Urban Meyer Pushes for Major College Football Playoff Shake-Up

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Urban Meyer Pushes for Major College Football Playoff Shake-Up

Highlights

  • Urban Meyer says the College Football Playoff selection committee should be scrapped entirely.
  • He proposes a formulaic model guaranteeing bids for a set number of teams from each conference, with play-in games on championship weekend.
  • Meyer argues the current system is too subjective and inconsistent, and wants automatic, performance-based qualification.

As college football’s power brokers argue over how to expand the 12-team College Football Playoff, Urban Meyer says the real problem isn’t the size of the field, it’s who decides who gets in.

“Whatever we come up with, eliminate the committee,” Meyer said Thursday on The Triple Option podcast.

The former Ohio State head coach believes the CFP selection process should rely on a fixed formula, not a panel of human voters. Meyer said he favors a model that guarantees representation for every major conference, rather than leaving the decision to a group that can be “wrong sometimes.”

“I would do whatever it takes to get rid of the committee and have it be all planned,” Meyer said. “There’s no perfect system, but at least it’s fair.”

Former Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer salutes the fans chanting his name during the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. Ohio State won 41-21.Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Meyer cited the Big Ten’s old "4-4-2-2-1-1" model as a fairer alternative. Under that system, playoff bids would be reserved for four teams from the Big Ten and SEC, two from the ACC and Big 12, one Group-of-Five representative and one at-large. In his version, conference “play-in” games would determine postseason entry on championship weekend.

"That way, you know where the committee is?" Meyer said. "There's no committee."

Under the current CFP rules, 12 teams receive bids, with the five highest-ranked conference champions earning automatic spots. But as conference realignment and playoff expansion reshape the sport, Meyer says what college football truly needs is a clear, consistent path to the playoff, not more teams.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Nov 1, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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