That article was more than 24 hours ago. Obviously, he had written a BCS title game column, then gotten word from a source late that the playoff was coming. He added that as a topper. I actually think it works well.

If we're going down the road to a playoff, I think four teams is perfect. I don't care that each of the major conferences doesn't have a participant; in my lifetime, there's never been a season in which five or more teams were legit contenders for No. 1.

An N.F.L.-style playoff of 8 or 16 teams is not coming. Nor is a reversion to the bowl system before the creation of an annual title game. The changes will fall somewhere in the middle, and will not be put into effect for two more seasons because of the existing television contract.

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So in other words, we'll get a "plus-one" system starting in 2014. Not exactly what many around here are hoping for, I'm sure ...

I'm assuming they would revert back to the old system and basically make the Rose, Sugar, Orange and Fiesta Bowls the first round of the playoff and then the winners meet in the semis. Maybe it's not quite that clear cut and it's just the top four ranked teams after the bowl games are done.

I'm sure there are a lot of things that would have to be worked out. As Thamel mentions, the Rose Bowl agreement with the Pac-12 and Big 10 could fuck this up. Also, they'd have to figure out what a team has to do to be eligible to play in those games.

I think for this to work you need to eliminate the conference championship games.

I'm assuming they would revert back to the old system and basically make the Rose, Sugar, Orange and Fiesta Bowls the first round of the playoff and then the winners meet in the semis. Maybe it's not quite that clear cut and it's just the top four ranked teams after the bowl games are done.

I'm sure there are a lot of things that would have to be worked out. As Thamel mentions, the Rose Bowl agreement with the Pac-12 and Big 10 could fuck this up. Also, they'd have to figure out what a team has to do to be eligible to play in those games.

I think for this to work you need to eliminate the conference championship games.

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Honestly, I think this would help the conference championship game argument. Those games eliminate the possibility of multiple teams from each conference.