College of Charleston communication professor Vince Benigni is a college football fan. However, he is not a fan of the recent move by the NCAA to develop a four-team college football playoff system.

VinceBig 12 conference stalwarts Baylor and TCU, fifth and sixth in Sunday’s final rankings, deserve to play in the College Football Playoff (CFP), as do the four invited by a 12-person committee brave enough to eliminate two Texas teams while convening in Dallas.

Benigni says doom lingers over the new 12–year CFP contract because, like the Big 12 (composed of just 10 teams), there is a simple math problem. Designating a cartel of five power conferences and then providing just four available playoff slots is a $600 million rendition of musical chairs that sends a sour note.

Sensing this conundrum, pundits have proposed an eight (to allow for all Power 5 champions) or even 16-team (including all conference champions) playoff.

Benigni says that’s too many games…not enough great teams. He offers six reasons why a six-team playoff is ideal:

1. There are five power conferences.

A deserving Power 5 conference champion would be guaranteed a berth; all five winners would have made a Super Six in ’13 and ‘14. But this isn’t the norm. The Big 10 had one season with a top-six team from 2008-12, the ACC none.

2. Cinderella could crash the ball.

In a Super Six playoff model, (then) non-power conference members Utah, Boise State and TCU (twice) would have earned bids based on recent final rankings.

3. The top two teams would receive a first-round bye.

The NFL has thrived with this playoff format (three 5 or 6 seeds have won Super Bowls in the past decade). Generally, two teams rise above the pack (Bama/Texas in ’09, Auburn/Oregon in ’10, LSU/Bama in ’11, Florida State/Auburn in ‘13, Bama/Oregon this year).  In five of the last eight years, the third-ranked team hailed from a much weaker conference (TCU, Cincinnati), or was not a conference champion (Texas, Florida, Alabama), which is possibly why computers spit them out of the title game.

4. The seventh-ranked team, in four of the last seven years, has lost more games than the #6 team.

5. The logistics of four quarterfinal games (eight-team playoff) in one day are untenable.

Games spread over two days likely result in a shorter prep week for two winning teams. Simultaneous games hurt the bottom line and shortchange the fans. A rare-mentioned flaw of the beautiful NCAA basketball tournament are competing time-slot games in the Sweet 16 round…the best two nights of the sport.

6. The race for the Super Six and the Top Two would elicit an even more passionate debate.

A 3-6 (FSU-TCU) and 4-5 (OSU-Baylor) first round would settle the mettle of the Big 12. We will never know the legitimacy of at least one “power” conference in a four-team playoff.


Having meaningful, competitive postseason games for three weekends allows college football to own December and the New Year. Pick six. Touchdown.