What the first two rounds of the College Football Playoff taught us

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Hindu mythology presents a profound and passionate tale in the story of Parvati and Ganesh. In this narrative, Parvati, the wife of Lord Shiva, longs for a child. During Shiva’s absence, she molds a boy from clay, creating the son she desires. She entrusts him with her protection, and he dutifully fulfills his role. One day, while Parvati bathes, she instructs the boy, Ganesh, to guard her chambers. When Shiva returns and demands entry, Ganesh refuses, unaware of his father’s identity. A fierce battle ensues, resulting in Shiva beheading Ganesh.

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Overwhelmed by Parvati’s grief, Shiva repents and orders his attendants to find the head of an elephant. Upon its retrieval, he restores Ganesh to life and elevates him above other gods. Ganesh becomes revered as the remover of obstacles and the god of wisdom and intellect, worshipped before all others. Shiva’s remorse and his declaration highlight the transformative power of reflection, wisdom, and growth.

“Even gods must bow to love and make amends for their actions. Forgiveness is the path to divine harmony”

This story offers intriguing parallels to the evolution of the College Football Playoff (CFP) system. Just as Parvati’s creation of Ganesh was born of longing and refined through trial and error, the 12-team CFP represents a system molded from the remnants of the old BCS format. Over time, this iterative process has produced something truly remarkable. The 12-team bracket mitigates the frustration of deserving top-tier teams being excluded from championship contention. While some advocate for a 16-team bracket, the first round demonstrated that lower-seeded teams, while exciting, struggled against the top seeds. Matches hosted at higher-seeded campuses in South Bend, State College, Columbus, and Austin were electric, creating a thrilling atmosphere unmatched by other postseason formats.

In round two, the gap between elite and “deserving” teams became more apparent. While debates about ”rest vs. rust” abound, the deeper issue lies in the overemphasis on conference championships. These titles no longer hold the significance they once did. Few fans are celebrating conference wins when the ultimate goal is the national title. The CFP has shifted the focus to broader excellence, making conference championships feel like consolation prizes. I mean, honestly, is anyone in Athens pumping their chest about winning the almighty ESSEESEE? Is all of Tempe elated about taking the XII? Does Eugene have solace in claiming the Integer in their first run at the conference? No one cares and no on SHOULD care.

To address this, I propose eliminating conference championship games. Conferences can still crown champions based on regular-season records, but the CFP committee should have the freedom to select and seed the best teams without being constrained by automatic slots for champions. This approach ensures that only the most deserving teams receive byes or favorable positioning, as demonstrated this season by the dominance of programs like Oregon, Notre Dame, Texas, and Ohio State (all of whom SHOULD have received the byes instead). With the elimination of the conference champ games, THEN the first round bye becomes a true reward and would eliminate any suggestion of a rust factor. Clearly, because ND came in off of their two week “bye” and completely smoked Indiana.

We don’t need more games, we just need to tweak the format of the ones we have. The second adjustment I’d love to see is playing the SECOND round at campus sites as well. Because each team in the playoff deserves to have that experience. Doing it this way, you guarantee that no team would host two weeks in a row but that every higher seed gets at least one of these electric weekends on their campuses. From there, you rotate to the major bowl sites and just do like we have been where the Rose, Cotton, Fiesta, Sugar, Peach, and Orange all take turns hosting a semifinal and NC in successive years.

The story of Parvati and Ganesh teaches us that wisdom often arises from reflection and adaptation. The Puranas, akin to Ovid’s Metamorphoses, convey the idea that with wisdom, barriers can fall, and ignorance can turn minor obstacles into insurmountable challenges. College football has come a long way from the chaotic days of AP and Coaches Poll championships. The BCS improved the system marginally, and the CFP took us closer to identifying a true champion. This year’s inaugural 12-team playoff is the most refined version yet, offering a clearer path to crowning the best team.

As the sport continues to evolve, let’s embrace the lessons of growth and wisdom. By breaking down remaining barriers—such as the overhyped importance of conference championships—we can move toward a system that ensures the true champion earns their place at the pinnacle of college football.