We have all heard the quality over quantity argument for a majority of our lives, and there is no better place to put this motto to action than with the College Football Playoff. The Big Ten wants to see the field expand to 24 teams, and it seems that, going into this current offseason, the SEC seems set on a 16-team field. After watching one of the most entertaining playoffs, whether as a four or twelve-team field, it seems to make more sense for everyone to focus on how to perfect the current system.
There are always going to be arguments over which teams should be in the playoff field and whether the best group of six teams should automatically qualify as a playoff team, but these things can be figured out the best way possible without expansion always being the solution.
Every move is a money grab, and that is behind the expansion talk, especially for Power Four conferences, but there are ways to improve the system without watering it down. The home games for the higher-ranked team in the first round have been a huge success, and it should be looked to see how that can be expanded to at least the second-round so teams who get a bye can experience the home field advantage as well over a neutral game site.
Do you know how cool it would have been to see a home game in Bloomington, Indiana, this past year, or to have seen Georgia-Notre Dame or Georgia-Ole Miss inside of Samford Stadium? Just imagine how much of a different game we may have gotten in year one if Penn State had to have traveled to the blue field in Boise, or the Oregon Ducks traveling to Lubbock instead of a neutral stadium?
It seems college football has never been more popular on a national level, which makes now a perfect time for the decision makers to continue to improve on the current 12-team system rather than just expanding. There are better things to figure out, such as more home games as well as fixing the playoff schedule, so it does not go so deep into January where some interest starts to get lost with casual fans as the NFL playoffs really get going.
Eventually, expansion will happen, and we will move to a 16 or 24-team format, but right now the focus should be improving the current system to as perfect a system as possible, ideally following the FCS playoff system, which has been successful for decades.