Pate offers thoughts on potential changes coming to College Football Playoff

As college football continues to evolve, so too does the postseason landscape. The College Football Playoff (CFP) has transformed the way we view the culmination of the college football season. But as the sport grows, so does the demand for changes that can make the playoff more inclusive, exciting, and reflective of the true strength of teams throughout the country.

One of the most prominent voices in the discussion surrounding potential changes to the College Football Playoff is Josh Pate, an experienced sports analyst, college football commentator, and creator of Late Kick on YouTube. His insights offer a valuable perspective on the future of college football and what adjustments could be made to improve the playoff format. With Pate’s thoughts in mind, let’s explore the potential changes coming to the CFP and why they might be necessary.

The Current Structure: Successes and Shortcomings

Before diving into potential changes, it’s important to recognize the current state of the College Football Playoff. Since its inception in 2014, the CFP has replaced the outdated BCS (Bowl Championship Series) system, offering a more transparent and competitive way of determining the national champion. The playoff field expanded from two teams to four, allowing more deserving teams to have a shot at the title. This change was widely lauded for making the postseason more dynamic and ensuring that deserving teams weren’t left out.

However, despite the apparent success of the CFP, there are still significant issues that many believe need to be addressed. The most glaring concern is the lack of inclusivity in the current four-team format. Often, there are deserving teams from Power Five conferences, Group of Five schools, and independent programs that are left out of the playoff, even if their resume warrants consideration.

Another criticism of the current format is the predictable nature of the playoff. In recent years, the same schools—such as Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, and Georgia—have consistently found their way into the playoff, creating a sense of stagnation and predictability. Fans have expressed a desire for more diversity and a broader field to make the postseason more exciting and competitive.

Furthermore, there is the issue of scheduling and the overall experience of the postseason. With only four teams, the postseason consists of just two semifinal games, which can sometimes feel anticlimactic, especially when one of the semifinal matchups results in a blowout. Expanding the field could create more meaningful games, allowing more fan bases to experience the thrill of playoff competition and increasing the overall excitement of the postseason.

Josh Pate’s Perspective: Calls for Expansion and Transparency

Josh Pate is one of the leading analysts in the world of college football, and his thoughts on the College Football Playoff have resonated with fans and analysts alike. Pate’s commentary has always been focused on making the playoff system more transparent, accessible, and engaging for fans, while still maintaining the integrity of the selection process.

According to Pate, the primary change needed for the College Football Playoff is expansion. He has consistently advocated for a larger field that would accommodate more teams, making the postseason less exclusive and more representative of college football as a whole.

“I’ve been a proponent of expanding the playoff for years,” Pate said in a recent episode of Late Kick. “The current system just doesn’t allow for enough teams to be in the conversation, and that’s a problem. College football has grown to a point where more teams deserve a shot at the title.”

Pate’s call for expansion is rooted in the idea that college football has a large enough pool of talent and high-quality programs to justify increasing the number of teams in the playoff. For years, teams from the Group of Five conferences—such as the American Athletic Conference (AAC) or Conference USA—have been left out of the CFP picture despite strong seasons. Schools like UCF, Cincinnati, and Boise State have often gone undefeated or finished with one loss, but still found themselves on the outside looking in when it came to playoff contention.

In Pate’s opinion, this is an unfair system. It fails to recognize the strength of teams from smaller conferences and places them at a disadvantage when compared to Power Five teams, even when their regular-season records are just as impressive. His push for a more inclusive format seeks to address this issue, making sure that deserving teams from any conference get an opportunity to compete for a national championship.

The Push for a 12-Team Format

One of the most significant developments in recent years regarding the College Football Playoff has been the proposal for an expansion to a 12-team playoff format. In June 2021, a working group composed of College Football Playoff administrators, athletic directors, and conference commissioners revealed a proposal to expand the playoff to 12 teams. Under the proposed system, the six highest-ranked conference champions would earn automatic berths, while six additional at-large bids would be awarded to the highest-ranked teams, regardless of conference affiliation.

The 12-team proposal has garnered significant attention and support from various stakeholders, including college football coaches, players, and fans. It addresses many of the issues that critics have raised about the current format, such as the exclusion of deserving teams and the dominance of a few power programs. Pate has voiced his approval of the proposal, calling it “a step in the right direction.”

“I think a 12-team playoff would make college football a lot more fun, and it would be far more representative of the true landscape of the sport,” Pate said in his analysis. “You could still give the Power Five conferences their automatic spots, but you’d open the door for teams from other conferences to have a legitimate shot. It makes the postseason feel like a true national tournament.”

The 12-team format would also include a first-round bye for the top four seeds, allowing those teams to rest and prepare for the later rounds. The first round would feature matchups between teams ranked 5-12, with those games being played at the home stadiums of the higher-seeded teams, adding another layer of excitement and intrigue to the playoff.

In Pate’s view, the home-field advantage for the top seeds would make the first round particularly engaging, giving fans a chance to see their favorite teams play in front of a home crowd in an elimination game. This change would bring back some of the magic of traditional bowl games while still maintaining the competitive balance of a playoff format.

Impact on Regular-Season Games and Conference Championships

Another important consideration when discussing changes to the College Football Playoff is the potential impact on the regular season and conference championships. Under the current four-team system, conference championships carry significant weight, as they are often used as a determining factor for playoff selection. Teams that win their conference are typically guaranteed a spot in the CFP, while teams that lose their conference championship game may be left out.

However, with the introduction of a 12-team playoff format, the importance of conference championships could diminish somewhat. Since six at-large bids would be awarded to the highest-ranked teams, a team that doesn’t win its conference could still have a chance to make the playoff, provided its overall resume is strong enough.

Pate has acknowledged that this could lead to some interesting dynamics in the regular season, but he believes it would also make for more competitive and exciting football. “In a 12-team format, teams have more flexibility, which can make the regular season even more compelling,” he said. “It would allow teams to schedule more challenging non-conference games, and it would put more emphasis on every game, not just conference championships.”

The regular-season schedule would take on even greater significance, as every game could impact a team’s ability to secure one of the 12 spots. As a result, fans could expect even more high-stakes matchups throughout the season, leading to greater anticipation for games that carry playoff implications.