From here on, no one can accuse the College Football Playoff of driving in the slow lane.
From there, a formal recommendation is expected to be made to the CFP Board of Managers.
Group of Five: AAC commissioner Mike Aresco, who has lobbied so long and hard for his conference’s inclusion, was headed out to dinner Thursday night with his wife.
That’s another way of saying, for the first time, the Group of Five will be guaranteed at least one opportunity to play for the national championship.
Adding up the berths over the last two seasons, the SEC would have seven of the 24 spots – 3.5 per year.
In five years, it could be rolling the dice with other networks streaming services in the mix bidding up the price.
Now try to picture first-round playoff games in the snow at Camp Randall Stadium or walking down High Street packed to the gills in Columbus, Ohio, in second week of December.
It increases a conversation that, at times, dies down late in the season when it becomes clear that certain teams will lock up spots.
The field is now big enough to absorb the losers of those games should there by monster upsets.
He got his wish, even if it means the playoff has to expand to include the Pac-12 instead of the Pac-12’s improvement getting it into the top four.
Rose Bowl: The Granddaddy of Them All had to be brought kicking and screaming into the BCS era that transitioned into the CFP.
In a 12-team field with the quarterfinals being played on or around Jan.
And if it’s part of a rotation of bowls, it’s entirely likely the Rose could get third choices from the Pac-12 and/or Big Ten in years it does not host a CFP game.
Notre Dame: Like basically everyone, Notre Dame has a better chance at the playoff.
While Notre Dame has more access in a 12-team field, its road to a national championship just got a lot tougher.
The bowl experience: The bowl system was already on shaky ground after COVID-19 forced several bowls to cancel last season.
Sources indicate that, in a new 12-team playoff, teams will arrive in town a couple of days before the game.
By expanding the field, the CFP managers seem to be playing with fire.