By Danny Cohen ’15, Featured Columnist

The new College Football Playoff (CFP), which just completed its first season, has been a substantial upgrade from the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) that operated from 1998-2013. The BCS faced constant criticism because it only gave two teams the chance to play for the National Championship after the regular season and Conference Championship games. Coaches, commentators, and fans were often frustrated when teams with very similar resumes would not have the same opportunity to play for the National Title. The CFP, on the other hand, gives four teams a shot at the title. In fact, this year’s champion Ohio State would not have even been in the National Championship game under the BCS system. Remarkably, they won the championship after being ranked 5^th as they entered the Big Ten Championship. However, their 59-0 victory over Wisconsin propelled them over TCU into the 4^th position.

Ohio State’s success story this year was incredible but would not have previously been possible. Before the opening game of the 2014 season, Ohio State lost two-time All-Big Ten 1st Team and two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Quarterback Braxton Miller. Consequently, they lost their second game of the season 35-21 to Virginia Tech with Freshman Quarterback JT Barret leading their offense. Nevertheless, Barret had a phenomenal season and Ohio State won the next 10 games to earn a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game. Yet, they lost Barret to a broken ankle in the regular season finale against Michigan, forcing third string quarterback Cardale Jones to start the Big Ten Championship. Again, the next man in stepped up, performing very well in a blowout victory against Wisconsin, an upset over the top seed Alabama in the Sugar Bowl Semifinal Game, and in a win against Oregon in the National Championship Game. In fact, Jones displayed so much talent in Ohio State’s three decisive victories that he is in competition to start next season and has also emerged as a potential high NFL draft choice in 2016.

Television ratings have reflected the success of the College Football Playoff in its first year. The BCS included 4 premier bowl games (Sugar, Rose, Orange, and Fiesta), one of which would also host the National Championship. Now, the CFP introduced the New Years Six, adding the Peach Bowl and the Cotton Bowl to the group that would host the premier bowl games, two Semifinal games, and the Championship Game. Now three of the games are played on New Year’s Eve Day and three are played on New Year’s Day, including the two Semifinal games. In effect, the two Semifinal Games drew a large audience and rated higher than any of the previous National Championship Games. College Football fan and future Lehigh Baseball Player Mike Gibbons ’15 expressed his excitement about the new system saying, “I love it. I think it took too long for the NCAA to develop the College Football Playoff. While some may still be unsatisfied that it is only a four team playoff, I think it’s understandable considering how infrequently football games can be played.”

I personally think that there should be more than four teams, but this year was a step in the right direction. Other college football fans agree, such as Sam Rosenberg ‘15: “I feel like we were already at the Championship Game before the playoffs even started due to the lack of teams in the bracket.”

To me, eight teams would be the perfect number. As such, the New Year’s Six could all be used as semifinal games, with four of the games moving to sometime in between the Heisman Trophy Presentation and New Year’s and the two semifinal games kept on New Year’s Day. The same procedure could be used to rotate which bowls host the Semifinal and Championship games.

Ultimately, I am excited about this past year of College Football under the CFP and I look forward to seeing more changes that further improve the way the NCAA determines its National Champion for Football.