

 

There are 136 teams eligible for the PO in 2026-27, not 135. 

 

There is no need for 2 G6 (CFB has a G6 and not a G5) teams in the field. This gives the 1st and 2nd seeds home game gimmes.

 

Last season, No. 1 OBD would have played No. 16 Army. That No. 2 Georgia would have had to play No. 15 Clemson is absurd. Boise State should have been last season's No. 12 seed; Exhibit 'A' on the Committee's process being screwed up.

 

If you want the best teams in the PO, why cap the B1G and the SEC at 4 teams? 

 

I do like 16 teams with no byes and home games until the semi-final and championship games. I'd have the Rose, Sugar, Cotton, and Orange Bowl as PO sites, not the Fiesta and Peach Bowls.

 

I generally agree on the changes to the schedule, but the semifinals should be played on the 1st of January, the 2nd if the 1st falls on a Sunday. The Champ game should be played on a Saturday.

 

If the NFL does not agree to block out an exclusive broadcast window on Champion Saturday, how about no more NFL on-campus Pro Days? And NFL scouts have to buy a ticket to attend CFB games.

 

I love Notre Dame having to play 10 P4 teams. 

 

Getting rid of conference champ games sounds good, but how will the loss of media deal revenue be made up? Play the conference champ games Thanksgiving week on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

 

Use the AP poll before Selection Sunday, with positive and negative outlier votes tossed out. Broadcast the CFB PO committee deliberations and require the committee to use publicly disclosed metrics as part of the process, and explain any variance from the use of a metric. 

 

Don't allow Greg Sankey to be a part of the PO design.

 

 

How to fix the College Football Playoff: Format, schedule changes necessary with expansion on the horizon - CBSSports.com

WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM

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Tom Fornelli's complete guide to ensuring the best college football product as changes loom ahead of the 2026 season

[OregonDucks]

“Oh, and how about this: The playoff would have featured its first four-loss teams. Auburn (2016), Stanford (2017) and Texas (2018) were four-loss teams ranked high enough to crack a 16-team playoff.”

I really hate the direction college football is headed.
 

It’s all about $$$ - rivalries, tradition, the pageantry and fans be damned.  
 

1) Start playing games on Thursdays, Fridays, early and late night. 

 

2) Break up traditional conferences and consolidate regardless of geography and traditional rivalries all for TV money. 
 

3) Allow boosters to pay college athletes an unlimited amount of money  to come to and remain at their schools. 
 

4) Set up a transfer portal to create an unrestricted free agency for every athlete, every year. 
 

5) Expand the playoffs watering down the regular season even more. Now it’ll be like every other professional season. Four-loss teams making the playoff - give me a break. If you lose a quarter of your games, you don’t deserve to go to the playoffs. I’d rather they throw in some mid-majors instead, just to make things interesting.  
 

At this rate, I’ll start to look for other things to occupy my Thursday nights, Friday nights and Saturday from 9am PT to after midnight. 

Edited 13 hours ago by OregonDucks

[30Duck]

On 6/16/2025 at 4:17 PM, OregonDucks said:

I really hate the direction college football is headed.
 

It’s all about $$$ - rivalries, tradition, the pageantry and fans be damned.  

Remember the halcyon days of college football? Sure, we laugh at the Huskies and their split 'ship in '91, but that was a great team, and there were split champs before and after, controversy raged. Good times. The money problem, ignored by the NCAA, of coaches getting big bucks and going wherever and whenever they wanted while the student-athlete couldn't get a job festered until where it is now. The NCAA figured the football player should not get NIL money if the Art major didn't, they're both student/athletes.