Ryan Day rips College Football Playoff bye system in 2024 for being 'a little out of whack'

Ryan Day is finally a national champion, breaking through with Ohio State in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. Even so, he can admit the formula is not perfect after one season. Specifically with the seeding and how the four byes were determined.

The top four conference champions did not have to play a first-round game, something Day called “a little out of whack.” He believes the byes should go to the top four ranked teams per the College Football Playoff committee. Conference champions still get an automatic qualifier but just into the field, not having the big advantage of a bye.

“I think it was clear this year that the automatic byes were a little out of whack,” Day said. “When you see how it all shook out, I think they need to rethink that. I understand why, in the first year, it was done that way. I think that if you win your conference, sure, you should get in. But you get a bye? I think that’s a little much.”

Day says the four teams who receive byes should be the CFP committee’s top four.

When the CFP bracket was revealed in December, Ohio State was viewed as the team with the toughest path. Tennessee was first up, a game many predicted the Vols to win in Columbus. Fresh off a loss to Michigan, Day’s squad proved a lot of doubters wrong with a resounding victory. But getting into the quarterfinals meant a matchup against Oregon, the Big Ten Champions and No. 1 overall seed.

Boise State and Arizona State receiving byes caused Ohio State to slide down to the eight-seed despite being ranked 6th in the final CFP rankings. Oregon is not the team you would suspect to see that early in the tournament after finishing ranked No. 6.

Had the bye system Day suggested been in place, the Buckeyes would have hosted Arizona State before facing Texas, likely in the Peach Bowl.

Obviously, Ohio State is happy with how the entire process played out. They got through the possible most difficult stretch with a national championship. A path of Tennessee, Oregon, Texas, and Notre Dame is one the fans in Columbus will remember for a long time.

Day still sees where areas of improvement are needed, though. Whether or not changes are made ahead of this fall — probably the second and final edition of the 12-team playoff — will be one of the offseason’s biggest storylines.