Why Big Ten-SEC push for guaranteed byes in 14-team Playoff is 'gross,' what's really at play

During the latest episode of Andy Staples On3, the namesake of the show spoke on the report that the Big Ten and the SEC are pushing for automatic bye weeks for their respective conference champions in a potential 14-team College Football Playoff.

Staples doesn’t love that idea, and as he elaborated on why it’s a borderline disrespectful campaign from the conferences as we enter a new era of the sport.

“Let’s talk about something that has been proposed for the College Football Playoff,” Staples started. “Could the Big Ten and the SEC get guaranteed byes in a 14-team Playoff? As in, their champions are guaranteed the No. 1 and No. 2 seed. Guaranteed the byes. That is part of the most recent model being socialized, is the word they used. Ross Dellenger from Yahoo reported it yesterday. … Remember last week, when the 14-team talk came up? And I said the only reason they’re doing 14 is so the Big Ten and the SEC can protect their championship games by having some stakes so that there can be two byes, and their champs can get those two byes? That’s the only reason.

“Otherwise, you just go to 16, because that’s more games to sell in the College Football Playoff package. More money for everybody. Same number of rounds. That’s why they want to do 14.”

Staples even went as far as to call the idea “absolutely gross” from the conferences, believing it’s disingenuous from the Big Ten and the SEC.

“This is gross, by the way. Absolutely gross,” Staples added. “If the SEC and the Big Ten really want to do this. You don’t codify this. I get that they’re not going to sue you, because you’re giving the highest risk Group of Five champ access. You’re giving the ACC and the Big 12 to automatic bids. So they’re gonna shut up. You’re gonna take most of the money, through the Big Ten and the SEC, because you can. But just make it where the top two seeds get the byes. You don’t have to guarantee that to yourselves. You’re gonna get that anyway most years.

“Like, if you’re gonna do this, then just don’t worry about the bridge, and go to the Super League. Help the teams — well, you can’t help because you’d get sued, but grease the wheels in some way, so the teams will want to get out of the ACC can get out, buy out and get into your leagues, and form the Super League, and just tell everybody else, ‘Sorry, we’re doing our own thing,’ because this version of it is not going to be that satisfying. At least pretend everybody has a better chance. Don’t stack the deck in your favor so obviously.”

Time will tell the direction the College Football Playoff goes in, but it’s evident the Big Ten and the SEC are looking our for their best interests, whether that’s popular or not with the rest of the sport.