ESPN predicts where the Tennessee Vols would be seeded in a mega 64 team College Football Playoff
The College Football Playoff is expanding in 2024 for the first time since the four-team playoff was introduced a decade ago. For now, the playoff will include 12 teams. But further expansion could be on the horizon. There are already talks about expanding the playoff from 12 teams to 14 teams in 2026. It seems […]
The College Football Playoff is expanding in 2024 for the first time since the four-team playoff was introduced a decade ago.
For now, the playoff will include 12 teams. But further expansion could be on the horizon. There are already talks about expanding the playoff from 12 teams to 14 teams in 2026.
It seems inevitable that the playoff will eventually include 16 teams. And who knows, expansion could continue until the number reaches 32, or possibly even 64, which would make the event the football equivalent of March Madness.
(Let's all hope that's not the case…opinions on the playoff differ, but most folks seem to agree that expanding to 32 or 64 teams would be too much.)
Earlier this week, ESPN predicted how a 64 team playoff would be seeded.
And they think Tennessee football would be a No. 4 seed in a fictional 64 team playoff, which would pit the Vols against No. 13 seeded Duke in the first round.
From ESPN: A pair of former California star high school quarterbacks duel in this entertaining first-round contest that sees a total of six touchdown passes. In the end, Tennessee's Nico Iamaleava has more talent around him, and the Vols advance despite Maalik Murphy playing one of his best games of the season for the Blue Devils.
A 64 team playoff would essentially mean that the majority of bowl eligible teams would have a chance to compete for a national championship. It would probably be a fun event to watch, but the early rounds would feature numerous blowout games between No. 1 seeds and No. 16 seeds (ESPN's prediction has No. 1 Georgia playing No. 16 UNLV in the first round, for example). That feels like a waste of time, which is the main reason why a 64 team playoff doesn't seem like the way to go for college football.
Just because it works for basketball doesn't mean it would work for football. Hopefully logic prevails and the playoff never expands beyond 16 teams.
