Ohio State AD Gene Smith on a Potential 8-Team Playoff: Think About the Impact on the Players' Bodies
By Jason Lisk
The College Football Playoff semifinals were a rousing success, at least in terms of public attention. This was not surprising. Four is a big improvement over two in terms of fairness for the top teams, in a sport where they infrequently play each other across regions and conferences.
There is plenty of clamoring for an eight-game playoff, which would get all the major conferences into the party in a given year, so we don’t have to debate Big 12 versus Big 10. (My view is that 6 is the best number competitively, to insure that teams with disparate schedules will include all that have a reasonable argument).
However, there is more to consider than just the best method competitively to find a champion, and Ohio State AD Gene Smith addressed some of these.
"Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said having eight teams makes sense if the desire is only about money. But he opposes the idea and stressed there are final exams, Christmas holidays, fighting with the NFL for the same ad dollars, and the wear-and-tear of players’ bodies to consider. “I’m an old-school guy. I think (players) ought to be home for Christmas and days around Christmas,” Smith said. “Think about the impact on their bodies. Now you take eight of the top teams and you ask them to go through their regular season. This is not (Division) I-AA football. This is not Division II football. This is (Ohio State defensive linemen) Mike Bennett and Joey Bosa vs. those guys on the Alabama offensive line.”"
Smith’s concern here is valid, in the abstract. When we talk of additional games, considerations go beyond, “what do the fans want” and “what would make the most money.”
On the other hand, this bird has flown on much of college football. Teams used to play eleven games schedules just 25 years ago. Was it concern over athlete well-being that led to things like conference championship games, double the number of bowl games, and expanded schedules? How many players are home for Christmas and the days around Christmas? Clemson, for example, had a practice on Christmas Day in Orlando in preparation for their bowl game. Most of the bowl games are jammed between Christmas and New Year’s. Players probably aren’t hanging out at home then, even if they get a day off.