SAN JOSE, Calif. -- In a second-floor ballroom of the Fairmont San Jose Hotel, just hours before kickoff of the national championship game last Monday, the most powerful people in college football met behind closed doors to discuss the future of the four-team College Football Playoff.
For the first time in the five years since the CFP began, this annual meeting of the sport's power brokers drew increased interest, as there was a swell of public speculation about expanding the playoff. While most who follow the sport agreed that No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Clemson deserved their spots, some questioned the Big Ten champion's exclusion for the third straight year and another perceived snub for undefeated UCF.