Jeff Brohm, Lincoln Riley looking forward to 12-team playoff, future of bowl games

Jeff Brohm and Lincoln Riley have to face off in the Holiday Bowl but both are eager for a 12-team playoff next season.

Louisville would certainly be in the conversation for a spot in that bracket and USC, with a slightly better campaign in 2024, will be in contention as well. A game like the Holiday Bowl used to mean a lot, and surely it still can this year.

But all eyes will be on the 12 teams vying for a national title next fall.

“Times are gonna change, I think everyone’s really excited for the 12-team playoff to take into effect,” Brohm said. “And I think about a lot of excitement (is coming to) college football. There is a lot of interest from everyone, every fan, so even myself as a fan you look forward to seeing that dynamic work and play out. 

“So I think that’ll be exciting, obviously the other bowl games, not quite sure what exactly will happen there so I don’t have a definite answer there. But I think it is great that starting next year 12 teams are about to compete for a championship.”

Echoing Brohm, Riley was also excited but he mentioned how games like the Holiday Bowl need to stay relevant in the future of the sport. It’s bowl games like that that were huge a while back.

Today? It’s about the New Year’s Six, the CFP and a few others sprinkled in there in this new era.

“Yeah, I would agree, I mean, I’ve been excited about the 12-team playoff for a while and it’s something that certainly has needed to happen now,” Riley said. “Do I believe that that bowl games, there’s many other bowl games, this included, that are a big part of college football history, and to we need to find a way to preserve them and integrate them a new system? Hell yeah I do. 

“There’s just too many great memories, too many great players, too many great college football moments that we can’t just put off to the side just because the playoff has changed. So there’s a good way to get it done. I don’t have all the answers but certainly I’ll be in full support of that when the time comes.”

Brohm and Louisville might see each other next season in a 12-team playoff as the power conference champions get bids and there are plenty of wildcards. Don’t forget, on-campus playoff games.

So it seems like there’s plenty of excitement but some questions remain. For now, Brohm and Riley want to make this Holiday Bowl a memorable one.