A New Playoff Landscape
Ryan Day, the head coach of Ohio State, recently voiced a nuanced view of a proposed 24‑team College Football Playoff, saying the format would be a boon for the majority of programs while raising questions about its implications for his own team.
Under such a structure, Ohio State would have secured a playoff berth in 26 of the past 28 seasons dating back to 1998, a testament to the program’s consistent competitiveness.
The statistical ripple would extend to traditional powerhouses such as Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma and LSU, each of which would have logged dozens of appearances in the expanded field, underscoring how the new model could amplify the reach of elite programs.
Dan Lanning, who leads Oregon, echoed the sentiment that a larger playoff could be beneficial for the sport as a whole, even if it might not translate into a direct advantage for the Ducks’ championship aspirations.
Both coaches also highlighted that the increased stakes associated with seeding would likely discourage teams from benching starters late in the regular season, preserving the intensity of late‑year matchups.
While the expanded playoff promises broader participation and potentially richer postseason experiences, the coaches agree that its ultimate impact will hinge on how individual programs balance the allure of a deeper bracket against their own title ambitions.