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BTN analyst Nicole Auerbach explains why College Football Playoff expansion is a net benefit
By Ethan Stone
Published:
B1G studio analyst Nicole Auerbach thinks the College Football Playoff’s recent expansion to 12 teams is ultimately a good thing for the sport.
She talked through her thought process on B1G Today Monday.
“Right now you have all these teams that start the season and there is no chance that they are going to be participating in the marquee event, and maybe you’re not going to win it, but you don’t even get to play it out on the field?” Auerbach said. “That’s going to change, that’s going to go away. It’s not going to take the stars aligning for Cincinnati, who happened to have Notre Dame on the schedule, for them to get in the Playoff. It gives everyone hope, it gives everyone access.”
No one covers the @CFBPlayoff closer than @NicoleAuerbach.
She shares how the expanded CFP field will benefit the sport. ⤵️#B1Gtoday pic.twitter.com/TDGkp4lCyr
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 5, 2022
Auerbach makes a lot of good points. Cincinnati was the fourth team in the field last season despite finishing the regular season undefeated with a win over Notre Dame. Before then, it had seemed almost impossible for a Group of 5 program to make the playoff.
At the same time, an increase to 12 teams can devalue certain games. Last season’s Ohio State-Michigan game was for a spot in the playoff, in this model the stakes would be lowered. IT’s also worth noting that increasing the number of teams in the field does not increase the parity: Alabama is still Alabama.
What do you think of this change?
Ethan Stone was an editor for his student newspaper at the University of Tennessee and is now a News Manager for Saturday Tradition.