Jim Harbaugh is always looking to test the limits of the college football world, but the Michigan football head coach may have a point regarding the current College Football Playoffs format.
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Speaking with Detroit radio station 97.1, Harbaugh suggested that the CFP expands from its current format, which only features four teams, to something that's more like what we see at the FCS level, which starts off as a 16-team playoff.
Here's what Harbaugh said, as transcribed by TheSpun.com:
"I would change it to 16 teams," Harbaugh told 97.1's "Jamie and Stoney." "FCS, they've got a great system. It's been in place for many years. My dad won the national championship at Western Kentucky when they were I-AA in 2002. I think that's the best system."
Harbaugh went on to comment on how most of the other sports in DI athletics feature a pretty robust playoff system. Obviously, college basketball's March Madness is the most popular, but big tournament fields are the norm in college athletics.
"If you look at every other sport, they have a playoff at every level and every other college sport does as well. It's not a four-team. Basketball goes from 64 to the Final Four. I think that's the way it should be done to have a national champion like they do in gymnastics, like they do in basketball, men's and women's, lacrosse, every other sport you can think of. And you already have the format with the FCS."
Of course, it's probably a bit easier for Harbaugh to mention the expansion to at least 16 teams when his two-loss Michigan team is squarely out of the running for the current CFP, but that doesn't make his points any less valid.
A big field would make the CFP extremely exciting — while still remaining exclusive — and Harbaugh's right, there's already a good model for it with the FCS football championship bracket.
