We all knew it would be a matter of time before there would be people would start advocating a playoff larger than four teams. NCAA President Mark Emmert said back in April that he could see some advocating an eight-team playoff. There are now some people at Florida State who want the ACC to pusch for an eight team playoff:
FSU Trustee Joe Gruters tells Barron and Spetman to have ACC push for 8-team playoff.@tdonline #fsu
— doug blackburn (@dblackburn) June 7, 2012
The eight- and 16-team playoff has already been officially ruled off the table, but it makes sense for the ACC to want a playoff that has more than four teams. If a four-team playoff takes the highest ranked team in the polls, the ACC would not have had a team make the cut in over a decade.
The closest they would have made it in a playoff was in 2007 when Virginia Tech was No. 5, but if an eight-team model were implemented they would have had more chances to get an ACC team in a playoff.
The playoff will ultimately increase from four teams down the road, but an eight-team ideal right now with some auto bids for certain conferences would actual cause less drama and be more objective than the top four teams and however that is to be determined.
With an eight team model there could be five or six at-large spots and then a few at-large bids. That way there can be less bickering from those who do not make it since winning one's conference is still the surest way to make the playoffs and it does not dilute the regular season.
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