This is by no means an attempt to say that I want the College Football Playoff to expand to 24 teams. I decidedly don't want that.
However, while it would stretch out an already unbelievably lengthy season and would get rid of conference championship games, there is one upside to the possible CFP expansion, something that seems more imminent with every passing day.
And that would be Rivalry Week.
Many have argued that the continuous expansion of the CFP has made much of the regular season trivial. However, as the season reaches its end, games actually become increasingly important as more teams vie for a spot in the playoffs.
For example, let's look back at last year's Rivalry Week, and how it could have played out had the CFP already expanded to 24 teams instead of just 12:
- Nebraska Cornhuskers would have played to keep Iowa Hawkeyes, who were on the bubble, out of the playoffs
- No. 16 Texas Longhorns and No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies would have been playing for a first-round BYE
- No. 4 Georgia Bulldogs would have played for a bye against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, who were a bubble team
- No. 7 Ole Miss Rebels would have played for a bye with a win over Mississippi State Bulldogs
- No. 25 Arizona Wildcats and No. 20 Arizona State Sun Devils would have made the cut with a win
- No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes would earn a BYE with a win, and No. 15 Michigan Wolverines would have claimed home-field advantage in the first round
- No. 6 Oregon Ducks would have clinched a bye in the first round, and Washington Huskies could have clinched a spot
- Auburn Tigers could have spoiled No. 10 Alabama Crimson Tide's home-field advantage
- No. 12 Miami Hurricanes could have secured home-field advantage in the first round against Pitt, who could have earned a Playoff berth
- LSU Tigers could have secured a spot against Oklahoma, who could have still secured a home game in the first round
You see that second bullet point? The Texas Longhorns would not only have been playing for a spot in the CFP, something they missed out on last season, but they could have secured a first-round bye with their win over the Texas A&M Aggies in the Lone Star Showdown.
Regular-season games will always matter in college football
Of course, with a 24-team Playoff expansion, there will be more games in the postseason on the road to the National Championship. However, unlike the NFL, that doesn't take weight off the tail end of the regular season.
In the NFL, you see franchises rest their star players towards the end of the season once they have clinched their spot in the playoffs, ensuring the team's health in the postseason.
However, that's because the NFL playoffs are based on a team's straight-up record and standing in their division. It isn't based on the opinion of a group of people like the CFP is. In other words, college teams will have to continue to impress the CFP Committee throughout the regular season to "earn" a top-24 seed in the bracket.
So, even if you enter Rivalry Week with a flawless, undefeated record, an embarrassing loss to your rival (especially if they're as bad as the Aggies are this year, just as an example) could knock you down a few pegs, or even out of the bracket, if the committee views you as unworthy of a seed.
Simply put, the regular season still matters, and Rivalry Week could become more important than it has been in a long time if the College Football Playoff expands to 24 teams. For now, it's just a matter of waiting to see what happens next.
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