It’s official. I am officially on the eight team playoff bandwagon.

I’ve always felt it was necessary but I never really lobbied for it. I am now going to start lobbying for it now because too many good teams got left out of the playoff this season. 

How does a team who wins arguably the best conference in college football this season not make the playoff? Penn State deserves to be in. The fact that they are not is senseless to me.

Oklahoma, Michigan, USC, Colorado and Wisconsin also deserve consideration. Colorado and Wisconsin both have three losses but they have played good football this season and both teams could make a run in an eight team format.

Opponents of the eight team format will cite that it takes the student athletes out of class more and it impacts their education. That’s nonsense. They are on winter break. They aren’t in school in the first three weeks of January. 

It is easy to move to an eight team format. Take the four major bowls (Rose, Sugar, Fiesta and Orange) and match the top eight teams based on record in those games. Here’s an example of what I am talking about. 

Rose Bowl: #1 vs.#8

Sugar Bowl: #2 vs.#7

Fiesta Bowl: #3 vs.#6

Orange Bowl: #4 vs.#5

The winners of those games would then move onto a final four format like we have now. The winners of those two games would play for the national championship. 

Given the way things played out this season, it is time to move onto an eight team format. I know the NCAA is slow when it comes to making tournament changes but they can’t wait. They need to get the ball rolling now. The schools want it and the fans want it. DO IT!!