In 2021, the Pittsburgh Panthers came out of nowhere to go 11-3 and win the ACC Championship. Few people thought it happened before the season. Then, led by star quarterback Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh had a good season and beat Wake Forest in the ACC Championship. Unlike today, when they would have been rewarded by going to the 12-team playoffs, they were sent to the Peach Bowl. Pickett decided to opt out of the bowl game, and they were overmatched against Michigan State and lost 31-21.
If that same Pittsburgh team won the ACC today, they would be in the College Football Playoff, and they have their quarterback to play in a game, with possibly a home playoff game.
The reason to share this story is to illustrate the positive impact the 12-team playoffs have had on the sport. You constantly hear from fans that the 12-team playoff is unfair or rigged, or that it is not a good system. This system is way better. It gives every College Football team a chance at competing for a National Title.
When most fans were growing up, we had polls decide champions. Yes, members of the media decided who won National Titles. That’s how we ended up with split national champions in 1990 between Colorado and Georgia Tech. Then came BCS, which had a computer system that picked two teams, and everyone hated that. Nobody understood why the computers picked certain teams over others. Then came the 4-team playoff, which was better but still left out many teams. People still screamed about the committee letting certain teams. Next came the 12-team playoff last year.
Everyone had their questions about the 12-team playoff because we didn’t want it to mess with the best regular season in sports, but it largely did not affect it. People still cared about the games, and games still mattered (I know Ohio State lost to arch-rival Michigan and still won a National Championship).
So, the 1st 12-team playoff had traditional blue blood programs, Ohio State, Georgia, and Notre Dame, but it also included teams like SMU, Indiana, and Arizona State. Not that long ago, those teams were terrible, and now, because of good coaching and having a 12-team playoff, they had a chance to play in the 12-team playoffs.
Now, looking at the latest playoff committee rankings, we see Indiana, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, and Vanderbilt all having a realistic chance to make the College Football Playoff. Vanderbilt is considered one of the best academic schools in the country, and no one would have thought they would be 8-2 in the year and competing to make the college football playoffs. The 12-team playoff has been good for the sport, and it shows that anyone can compete for the playoffs with the right coach. Next time someone complains about the 12-team playoff, tell them this is way better than the alternative.