Just a few days aso the Big 10 proposed a four-team playoff that would have the top two seeds hosting the lower seeds, and then a title game would be played to determine a champion. However, there has to be a reason to why the Big 10 would be receptive to a playoff. Some argue that the Big 10 is progressive with the Big 10 Network and adding Nebraska to create a title game. Those were done for financial gains and to keep up with their Pac-12 counterparts with expansion, plus the Big 10 really likes their money which is why they want to keep the Rose Bowl as it makes them a ton of cash.
Listening the most recent Solid Verbal episode with Spencer Hall they were talking about the Big 10's willingness to adopt a playoff system. However, Hall brings up a great point and says that the Big 10 is attached at the hip with the Rose Bowl because of how much money it brings to the league. He went on to mention that it makes perfect sense for the Big 10 to want to protect their investment in the Rose Bowl and have the smallest playoff as possible.
A four-team playoff would either take the top-four teams in whatever rankings system is used or take the top four conference champions. By keeping it to that size it would allow for the other bowl games to stay intact including the Rose Bowl and all the benefits that the Big 10 is looking for. It also makes the Big 10 look progressive and agree with 96 percent of the country about wanting a college football playoff.
In reality, the Big 10 does not want the playoff to expand, because the bigger the playoff the less likely they can keep making the millions upon millions for being a part of the Rose Bowl. So, do not let Big 10 commissioner Jim Delany fool anyone, they only are agreeing to a small playoff so they can have the Rose Bowl too.
If the Big 10 really wanted a playoff why would they suggest a format that would not benefit them. If this proposal was around since the inception of the BCS in 1998 only eight Big 10 teams would have participated out of 64, and out of that eight only three times would they have hosted a playoff game. The Big 10 would really benefit from a larger eight-, 12- or 16-team playoff, but definitely not a four-team model.
The Big 10 is really trying to do a preemptive strike against a larger playoff, because we all know that after a few years of a playoff with four teams there will be talk of expansion to include more teams, and with more teams involved the less valuable the Rose Bowl becomes and in turn less money the Big 10 would earn.
So, do not let the Big 10 fool anyone that they are really on board with a college football playoff.
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