Notre Dame could be a huge benefactor if the College Football Playoff changes its format
Notre Dame could be a huge benefactor if the College Football Playoff changes its format
One of my biggest gripes with the College Football Playoff 12-team format is how teams are seeded, as we all know that Notre Dame can't get a bye due to not having a conference affiliation.
There could be a change coming however, as CBS Sports Brandon Marcello is reporting that the committee could be going to a to a 'straight seeding' model. This comes after two teams this fall, Boise State and Arizona State, were ranked as the No. 9 and No. 12 teams, but got first-round byes due to the first-years format.
It made zero sense to reward those two teams with bye weeks in the first-round, considering there were at least eight other teams that were ranked higher than them in the regular season final CFP rankings. For the Irish, this could mean potentially getting a first-round bye in the near future, but that all depends on how the conferences vote.
Marcello said that the only way this could happen if they'd get 'unanimous approval from the 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame to be enacted for the 2025-26 season.' It's hard to see the Irish turning this idea down, but stranger things have happened.
While it was great for Notre Dame to get a home game in the first-round, the 4-game trek to the title game took its toll. Getting an opportunity to take one game off in the playoff would be big, but remember, every team this past season who got the bye lost.
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