Everyone knows that the College Football Playoff Committee is saying farewell to the four-team playoff format and welcoming in a 12-team expansion. This is meant to allow more teams in to hopefully stop the complaining of teams not getting that deserve it, well I hate to break it to them, that probably will never happen.
However, there is more change than just the expansion to just 12 teams. The criteria for how teams make it into the Playoff is also changing. A new 5-7 format was unanimously approved.
OFFICIAL: The CFP Board of Managers unanimously revised the qualifying criteria for the 12-team event to include the five highest-ranked conference champions plus the next seven highest-ranked teams determined by the CFP Selection Committee.https://t.co/gUSXtwr39G#CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/QQRVQPFJJB
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) February 20, 2024
What is a 5-7 format you ask? Well, what this means is that the five conference champions will have an automatic bid to the Playoff, their spot is safe, similar to how March Madness does it. As for the seven remaining spots, well those go to the next seven best teams. So teams that made it to the conference championship or lost, or had good records, just not top four good enough, have the chance to make it in now.
Everyone knows the story now about Florida State going undefeated in the regular season and then winning the ACC, a Power 5 conference, and getting snubbed by the Committee. However, due to an unfortunate injury to their star quarterback, the Committee used their weak strength of schedule as a way to not allow the Seminoles in.
Georgia had a similar experience last year that is not talked about quite as much, but is still important when it pertains to this new format. The Bulldogs went undefeated in the regular season and lost to Alabama, a one-loss team already, in the SEC Championship by three points. The Crimson Tide made it in and Georgia was left out.
Iowa can benefit from this greatly. The Hawkeyes lost to Michigan in the Big 10 title game, and unless something crazy happened they had no chance at the playoff. With this new format, Iowa could contend more than ever before. Simply making it to a title game could largely increase the chances of a team making it.
The Hawkeyes could start to see more playoff appearances if they can just make it to title games.