The Big Ten Conference surprised many Thursday when it announced that it would have a conference-only regular season in 2020. That means several premium non-conference games involving the B1G won’t be played this year.

Following the news, reports surfaced that the Pac-12 and ACC could follow the Big Ten’s lead, too. If all Power 5 conferences were to have a conference-only regular season in 2020, which most think is inevitable at this point due to COVID-19, how would that affect the College Football Playoff? That’s obviously left to be determined, but Playoff executive director Bill Hancock reacted to the B1G’s announcement.

“This is why the committee has 13 football experts,” Hancock said in reaction to the Big Ten’s decision to move to a conference-only model for all fall sports, via ESPN. “Their task is to select the best four teams based on play on the field and schedules that conferences establish.”

That’s the equivalent of coach-speak for Hancock, but it appears (for now) that the Playoff would go on as-is.

“Clearly there will be challenges this year,” Hancock said. “We’ll see what the challenges look like and work through them. Whatever the season looks like, the committee will select the best four teams using the protocol. Our committee’s fundamental mission has not changed.”

Wouldn’t it be the perfect year (assuming Power 5 leagues play conference-only seasons) to have an 8-team Playoff?