In 2023, the College Football Playoff announced that they would be changing their 4 team playoff format to a revolutionary 12 team playoff. The 4 team playoff was introduced in 2014 which was a big shift from the previous 2 team BCS championship game. The 4 team playoff was designed to give different teams who usually would not have had a chance to play for a national championship to potentially bring a championship trophy back to their college. However, based on fan complaints and a desperate need for a change of scenery, the 12 team playoff was in full swing by the 2024-2025 collegiate season.
Previously, the 4 team playoff saw teams such as Alabama, Clemson, and Georgia dominate the landscape while other teams who were just as deserving to make the playoffs were left in the dust and watching the playoff action from their couches. Because of the one sided domination from the SEC, the playoff committee decided to take action and introduce the 12 team playoff. The 12 team playoff was different then any other college football playoff because it allowed teams outside of the power 4 conferences (SEC, Big 10, Big 12, and ACC) to experience the playoff atmosphere.
“The four highest-ranked teams will receive a bye in the first round of the playoffs. This means that making the top four still means something. College football fans love to argue, and this just adds another topic to debate over. Like I said earlier, it’s inevitable, not everyone can be happy. How big of an advantage is the bye? That’s yet to be determined. However, you can bet there will be plenty of fans upset over which teams were granted a bye and which ones were not” (Roll Tide Wire).
Unlike the other 4 team playoffs, the most deserving team was destined to win. The winner of the first 12 team college football playoff was Ohio State. Led by Jeremiah Smith, Will Howard, and Coach Ryan Day, the Buckeye offense was simply overpowered and helped propel the Ohio State team to its first championship since 2015.
“There [were some] minor issues that need to be addressed or tweaked, but the overall format change has been a net positive for the sport. More teams were in Playoff contention throughout the final month of the season than ever before, which meant more meaningful games played each Saturday down the stretch. College football still got its usual, spirited debate about which teams should get the final spots in the bracket. And there were 11 CFP games instead of three at the end of the season — with four of those games played in electric campus environments” (NBC News).
The top 4 conference champions would obtain the top 4 seeds and gain a first round bye while the other 8 remaining teams would play each other to have the ability to make the quarter final round of the playoffs. Another new aspect that the playoffs brought to the mix was that for the first time ever, there were home playoff games. This meant that 4 college campuses played host to the first round of the playoffs. Texas hosted Clemson, Notre Dame hosted Indiana, Penn State hosted SMU, and Ohio State hosted Tennessee. The 12 team playoffs brought a much needed sense of newness to the playoff, but there were some downsides to the updated playoff format.
There was a lack of competitiveness in the first round of the playoffs, but that was to be expected. It was the first year of a brand new format and things were not destined to go 100 percent right in the inaugural year. It brought fans of college football closer together and provided them with an unforgettable experience to cap off an electric 2024 season.
