Debates surrounding College Football Playoff expansion are running rampant. The Big Ten is set on expanding to 24 teams as soon as possible while the ACC and Big 12 are in favor of 24 teams as well if it makes sense financially.
The SEC hasn’t come out and voiced their opinion as a conference just yet, and a lot of that apparently has to do with the coaches and administrators not being able to come to an agreement.
”Among head coaches who took a position, at least three supported 24,” Brandon Marcelo wrote for cbssports.com. “Two said they would support either 16 or 24. Two said they preferred 16 but would accept 24 under certain scheduling conditions. Two said they preferred 16. One said they were indifferent. Two were undecided. ”
Kirby Smart certainly has been a part of these conversations with the SEC, but his value can’t be understated as the SEC is the lone holdout from the playoff expanding right now.
Kirby Smart’s voice carries the most weight as CFP expansion debates ramp up
Ever since Nick Saban retired from Alabama it has been Smart who has the loudest voice in the SEC. In fact, his opinion should be the most valuable out of any coach in all of college football now.
His opinion on if the playoff should expand and to how many teams will be respected by everyone because no active head coach in college football today has won more than him. So while the SEC is still trying to figure out what stance they want to take, Smart could be the one voice that can unite them all on the same idea.
Which direction will Smart go though? There are good and bad reasons for expanding the playoff, and he already has publicly discussed both, but Smart is potentially the one person who can help the SEC finally come to a consensus.
CFP expansion is good and bad for Georgia
This is a difficult decision for Smart because there are both good and bad things that will happen to Georgia if the playoff expands.
For starters, a larger playoff means more games and more money that will eventually enter Georgia’s pockets. On top of that, an expanded playoff would more than likely mean Georgia will never miss the CFP again and more teams like Miami, who barely made it in last year’s playoff, could make a deep run like they did.
On the flip side there are a lot of negatives though. For starters, the regular season will be fare less important than its ever been. SEC teams could go 8-4 and still make the playoff, so each individual game (including rivalries) will be less meaningful because a handful of losses won’t end anyone’s season.
The SEC Championship game would likely come to an end as well to make room for all these extra playoff games.
Smart clearly is torn at this point in time, but it’s important that he figures out what he thinks is the best course of action. His opinion could be the one thing college football needs to finally come to a consensus, so Georgia fans better hope he decides on whatever would put the Bulldogs in the best position going forward.
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