Brent Venables on College Football Playoff Expansion: Win Your Games

College football’s about to change in a big way with the looming expansion of the College Football Playoff (CFP). The debates over automatic bids, conference politics, and who gets in? Still raging, honestly.

But there’s a bottom line here: winning is the clearest route to the postseason. Oklahoma’s head coach, Brent Venables, put it bluntly, stressing that you just have to take care of business on the field.

As the sport shifts, the CFP expansion feels inevitable. That’s going to bring new chances—and headaches—for teams all over the country.

The Simple Truth: Win Your Games

Even with all the noise about CFP expansion, Venables keeps it simple: If you want to be in complete, total control, win your games. It’s not rocket science, but it’s the truth—teams have to perform week in, week out if they want a shot at the playoffs.

Last season, Oklahoma showed how it’s done. They won their last four games, knocking off big names like Alabama and Missouri, and punched their ticket to the playoffs.

Challenges of the Current System

The current CFP selection process? Far from perfect. When humans are making the calls, you’re always going to get a bit of bias and plenty of disagreement.

Things like strength of schedule or head-to-head wins can matter a lot one year, then not so much the next. That inconsistency frustrates teams and fans, no doubt.

Expansion: More Spots, More Opportunities

With expansion, more teams will get a shot at the postseason. More spots mean you can slip up once or twice and still be in the mix.

It also opens the door for programs outside the usual powerhouse circle to actually make the bracket. That could shake things up and give us some fresh matchups, which sounds pretty exciting.

Venables’ Perspective on Expansion

Venables sees the upside of expansion but doesn’t want teams leaving things to chance. Don’t leave it to the officials to make a decision in the game, don’t leave it up to anybody else—win your games, he says.

That attitude matters for any team hoping to call its own shots and avoid missing out because of someone else’s opinion.

Legitimate Gripes and the Need for Consistency

Venables gets why some teams feel burned by the system. He points to Vanderbilt’s 10-win season and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian’s push for his three-loss team as examples where the process feels unfair.

But really, the best way to dodge those heartbreaks is to be consistent and win the games that count most.

Conference Politics and the Push for Expansion

Conference politics are a huge part of the expansion conversation. The Big Ten, ACC, and Big 12 all want a bigger playoff, and the Big 12 is even thinking about adding a 10th conference game to boost their schedules.

Some SEC coaches are open to the idea, but their commissioner, Greg Sankey, seems a bit more hesitant about making big moves right away.

The Future of College Football Playoffs

Honestly, it looks like the postseason is only getting bigger from here. More teams mean more access, more meaningful late-season games, and, let’s be real, more revenue.

Conference commissioners are laser-focused on locking down as many postseason paths as possible, especially now that league strength and TV deals are so closely tied together.

Benefits of Expansion

Expansion is a kind of safety net. It makes it less likely that a top team from a big conference gets left out after a controversial selection.

That’s a big selling point for school leaders and TV execs. With more teams in the mix, the race for a national championship just gets that much more intense—and, yeah, more fun to watch.

Concerns and Criticisms

Of course, not everyone’s thrilled. Some folks worry that a bigger playoff might water down the regular season or let in teams that don’t really deserve a shot at the title.

But those concerns probably won’t stop expansion. In the end, more games, more TV slots, and more playoff spots usually win the day in college football.

Conclusion

The College Football Playoff is going to expand. That’s not really up for debate anymore.

How many teams? Well, folks will argue about that for a while. But the sport’s headed toward a bigger postseason, and that’s just the reality.

More teams means more chances, more chaos, and—let’s be honest—way more money. Coaches like Brent Venables keep saying the same thing: win your games, and you’ll be fine.

If you’re looking for more updates or want to dig a little deeper into the CFP changes, check out CBS Sports.