"This is a greed play": ESPN analyst reveals why 12-team CFP format to 8 is nearly impossible

91st Allstate Sugar Bowl  - Notre Dame v Georgia - Source: Getty
91st Allstate Sugar Bowl - Notre Dame v Georgia - Source: Getty

College football fans have already experienced the first two rounds of high-octane games in the first year of the 12-team CFP. Notre Dame, Penn State, Ohio State and Texas have made it to the semifinals. However, ESPN's Michael Wilbon has different views on the 12-team playoff format.

According to Wilbon, an eight-team CFP bracket makes more sense than having an elongated 12-team version. However, during an appearance on "Pardon the Interruption," the ESPN analyst pointed out greed and money as factors that make creating an eight-team playoff format an impossible task.

"They are not going to go from 12 to 8 because this is a greed play," Wilbon said. "It's a money play for everybodu, including this network."
"12 is too many," Wilbon continued. "And I'm going to disagree with people who are true experts, many of them colleagues and many of them friends on this network who've been talking all day, and they all bless 12. And I'm sorry I'm not going to bless 12. It needs to be an eight-team tournament."

Wilbon pointed out the factors that make the 12-team CFP a disadvantageous situation for teams and players.

"First of all, college kids don't need to play 16 or 17 games in a season," he added. "That's henious. Secondly, if you have eight, you don't have byes. You don't need byes. The teams that have byes got beat, and they were rusty. Come one, Oregon doesn't deserves that fate. You don't need byes. Get in with eight."

The first year of the 12-team CFP has seen a few upsets in the quarterfinals. This season's natty favorites the Oregon Ducks, who were undefeated throughout the season, lost to Ohio State ending their hopes of being crowned. Even the SEC champs, the Georgia Bulldogs were beaten by Notre Dame in the quarterfinals.


ESPN's Tony Kornheiser shares his perspective on Michael Wilbon's 12-team CFP take

Michael Wilbon's co-host Tony Kornheiser also spoke up on this matter. According to him, instead of making it an eight-team playoff, a few readjustments will help the 12-team format thrive further in the future.

Kornheiser also pointed out how the 12-team format has helped teams from other conferences thrive and break the notion that the SEC is the best conference in college football

"I don't hate it," Kornheiser said. "I just think it needs readjusting. I think one of the things that we saw is it belies the fact that the SEC is by far the best conference. That's not true. Tennessee went out in their first game. Georgia went out in their second game.
"Texas is in but they're not really an SEC team yet ... And Alabama lost out to Michigan, in a bowl game. So I don't want to hear any more about how they got hosed by the committee."

This season has been full of twists and unexpected turns for college football fans. It will be interesting to see who emerges as the natty champion in the first year of the 12-team CFP.

Georgia Bulldogs Fan? Check out the latest Georgia Bulldogs depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place!

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Edited by Krutik Jain
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