I was reading up on the latest conference realignment stuff, and I came across an interview with Clemson economics professor Raymond Sauer.  It’s a very quick read, but a good read, and the final question and answer got me thinking about an eight-team playoff.

Right now, it looks as if college football is headed towards a four-team playoff.  We don’t know any details such as the format (four conference champions, or four highest-ranked teams, etc.), the TV deal, or the revenue sharing.

I always assumed that when a playoff happened, it would be an eight-team format.  To me, when you compare it to every other sport out there (professional and college), four teams seems too few.  I think eight is ideal, from a competition standpoint and a money generating standpoint.

“What the colleges have to do is be careful that a playoff structure doesn’t dilute the value of the regular season,” Sauer said in the Q&A with The Post and Courier.  “The way to do this is to make the conference championships matter. Make it meaningful to win your conference, your division. I wouldn’t be surprised if we move from a four-team conception to an eight-team conception.”

...