By: Robert Craft

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

We need to expand the College Football Playoffs to eight teams, they say. We need to acknowledge the conference champions and provide access to more deserving teams.

Maybe it is time to relax and ask the important question: Do we want to expand?

The Oklahoma – LSU game looks bad and has many armed chair quarterbacks questioning the teams that deserve to be in the playoffs.

Oklahoma earned the spot during the regular season and with the Big 12 championship.  Oklahoma had the best resume.

It is certainly possible that the Playoff Committee made a mistake in selecting the Sooners this year.

Could Alabama or Georgia put up a better fight against LSU? LSU beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa on November 9th 46-41. Then Alabama suffered their second loss of the season in the Iron Bowl 48-45 to Auburn.

Georgia was boat raced out of the Georgia Dome by LSU in the SEC championship game 37-10. Plus, Georgia had a huge wart on their resume with a 20-17 loss to a four-win South Carolina team.

This is not an argument for expansion, because expanding to six or eight teams would increase the blowouts.

This season there were 3 elite teams in college football: Ohio State, Clemson and LSU.

Since the playoffs have started, we have experienced some classic National Championship games, but only a couple semifinals have lived up to expectations.

The four team playoff is an improvement over the BCS. I know today’s society wants everything bigger and better. Expanding to eight teams would open things up for each of the Power 5 Conferences to be represented.

The hunger to expand to an eight team playoff is slowly, but surely taking over the sport and when it happens, many will cheer. An expanded playoff means the gap between the quality of opponents is going to get even bigger not smaller.

If the goal is to get better games then surely expansion is not the answer. If the goal is to increase revenue to the Power 5 Conferences than expansion will happen. “Follow the Money”

There is no ideal way to determine a national champion in college football. Limit the field and you run the risk of not seeing the best teams compete for a title.

Expand the field and fans are watching more watered down games. As a college football fan, who may complain now with 4 teams, will complaints stop after we add another 4?

College football fans love watching classic games. The Clemson 29-23 win over Ohio State, which sent the Tigers to the College Football Playoff Championship game was one. This game was an instant classic and drama at the highest level.

It was a grueling battle between two elite college football teams filled with comebacks, instant replay overturned and late game, gut wrenching drama.

In many cases, more college football is a good thing, but blowouts are not good for anyone.

Expanding the playoffs is a way that makes more money for the Elite Power 5 Conferences, whose only priority is to increase revenue. Expanding the playoff will dilute the quality of the games.

That is why the upcoming Championship game is so attractive.