An expanded Playoff will provide more competitive football

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To the surprise of probably nobody, the College Football Playoff semifinals weren’t close.

Alabama vs. Cincinnati was exciting for a little more than a quarter and the pregame hype surrounding Michigan vs. Georgia was more entertaining than the actual game.

Only three of the semifinal games in the eight-year history of the playoff format have ever been decided by single digits. The average margin of victory is more than 20 points per game.

Some people will use that statistic to argue that an expansion of the playoff is not necessary. I see it a different way. An eight- or 12-team playoff likely won’t make the semifinals any more competitive. The SEC, particularly Alabama and Georgia, are so much more dominant than everybody else.

But, an expanded format would give us more competitive bowl games.

Imagine if the Utah vs. Ohio State Rose Bowl, which turned out to be a 48-45 shootout on New Year’s Day, was a quarterfinal matchup.

ESPN pundits like Kirk Herbstreit, among others, like to call out players for not playing in their bowl games and, instead, choosing to sit out and prepare for the NFL Draft. There’s too much for some of these players to risk and blaming them for either decision is wrong.

But maybe players are sitting out more often because the games don’t mean as much as they used to with an increased emphasis on the Playoff over everything else. In an era of college football where the Playoff is given so much more value than other bowl games, do you blame them?

The College Football Playoff has taken over the sport. If given a chance to play for a shot at a title, players might be more inclined to play in another game. Michigan State vs. Pittsburgh could have been a really exciting game. But with MSU running back Kenneth Walker and Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett sitting out, it was a clunker.

The same would hold true for coaches. Brian Kelly and Lincoln Riley might not be more worried about their next venture before the bowl game.

Even with a change in format, the best two teams would almost always meet in the final like they do now. This would not change that. But it will give the smaller conferences a fairer shake and a chance to see more competitive football games. That’s what this is all about anyway.

Max Baker can be reached at max@chathamnr.com and @maxbaker_15.