Selection Committee makes it clear College Football Playoff is possible this year

What are the chances we have a College Football Playoff this season?

The College Football Playoff Selection Committee isn’t ruling out a four-team playoff just yet.

Per Matt Zenitz of AL.com, it is “still possible there could be a College Football Playoff this season.” The Senior SEC reporter shared what the new committee chair in University of Iowa athletics director Gary Barta had to say after the 13-person committee had its first virtual meeting of the season. From what Barta relayed, it does seem like the committee is optimistic.

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“We don’t know right now what the season will bring but as a committee, we are ready to use the protocol and the expertise of the 13 people who have been charged with selecting the teams,” said Barta.

“The committee’s task is to rank the teams based on what happens on the field. This gives us a great chance to catch up with the familiar faces and welcome our three new members to the process. If the board and management say we are having a CFP, we will be ready.”

It should be noted that this will be Barta’s first year serving as the committee chair. Keep in mind his university’s football team has been banned by the Big Ten university presidents from playing this fall. To make things even more interesting, the University of Iowa was one of two Big Ten universities to not vote for postponing the 2020 college football season, along with Nebraska.

Looking at the 13-person committee, there will be several presumably in favor of having a postseason. Those members may include Joe Castiglione (University of Oklahoma director of athletics), R.C. Slocum (former Texas A&M head coach) and Scott Stricklin (University of Florida director of athletics). There will also be committee members opposed to having a playoff this fall.

We may see those with Big Ten, Pac-12, MAC or Mountain West allegiances opt against having a playoff, while those with ties to the ACC, Big 12, SEC, AAC, Conference USA and Sun Belt be in favor of having one. Admittedly, it could get very dicey, but there are currently more conferences planning to play (six) than those who will not (four). Also, factor in the independent universities.

As for what the playoff could look like, the committee may go with the same standard four-team format. Presumably the three Power 5 champions of the ACC, Big 12 and SEC would get in with one at-large spot going to the next big team out of those three Power 5 conferences. Or…the Selection Committee could get weird and use this as an opportunity to be innovative. Why not?

What if it was an eight-team playoff with all six conference champions getting in and two at-large teams to round it out? Could the American Conference be elevated to the sixth Power 5 this season? The AAC has had more teams get the Group of 5’s New Year’s Six nod (four) than the other four Group of 5 conferences combined? Either way, it will be utterly fascinating what the committee decides here.

For now, it seems like Barta and the rest of the selection committee are on-board with a playoff.

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