The College Football Playoff already getting heat to increase beyond four teams

The new College Football Playoff is still over 604 days from taking place, yet there are coaches who already want to expand beyond the current four-team format. We can all agree that four teams is better than two, but picking those third and fourth teams will be difficult. The most popular example is this past year where Stanford won the Pac-12 and defeated Oregon, but were ranked sixth with a pair of loses. While Oregon was No. 4 and did not even win their division, so have fun with those picks future selection committee.

This not the same as the No. 69 team complaining about not getting into the basketball tournament, but the fifth team which has a shot at the title. Then there is the aspect about the non-power teams getting a chance at the playoff, and going through history it may have happen once that a team from the outside would get in.

Boise State head coach Chris Petersen was asked about the playoff structure at the Mountain West meetings in Phoenix and feels that the four-team set up is a good start:

"Is this (the new four-team playoff) better for all of us in college football?" Petersen asked. "I think a playoff system and a four-team structure, no, I don't think anybody's going, 'That is the answer.' But it's moving in the right direction.

"How do you get an eight-team (playoff)? I think that would be the next really awesome step, and then how do you go even bigger than that? Well, how do we get that all done? We can only play so many games. This is college football. They're students, and you have finals and injuries. I don't have the answers."

Petersen even pondered a 16-team playoff, but acknowledged that the season would be quite long with a four-round playoff.

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly weighed in on the issue:

"I don't know that four is where we're going to finish this thing. I think it's a great entry into where we want to go," said Kelly. "Moving forward, I think the focus will be on whether it's eight or 16 [teams] or whatever the number is."

Being an independent is going to be difficult in the playoff era, and even Notre Dame does not have an special access to get into the field. They are pretty closer to the playing field of a Boise State than an ACC school, however there is no denying if they are close they might sneak their way into a spot. That is why the selection committee is going to be a tough to assemble.

Even Stanford's David Shaw wants an eight-team playoff:

"We're not ready for it yet, but I would love to see it at some point go to eight (teams)." - on @cfbplayoff #dshawpc #gostanford

— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) May 6, 2013

New College Football Playoff director Bill Hancock insists on a four-team model for 12 years, but the ground swelling movement to increase the playoff even before it has started is well underway. My best guess is that at the midway point there will be an adjustment to make the playoff at eight teams and using the same bowls that are part of the playoff now.