Atlanta — You were duly warned. You wanted a real playoff system — and by “you,” I mean a majority of college football fans — and after years of debate, you got it.
And it’s good, right? A four-team field has produced great games and epic championship clashes in five years. Good enough for me, good enough for many, never good enough for everyone.
These are the unintended consequences you were warned about, that the emphasis on the playoff would de-emphasize everything else, from the regular season to the non-playoff bowls. More and more players are sitting out bowls and it’s hard to blame them, although fans can be dismayed by the direction and the message.