Legendary coach Nick Saban highlights potential issue with new College Football Playoff format
Nick Saban, the legendary college football coach, recently shared his thoughts on the new 12-team College Football Playoff format during an appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show.” Saban, who has won seven national championships during his coaching career, expressed some concerns about the potential drawbacks of the expanded playoff system.
Under the new format, the five highest-ranked conference champions will receive an automatic postseason bid, with the top four champions earning a bye for the first round. Saban raised the issue of how this could affect the path to the championship, particularly when conference champions are not necessarily the highest-ranked teams.
“By giving the conference champions, when they’re not the highest-ranked teams, the bye… what it really affects is the path to the championship,” Saban explained. He emphasized the importance of seeding teams based on their overall season performance, with the number one seed having the easiest path to the championship.
In light of recent upsets in college football, including losses by top teams like Alabama and Ole Miss, Saban also questioned the idea of rewarding three-loss teams with playoff berths. He argued that it is difficult to justify including teams with multiple losses, especially if those losses were to average or below-average opponents.
Saban singled out the Georgia Bulldogs as a potential exception to this rule, as they currently have two losses but could still earn a playoff spot if they perform well in the SEC Championship game. He suggested that a team like Georgia should not be penalized for losing a close game in the conference championship, even if it results in a third loss.
As the college football season progresses, teams like Oregon, Ohio State, Texas, Penn State, and Notre Dame are vying for playoff positioning. Saban’s insights offer a valuable perspective on the complexities of the playoff selection process and the challenges that teams face in earning a spot in the postseason.
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