College Football Playoff has several problems (especially this season), but there is no quick fix

The SEC and Big Ten are at an impasse regarding the future format of the College Football Playoff (CFP), with conflicting visions that could impact next year's structure. The current 12-team playoff format, developed before recent conference realignments, now faces challenges due to these changes. Originally, the format awarded automatic bids to the six highest-ranked conference champions, but this has led to issues with lower-ranked teams potentially securing spots over higher-ranked ones.

This year, the Group of Five representative might be a team ranked outside the top 20, while the ACC champion could also rank below the top 12, leaving higher-ranked teams excluded. Such scenarios highlight the imperfections in the playoff system, which some argue now resembles a 10-team playoff due to these dynamics.

Conference realignment and the elimination of divisions have compounded the challenges, resulting in uneven schedules within conferences. For instance, Texas A&M, despite being 11-0, has not faced some of the SEC's strongest teams, unlike