Texas’ Steve Sarkisian Calls for College Football Playoff Change

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While the SEC is advocating for a 16-team College Football Playoff model, the Big Ten and ACC want 24 teams. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian wants to wind back the clock. 

During an appearance Thursday at the NFF/Touchdown Club of Houston, Sarkisian argued that the CFP should go back to having a four-team playoff.

“I think there’s so many factors,” Sarkisian said, via Evan Vieth of Inside Texas. “I’ve gone on record saying I’d rather go back to four. Here’s my issue: I understand why people want to go to 24, but we are now in a world where fanbases are living under this umbrella of playoff or bust.”

“I don’t agree with that, that’s not true. You had the opportunity to compete for a national championship during those 12 regular season games, and I felt like when we were at four teams, those four teams were held in very high regard, and you earned your opportunity to be one of those four teams.”

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The problem with Sarkisian’s argument is that not all four teams were consistently held in high regard.

In 2023, the CFP selection committee made a controversial decision to exclude an undefeated Florida State team from the tournament after losing quarterback Jordan Travis. They inserted Alabama at No. 4 after the Crimson Tide won the SEC championship.

Beyond excluding an undefeated Power 4 team, the CFP consistently rejected undefeated Group of 6 teams. In 2017, UCF should have had the opportunity to play in the CFP.

The 12-team format allows for undefeated Group of 6 teams to play in the CFP, and it’s a necessary change. College football is the only sport where an undefeated team doesn’t have a guarantee of playing for the championship.

Going back to four teams would do a disservice to the sport.

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