Auburn Football: Thoughts on the College Football Playoff

Here we take an opinionated look from an Auburn standpoint at how well or poorly the College Football Playoff system operates.

Three days since Alabama’s loss to Clemson in the national championship, there are still debates as to how to improve championship contention. Regardless of collegiate affiliation, an opinion on this matter is rarely presented without opposition. This is true in all aspects of social interaction, however with massive salaries and an indefinitely expanding entertainment business, this becomes a bit of an issue.

Collegiate athletes, whether anyone would like to admit it or not, is worth a salary. The College Football Playoff only exposes that.

Alabama’s tuition for out-of-state students is approximately $41,816, with their football team compiling a tad over $100 million in 2016. The amount of revenue that is generated from their performance and then distributed into the athletic department is made possible by the handful of national championships won the past decade. This only provides more fuel for recruitment, which brings in more money the more 5-star recruits want to roll tide.

If more teams make the playoff, how much more money is being generated? How much more does an entire organization, this being the college, the athletic department and the team, get to put into their pockets? Would Western Michigan get more funding for their blossoming program?

Forget how well someone plays on the field.

Forget how easy it is for someone to fall out of that playoff spot.

Forget how easily Penn State could have taken Washington or Ohio State’s spot.

It comes down to money, talent and reputation.

Alabama has consistently broken through the past five seasons with hardly any loss at all. Their annual run as an undefeated is something that every college football fan obsesses over, and they get to take down two top four teams to win a national championship if they so choose. What makes this all possible, is their invaluable level of talent and coaching. To think that stadium in Tuscaloosa has the ability to grow even larger – that’s insane.

Even Auburn being ranked in the top 15 was absurd, but they got there for simply being in the SEC.

What Clemson did Monday night was show that all of that money is worthless unless you take it for yourself. Certainly, Alabama will continue to rake in considerable amounts of revenue as each season starts – but consider their record and loss with Western Michigan in mind.

Western Michigan finished their season with just one less win (13) than Alabama (14), despite both having just one loss. Alabama competes in the SEC, which regularly takes home the bias and the love than the Bronco’s Mid-American Conference. The Broncos would take a loss to Wisconsin, a team with more recruiting opportunities and reputation than a fledgling Western Michigan team.

According to a USA Today report, Western Michigan accumulated roughly $35 million in football revenue for the 2014-15 season. Wisconsin brought in approximately $124 million. Western Michigan lost by just eight points, and had a chance to win the Cotton Bowl.

Sadly, they should have been in the playoff. They were undefeated.

Money is everything, and it will continue to be everything. Alabama’s recruitment, their 5-star athletes and winning tradition will only be thwarted by smaller programs struggling to do the same.

In order for any of this to make sense, to not pay athletes and to let the major conferences hold onto power, the playoffs must be extended. Eight teams would be great, but even more would be interesting.

For Auburn’s sake, a 12-team playoff would have been nice.