CFP: Wisconsin's Alvarez Says Expansion's Gonna Happen

The best thing that coulda happened to the College Football Playoff format is leaving the Power Five's richest conference outta the Featured Four three years in a row.

Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez finally pointed out the reality.

If the big dog doesn't have a bowl at the party, then the party is just a bowl.

 

This time, though, it doesn't look like the big dog's gonna be that patient.

Seems like Alvarez is already of the opinion that the Big Ten's already done that.

OG was a member of the first CFP committee back in 2014, where he laid out his initial impressions as to how he thought the process would take shape:

 

Five years later, Alvarez isn't on the Selection Committee, and he's not so sure it's getting it right anymore.

Not that a small army of involved observers have been saying that from the start, with some learned souls going so far as to form watchdog groups to keep the CFP's methods on the straight and narrow:

From the outset, it was crazy that the CFP format would call for the Power Five to blackball one of their own every season, especially when the vote was based on opinions and not real, live on-field competition among contenders.

What with some conferences playing nine games while others played eight and each having its own non-con scheduling philosophy, an eight-team field -- at minimum -- is beyond logical.

 

Alvarez hasn't said exactly how he believes the current Committee went rogue from its mandate, even though it seems in some quarters that the dudes and dudette never really adhered to it.

However, he's pretty damn sure that any format without the Big Ten being assured a spot in the bracket is just not how the world should work.

 

There are a number of avenues that lead to a conclusion that an eight-team field is much more fair and just, so the good news Alvarez picked one and rolled with it.

 

Now, it's time for those dudes in the ivory tower to realize it's not good to anger one of its own, especially where that one stands in the pecking order.

If MLB could implement a drastic playoff format change just prior to the season -- and it could -- surely those bright lights running the top level of college football could do the same.