Danny Kanell explains why he’s a fan of new 24-team CFP format
By Ethan Stone
Published:
An expanded College Football Playoff (CFP) is on the way. ESPN and other outlets reported Thursday afternoon that the CFP is nearing a deal to expand to 24 teams beginning in 2027.
The idea of an expanded Playoff has been looked down upon for some time by many fans and analysts, but not all of them are as bummed by today’s news as others. Shortly after the news was reported, Danny Kanell shared his excitement for the latest major change to the college postseason, arguing that it’ll make the skeleton of bowl season much more exciting than its current form.
“I think this could be a great day for college football. I’m actually excited,” Kanell said on CBS Sports. “You popped up that bracket, you know what I would rather watch? I would rather watch Iowa vs. Miami in a Playoff game than an Outback Bowl, or an Independence Bowl or whatever bowl that no one cares about anymore, where half the team doesn’t want to play… half the team isn’t there, they’ve already hit the portal, they’re off getting ready for the NFL. I think this saves a lot of the bowl season and will give us much more compelling matchups.”
Here’s Kanell’s full argument:
An argument against a 24-team College Football Playoff
While Kanell’s argument has some good points — bowl season is a complete joke right now — I will push back and say that’s not enough to outweigh the drawbacks that come with expanding to 24 teams. For many, the main issue is this: A 24-team Playoff will lower the stakes of regular season games for truly good teams.
Take this week’s matchup between Alabama and Tennessee, for example. Both squads are 5-1 heading into Week 7’s rivalry game, and both have tough opponents on their remaining schedules. Under a 12-team Playoff, a loss on Saturday is a pretty massive deal — it means the losing team has zero room for error the rest of the way if they want to crack the postseason. The stakes are high heading into the game, and they’re high the rest of the way — especially for the loser.
In a 24-team Playoff format, a loss isn’t ideal, but it also isn’t a disaster. With the losing team now at 5-2, a 9-3 record against an SEC schedule is more than doable and comfortably enough to crack the top 24 and a Playoff spot.
The end of the regular season will still have some stakes as teams scramble for the final spots — just as it currently is with the 12-team Playoff, mind you — but adding more teams both lessens and delays the onset of those stakes. It also, obviously, makes it so the teams battling for those final spots are fringe top 25 teams — not fringe top 10 teams.
A 24-team Playoff awards mediocracy in effort to keep fans invested longer and line the pockets of those making the decisions.
Love it or hate it, it’s happening.
Ethan Stone is a Saturday Down South News Editor and an advocate for the return of the Seattle Supersonics.
