TV Ratings Could Reportedly Be Proposed as Criteria for College Football Playoff Selection

ESPN — The current 12-team model and another 14-team model that includes guaranteed spots for the Big Ten (four), SEC (four), ACC (two), Big 12 (two), Group of 5 (one) and one at-large spot (Notre Dame if it's ranked high enough) have gained the most publicity, but multiple sources have indicated that some commissioners would like the CFP to present other options this week. It's also possible other league leaders come to the table with ideas, as there is both private and public resistance to the idea of leagues having guaranteed spots to the postseason before the games are played.

One possibility, which could be viewed as a compromise, is having conferences earn automatic bids through their play each season. A model in which each Power 4 league can earn guaranteed spots through a combination of its teams' overall records -- and maybe even TV ratings, according to a source -- could be presented. The highest-ranked conferences would earn the most automatic bids.

Well who could have seen this coming? It seems the SEC, Big Ten and their television partners — the actors who conspired to create the current state of college football to line each of their pockets with more TV revenue — may want ratings to factor into the selection process for their television product.

Many people online seem to be surprised and/or outraged by this, but it makes perfect sense. The people to blame are not the ones doing exactly what you'd expect them to do based on virtually all of their previous behavior and every incentive they have to make more money; it's the people who cheered as the CFP and greater college football landscape moved in this direction. What did anyone think the outcome of creating two made-for-TV super leagues was going to be? They would just go with the flow and be content with whatever everyone else wanted?

At best, the College Football Playoff is going to become a postseason virtually indistinguishable from the NFL Playoffs. The SEC and Big Ten will have multiple guaranteed spots allotted to the top three or four finishers in each league and the rest of the bracket will be filled out from there. At worst, it's going to become a total farce controlled by ESPN in which 9-3 Alabama gets a spot over 11-2 SMU because the Tide brought in more viewers over the course of the season. And again, that's just good business by the people that have been put in charge. They are simply acting in their best interest as they've been given the power to do.

For the record, I'd still be mildly surprised if this ended up happening, but the fact it's a discussion at all should show you where the heads of the people running things are. They have none of the same goals as you or I and they will happily run this thing straight into the depths of Hell as long as there's a check down there.