Ohio State Football: 4th and Short, top player, Maryland game and more

Q: Someone’s obviously going to get snubbed for the playoff, undeservedly so. The current contract for the 4-team playoff is until 2026. Do you…

• See them buying out the current contract to go to 8 teams?
• How bad is it that it’s only 4 teams, leaving out teams that really ought to be in?

A: For the past two years, my stance on the playoff expansion has been on the affirmative. I believe conference championships matter as well as divisional races being tighter than conference races. For example, the Big Ten East and SEC West fit the bill precisely and should be the sole reason the playoff should expand to eight teams.

What happens on a year, much like in 2016, when Ohio State and Michigan are both ranked very highly but only one can make the playoff while both are deserving and could beat a fellow playoff team?

The same principle applies to Alabama and Auburn. Aside from Clemson, the best teams in college football recently have hailed from either the Big Ten East or SEC West. the winners of those divisions, barring chaos, typically wins the conference and should receive an automatic berth into the playoff.

I have also said that if Notre Dame was to make the playoff and “snub” a deserving conference champion, it would add an extra wrinkle to the expansion argument. That is a real possibility this year and I could see heated discussions arising even more so if the Fighting Irish do punch their ticket to the playoff with an undefeated regular season. A buyout could become a real possibility under those circumstances, but I deem it unlikely.

Q: If Notre Dame had lost to Michigan, would they still be in the playoff picture right now?

A: Notre Dame is an FBS-Independent which means they do not have a conference affiliation nor the opportunity to play in a conference championship game should they qualify. That being said, I believe Notre Dame would have to be undefeated to reach the College Football Playoff unless there are extenuating circumstances.

The Fighting Irish would likely be ranked in the 5-8 range, but that would also be their ceiling, in my opinion. Similarly to LSU this year, they are currently ranked seventh, but will not have a shot to make the playoff, hence they have reached their “ceiling.”