[FreeAtlanta]

16 top rated teams. Elimination games each weekend of December. Championship on New Years day.

Use existing bowls as the playoff bowls and rotate them yearly.

Allow all teams outside of the play-off to continue to have the minor bowls.

[Tallguy]

Use existing bowls as the playoff bowls and rotate them yearly.

The Bowls will need to be 'bought off' because nobody will actually go to those games if they are reduced in importance. The current system, bad as it is, is acceptable to the major bowls.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

But then, how can you be sure that the 16 top rated teams are really the true 16 best teams in the country. I must say, there appears to be a LOT that must come together for you plan to work. Highly doubtful.

Bottom Line: There will always be someone who feels that they were unjustly left out of the process.

[Niteranger68]

Ditto that, but only 8 teams. If a school can't get in the top 8, they have no business being put in a position to be champion. I think going from 2 possible champs to 8 is more than acceptable. Plus, you would only have 2 teams that play an extra game and 2 teams that play two extra games. Remember, the first round of 4 games would count as the bowl games they would play in anyway.

That being said, these elected officials are an embarrassment to their constituents for even sticking their nose in this.

[lepton]

Use existing bowls as the playoff bowls

You do realize that the respective Bowls own their own Bowl, right? They are not owned by the NCAA. The Rose Bowl, for example, is owned by the Tournament of Roses Committee, which has spent nearly over a century promoting its exhibition matches to augment its Parade. From their point of view, your proposal is utterly absurd.

[Michael.SF.]

16 top rated teams

Why not open it up more?

15 conference champions, allow room for two independents.

Conference championship game would be round one of the playoffs and thus 32 teams would be eligible.

"Ratings" would no longer be as important as winning games. If a team cannot win their conference, they do not deserve to be national champions (I am thinking of Oklahoma a few years ago). Then continue as you describe.