Instead of soft comments about College Football Playoff reform, how about Matt Rhule — and others — just get better?

At the end of February, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule joined The Triple Option podcast with Urban Meyer and made headlines when discussing big-time nonconference games.

“Why would you ever play one of those games?” Rhule asked. “And we’re being completely honest. Coach Meyer, I’m at a lucky point in life where in my fourth job and after getting fired in the NFL, I kind of say what I feel nowadays. I could care less. Why in the world would a Big Ten team who’s already playing nine conference games, why would you ever play one of those games?”

What? Why would a competitive coach want his football team to play a big nonconference game?

Rhule was the latest to say what many in positions of power in college football were saying, though it’s demonstrably inaccurate given the College Football Playoff Committee has consistently demonstrated strength of schedule and quality wins are key metrics in their deliberations.

So I bit my tongue. It was an incredibly soft thing to say, but there were no columns written. It was easy to brush aside and chalk up as grandstanding about schedule equity and how the CFP Committee goes about their business. Rhule certainly wasn’t the only person echoing that awful take.

But this month, Rhule was at it again.

There will be no tongue-biting this time. Before we get into why, let me say this to Rhule: Please – please! — stop saying incredibly soft things while trying to build one of the strongest college football programs back into a traditional power.

If you didn’t see, Rhule, while appearing on Husker Online nine days ago, was asked about what the best CFP system is for the Cornhuskers. He started off with a joke.

“The more spots the better, man. Make that thing 40 and let’s go,” Rhule said, laughing. That part was clearly in good fun, but then he continued to discuss the CFP and scheduling imbalance.

“I think, again, you’re talking about a league that we play nine conference games where some others play eight. So I think that puts you at an automatic disadvantage,” he said. “You look at two years ago we were 5-7 and you think about the years with Scott (Frost) where he was 5-7, now you add in one more Group of Five team, you take out one more Big Ten, and actually now you’re 6-6. This year you’re 6-6, now you’re 7-5. You’re just adding another win in. …

“So the more spots, the better. We’re playing in a really, really tough league. We’re playing really, really good teams. And you know what? If you play in this league you deserve a chance to get to the postseason and see what you can do.”

Outside of the joke — which made Twitter waves Wednesday — it was a fairly benign comment. But when you peel back the layers to the onion, Rhule said he’s in favor of further expansion. Maybe not 40, like he said while laughing, but he is all for as many spots as possible. Heck, maybe he’d actually be for 40. I don’t know.

You can understand why Rhule, and others in his positon, would think think this way. Rhule’s job is to be a steward for Nebraska football and he’s all about what’s best for the Cornhuskers. His opinions correlate directly to what’s best for his team.

But the continued discourse about making things easier and pushing for the privilege — emphasis on privilege — of playing for a national title to be watered down more makes my head hurt. I can’t stop thinking:

JUST GET BETTER.

STOP COMPLAINING. STOP THEORIZING.

JUST GET BETTER. BE WORTHY.

For anyone advocating for an expanded CFP or a lower threshold to get into the postseason, it sounds so soft. Instead of making the entrance to the 12-team field more relaxed, how about you actually raise the standard of your program so it is worthy of acceptance in the current system? And, if and when you do make the 12-team field, how much more gratifying will it feel having accomplished that?

It’s the same thought process as changing it from 4 to 12. We have already tripled the CFP numbers the last few years and we’re on the verge of expanding it another four. When is enough, enough?

Instead of asking what the point of playing hard games is in the preseason, why don’t you schedule them, work hard and, gulp, win?

Why not make Nebraska so good the CFP format isn’t even on your mind?

Listen, Rhule has done a great job at Nebraska already. He’s a really good coach who has turned around multiple programs and Nebraska was smart in hiring him. The amount of talent he’s brought into the program has elevated and he actually cares about the individuals on his roster. He’s a good man who understands the power of the Nebraska brand and he embraces what the loyal Cornhuskers fans want and deserve.

We’re talking about a coach who managed to convince a five-star quarterback prospect to spurn Georgia and come to Lincoln. Good things are happening there. Continue the trajectory.

Don’t make it easier. Accomplish the hard thing. And if you ask a Nebraska fan if it wants to get into the CFP as the 23rd best team or if it wants its team to get good enough to be worthy in this system, what do you think they’d pick? The latter, of course.

Yes, the Big Ten plays a hard schedule. And yes, adding another nonconference game against a really good opponent makes it much more difficult to finish the season 10-2. And yes, the SEC plays a shorter conference schedule, which can be taken as an advantage to the teams who play in that conference. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah.

But, for once, wouldn’t it just be nice to hear a coach say they want to play an extra tough game because it gives his program an opportunity to be excellent?

Wouldn’t it be great for someone — anyone — to acknlowedge that winning a big-time nonconference game agaisnt a great opponent gives you more margin for error with losses later on?

Wouldn’t it be great to hear that you crave competition against the best because it brings out the best in your players and your standard?

That’s what I want out of my eventual national champion. That’s what I want from the teams who make the CFP field with the hopes of claiming the sport’s most elusive trophy.

Excellence. Not excuses.