Joel Klatt pushes back against straight seeding model for College Football Playoff

Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt pushed back against the straight seeding model for the College Football Playoff in 2025. He used a reseeded bracket for the first 12-team edition if it used the new model.

Previously, the 12-team playoff ensured the top four seeds (and byes) would go to the four highest ranked conference champions. Now, that is no longer the case.

“The obvious problem with the graphic that you see right over there is that Penn State and Texas, they wouldn’t have been penalized at all for losing the SEC and Big Ten championship game,” Klatt said on his podcast. “Well, that’s obviously a problem, because they’re the winners of those games. Oregon and Georgia aren’t gaining a real advantage. 

“Maybe you could say the seed that they’re getting is going to be better, because their potential matchup in that quarterfinal round is better. Okay, you can maybe make that argument, but really, what is the incentive of winning and playing hard in that game?” 

Klatt’s argument is the devaluing of the conference championship games even further. Some made the argument last season because Oregon went undefeated and won the Big Ten, earning the No. 1 seed. However Ohio State, the eventual national champion, didn’t even play for the conference crown and boat-raced the Ducks in the quarterfinals.

Joel Klatt pushes back on new College Football Playoff straight seeding model

“Now, what they have done for this season in 2025 by going to a straight seeding model, is that they have devalued the conference championship games, in particular in the two best conferences in the country where our last two national championships have come from,” Klatt said. “These two conferences, which continue to get better and better and better and house the best teams in the country, now you’ve devalued the conference championship game.

“None of us like that. So while the seeding might be better for this season, and moving forward, I certainly don’t like the thought of devaluing a game that I think should be very important and should have some real meaning and consequence for the winner and the loser.” 

Of the four teams that earned the bye last season, none were able to win their first game. That included ninth-ranked Boise State and 12th-ranked Arizona State. It also included the top-two ranked teams in Oregon and Georgia.

This comes at a time when there have been discussions about several changes to the College Football Playoff. That includes potential further expansion to either 14 or 16 teams. Those discussions also include proposals that there would be automatic bids that go along with the CFP. In one, it would include four SEC teams, four Big Ten teams, two Big 12 teams, two ACC teams, one Group of Six team, and three automatic bids.