re: Can we make a case to expand the college football playoffs this year?

Well having different champions for one most every year, actually having filled stadiums for more than just the biggest games, and having more traditional powers actually be successful to drive the sport.

Alabama and Clemson have faced each other, what, 4 straight years now?

You said these blowouts have been happening because the committee has been picking the wrong teams. You really think teams 4-8 are going to challenge 1-4? There's year to year usually a pretty large drop off right around that area by the end of the year. I'm sorry that Wisconsin hasn't been able to climb much higher than fringe top 10 though. That program should be doing better but for some reason isn't.

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I don't even know how to react to this. You're saying the BCS is better because it would have given us Bama/Oregon in 2014, as opposed to OSU/Oregon. It also would have left 2017 Bama sitting at home who won it. The 4 seeds winning the thing multiple times should give more credence to the view that the 5 and 6 teams could win it as well

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I'm the sport and season were more enjoyable as a whole. Now we're getting the same half dozen teams in every year. Alabama and Clemson have literally played each other in this post season the past 4 years in a row. How is that not stale? If it's the top 8 it'll be mostly the same 6 teams every year for years with 1 or 2 rotating in or out. Also the committee seems to put credence in different things every year. Some years it's the "eye test", then conference championships are most important, then they aren't. Then SOS is important, until it isn't.

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I'm the sport and season were more enjoyable as a whole. Now we're getting the same half dozen teams in every year. Alabama and Clemson have literally played each other in this post season the past 4 years in a row. How is that not stale? If it's the top 8 it'll be mostly the same 6 teams every year for years with 1 or 2 rotating in or out. Also the committee seems to put credence in different things every year. Some years it's the "eye test", then conference championships are most important, then they aren't. Then SOS is important, until it isn't.

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It would be Bama Clemson every year if there were only 2 teams.

We have had:

OSU
Bama
Oregon
FSU
Washington
UGA
Clemson
ND
MSU
OU

That may be it, I'm not sure if there has been anyone else (I don't think so though). That's 10 teams for 20 spots...not as bad as people seem to think IMO for a sport that historically has only had like 20 teams winning national titles

Yes, 4 is better than 2, and 8 is better than 4.

For those who disagree, look at the teams who made the championship games these last 5 years.

In 2 of the 5 years, it was NOT the 2 teams that the BCS would have picked.

In 2014 it was 4) Ohio State and Oregon, which the committee had as a 2 seed, but everyone knows that undefeated 3 seed Florida State would have made the BCS, so both Oregon and Ohio State would have been on the outside looking in.

In 2017 it was 4) Alabama and 3) Georgia who would not have made the BCS.

So, in just 5 years, we know that the 2 team BCS would have got it wrong 40% of the time. That's a lousy percentage for picking the right champion.

I'll bet that at least one of those 20 teams that were #5 to #8 in those years could have pulled off the "upset" as well.

In FCS, 24 teams participate in their championship, and a true champion is decided on the field.

In FBS, we have a beauty contest where a committee decides who the best looking and prettiest 4 teams are, with only vague guidelines that are so broad that even Russian Olympic judges would love them. The champion is only partially determined on the field.

I'd also bet that every year one of the teams that missed out would have been favored by Vegas to beat at least one of the teams that made it, so we know that the truly best four didn't make it. It's easier to get 8 right vs. 4, just like like it's easier to get 4 right vs. 2.

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It would have given us FSU-Bama

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Pretty sure FSU was the 3 seed and got bumped? Regardless, it wouldn't have given us the best teams playing for it, just like in 2017 when the SEC had 2 reps who proved it

Though not based upon the rationale set forth by the OP, I'm in favor of expanding the playoffs to 8 or 12 teams for a few reasons:

1. It is nearly impossible for a non-group of 5 team to make the current playoffs. That begs the question: "why even compete in D-1 football?" Yes, I know the athletic departments can make a lot of money going D-1, but CFB is essentially the only sport where half the league has largely no chance to make the playoffs, even if they play well. While I'm not saying the NCAAB tournament is perfect, it at least gives all D-1 teams a realistic shot to make it.

2. SOS is largely a non-factor. While it is not their fault the ACC is bad, Clemson is going to play an awful schedule this season. Yet, if they go undefeated they are in the playoffs. Contrast that to a SEC school that may have to play a much tougher schedule. One loss could mean no playoffs, whereas had they played a easy schedule they could have rolled right along undefeated. Also, it provides a disincentive to play a big non-conf. game. Oregon very well could go 12-1 this year and miss the playoffs simply because they chose to put it on the line playing Auburn. It they finish 12-1 they would have been better off playing Akron than Auburn. College basketball routinely gets big reg season non-conf games because one or two losses doesn't kill you. Everyone hates the cupcake games. Make it to where it's not a huge risk, but a SOS advantage to play a big time OOC game and you will see it happen more often.

3. December is a huge lull waiting to be exploited by College football. Make December like March for basketball.

You can't point to the hoops tourney and say we should do it like that. It's a completely apples to oranges comparison.

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Somehow when it comes to the NCAA “There is no way an expanded playoff would work,” which is true if you choose to ignore every form of organized football at any level across the United States.

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It's not the NCAA's fault there is no FBS playoff. In fact the NCAA runs the playoffs for FCS, Div 2 and Div 3 football.

The reason is the 1984 Supreme Court case where all the FBS schools ripped their TV rights away from the NCAA, thus denying the ability of the NCAA to run a playoff for FBS. It's the greed of the 10 FBS conferences that gives us the system we have, and really only the Power 5, the other Group of 5 are just along for the ride and take whatever crumbs they get.

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A 12-13 game sample size is not enough to pick the 4 teams out of 130.

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100+ teams arent even in the convo before week 1

Can we at least wait until we get competitive semifinals before we talk about expanding the playoffs?