I beat the "get rid of divisions" drum really hard last year. It's the only way to get this system working. Somehow the Big 12, of all conferences, is the only one to get it right. Obviously, I like Klatt's solution. I wouldn't say you HAVE to win your conference championship game, though, to make it. But I'd say you'd have to at least make it to the conference championship game to make the playoff. No way you can be the 3rd (or worst) best team in your conference and make the playoff.
I've been debating it with friends lately too....I think its absurd the Big 10 is so Top heavy in the "East". It's absurd the SEC is so top heavy in the "West". It's an unfair advantage to teams like Wisconsin, Georgia, etc., to benefit from such scheduling discrepancies. Wisconsin doesn't get Penn State and Michigan every year....
I do agree with Klatt the winning the conference championship game should be a barrier of entry. It essentially makes it a 10 team playoff. After the conference championship games, you evaluate who the best 4 out of 5 teams is.
CFB divisions are stupid. Do away with it. Go to at least a 9 team conference schedule that includes 1 major rival on the calendar every year. You rotate the rest. Two highest ranked teams in conference get invited to conference championship. Winner gets a look at going to "Final 4".
He was 100% correct when he talked about how the committee was "borderline corrupt". It's not even borderline actually.....not when ESPN has an SEC Network, 15 year contract with the SEC, and $2B invested in them. And they paid $5.6B for rights to the playoff. The "conflict of interest" is astounding. And it benefitted us twice (once when ESPN didn't want TCU or Baylor because they wouldn't bring viewership) and once when our resume was so solid it allowed them to take us over Penn State.
Putting Alabama in this year was just confirmation of the money grab they view it as. Protect their investment (Bama/SEC) while damaging Fox Sports minimally. I promise there were a lot of high-fives among executives a ESPN when Bama was formally announced. Big win for their network and investment. And borderline "F-you" to Delaney and Big 10 for making Fox our #1 partner.