With the completion of the 2021 College Football Season in the books; minus two regular season games left and the conference championship games, there has been open discussion on the possibility of expansion for the college football playoff. The current format is a four-team format, which is a bifurcated system. The current system offers limited access for “brand name only” FBS programs from prestigious conferences called Power 5 Conferences. This also Includes Notre Dame as one of the 66 FBS programs who possesses a more strategic advantage to compete for the $50 Million dollars at stake, the Gold trophy and the right to be called “National Champion”
There is published research that supports that an expanded college football playoff format can be implemented. That playoff format is a 16-team playoff format which allows all 130 FBS football programs; equal, fair and just opportunity to compete for what is on the table. The current discussions involves the college Presidents, Conference Commissioners, Athletic Directors from the 130 FBS programs; plus the CFP executive committee. This excludes the main stream sports media and those college football fans who think they have a better idea or thought on how to expand the college football playoff.
Since 2007, I have examined, researched, published and protected my findings on how college football at the FBS level can expand their playoffs to allow more FBS teams to compete, not just by brand name. I did not come up with a thought to claim that anyone who puts a 16-team playoff together is copyright infringement. Or any other expanded playoff format together; such as a 8-team, 12-team or 14-team playoff format. I put my thoughts on paper, examined multiple variables at many levels associated with expanding the college football playoff, examined data points, numerical analysis and read peer reviewed research with published books that are topic related to college football, athletic administration, sports management.
The objective was to improve a bias, unfair, bifurcated playoff system that did not allow all FBS programs to compete for the National Championship in College Football at the FBS level. With that said; I thought about the topic of expansion. I believed that I could offer an alternative solution to a complex problem in my field of study. With experience in research design from my Master’s Degree program in Athletic Administration, Sports Management, Kinesiology and Sports Studies; allowed me to believe that my findings in a exhaustive, historical, qualitative and quantitative review of numerical data of college football since 1996 to the present. That my research would prove that a 16-team playoff format can exist, be implemented and ensure that all FBS programs in college football can earn the opportunity to compete in a playoff format.
Since 2013, I have been publishing my CFB Field of 16 with criterion based selection by using my research. I believe and can prove that the 16-team selection evaluative process that I created, offers a better playoff experience for FBS college football and the 37+ Million college football fans. Below, is how I would select and seed the 16-team playoffs for college football for the 2021 FBS season, starting the FIRST weekend of December:
First ROUND: Per Published, copyrighted material from my book. ALL First round games will be played at Higher Seeds (#1 through #8) Stadiums.
#1 Georgia (12-0) hosts #16 Michigan State (10-2)
#8 Alabama (11-1) hosts #9 San Diego State (11-1)
#5 Oklahoma State (11-1) hosts #12 Iowa (10-2)
#4 Michigan (11-1) hosts #13 Baylor (10-2)
#3 Notre Dame (11-1) hosts #14 Wake Forest (10-2)
#6 Louisiana Lafayette (11-1) hosts #11 Ohio State (10-2)
#7 Texas San Antonio (11-1) hosts #10 Houston
#2 Cincinnati (12-0) hosts #15 Appalachian State (10-2)
SECOND ROUND: Per Published, copyrighted material from my book on the Bowl Season Opening Weekend
#1 & 16 Winner plays #8 & #9 Winner at the New Orleans Bowl
#5 & #12 Winner plays #4 & #13 Winner at the Boca Raton Bowl
#3 & #14 Winner plays #6 & #11 Winner at the Los Angeles Bowl
#7 & #10 Winner plays #2 & #15 Winner at the Independence Bowl
THIRD ROUND: Per Published, copyrighted material from my book and APA/MLA cited materials from the current CFP format.
Winner From New Orleans Bowl plays the Winner of the Boca Raton Bowl at the Orange Bowl on New Years Eve.
Winner of the Los Angeles Bowl plays the winner the Independence Bowl at the Cotton Bowl on New Years Eve.
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME : Per Published, copyrighted material from my book and APA/MLA cited materials from the current CFP format.
When solving a problem in athletics; such as this, you need to have the ability to be a visionary for change for the better. I was able to think, believe, know and prove through research that an expanded playoff format is more than possible. My research and findings are published in a book titled “College Football In The BCS Era The Untold Truth Facts Evidence and Solution” (Siggelow, 2013 & 2016). The research is written with 18 systematically designed flowing chapters; to address and solve the problem. I used and read 30+ peer reviewed journal articles topic specific to the chapters and variables examined. In addition to peer reviewed journal articles; I read and used 15+ published books topic specific to athletic administration and sports management. This also includes published books written by sports media personalities who also have investigated this topic. Through the research process, I also examined 25,000-plus quantifiable and qualitative data points from published college football data to develop a criterion based analysis. I also used lyrics by world re-known musicians and artists to make a connection between what I researched, to what I authored.
To draw a conclusion, I just did not come up with a simplistic thought on how to expand the college football playoff. I investigated the problem and developed a significantly improved and well developed solution through research. Research I protect from those who possess the same idea but failed to investigate the way I did. I can support my arguments against those media members and administrators who think they have the problems solved. However, I have solved the problem. We as a collective group of administrators, media members and knowledgeable academics and experienced in the subject matter, need to work cohesively together on the expansion of the college football playoff. To offer a better playoff format than what we have with no vested interest and no bias. Its all about offering a better conclusion to a NCAA sport, that is the only sport that I know of, that does not determine a national champion in an expanded playoff format.