College Football: Pros and Cons of Conference Championship Games

College football just keeps changing, doesn’t it? The debate over how much conference championships matter versus simply making the College Football Playoff (CFP) has really heated up lately.

As the 2025 season heads toward its climax, coaches, players, and fans are all wrestling with the strategy behind playing — or maybe not playing — in these huge games. Insights from coaches like Ryan Day at Ohio State and Kirby Smart at Georgia show just how much things have shifted, especially now that the CFP has expanded to 12 teams.

The new seeding rules are shaking up the path to the national championship. It’s a lot to process, honestly.

The Changing Landscape of College Football Playoffs

With this new 12-team playoff, the way teams think about their season has totally changed. Before, the top four conference champions got automatic byes, but now the seeding is more open — and maybe a little unpredictable.

That’s made things a lot more interesting, and a bit chaotic. Teams on the edge of both conference championships and the CFP have to make some tough calls.

Conference Championships: A Double-Edged Sword?

For Ohio State, Ryan Day keeps the focus simple: *“Every week, every Saturday, an opportunity to get to Indianapolis is on the line,”* he said. The Big Ten championship still means a lot to them.

But then there’s Kirby Smart at Georgia, who’s not so sure. He’s questioned whether it’s worth risking injuries and losing momentum for a conference title, especially when the real goal is the national championship.

Impact of the Expanded CFP Format

The expanded CFP is already changing things. Last season, all five conference champions lost their first Playoff games.

Meanwhile, the two teams that reached the national championship hadn’t played for a conference title at all. That’s got people talking — is skipping the conference championship actually better?

Case Studies: Success and Failure

Last year’s Playoff results are pretty telling. Teams like Ohio State and Notre Dame, who didn’t play on conference championship weekend, managed to go further than some who did.

On the flip side, teams like Oregon and Georgia won their conference championships but were knocked out quickly in the Playoff.

Here’s a snapshot of last year’s results:

• Georgia: 25 days off (lost)
• Notre Dame: 13 days off (won)
• Texas: 12 days off (won)
• Arizona State: 25 days off (lost)
• Ohio State: 10 days off (won)
• Oregon: 25 days off (lost)
• Penn State: 10 days off (won)
• Boise State: 25 days off (lost)

Strategic Implications for 2025

Looking at this season, the rankings and possible matchups are wild. The top four right now? Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, and Georgia.

Each team faces a different path, and their Playoff hopes could hinge on how they do in their conference championships.

The SEC Conundrum

The SEC is in a weird spot. No team has clinched a spot in the SEC Championship Game yet, so the tension is thick.

Georgia and Ole Miss could both end up 11-1 and still get high CFP seeds without playing in the conference championship. Makes you wonder — is it smarter to rest up for the Playoff instead of risking injuries in the SEC title game?

Last year, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin was pretty blunt: coaches didn’t want to risk playing in the SEC championship. That feeling seems to be spreading, even though the SEC still loves its championship game.

Lessons Learned and Future Adjustments

Nick Saban pointed out that too much time off might actually hurt teams, making them rusty instead of rested. The transfer portal madness didn’t help either, with coaches juggling recruiting and prepping for games at the same time.

Looking Ahead

This year, the transfer portal opens in January, which could let teams focus more on game prep. But the rest-versus-rust debate isn’t going away.

The NFL gives top seeds just a one-week bye, but college teams get much longer breaks. That downtime could be helpful, or it might backfire — it really depends on how teams handle it.

The Value of a Conference Championship

The value of a conference championship? It really depends on the program—and the coach, honestly. Ryan Day, for example, is pretty vocal about chasing another Big Ten title.

Meanwhile, Kirby Smart and some folks in the SEC seem to think it’s a risk they’d rather avoid. The new, expanded CFP format has muddied things up, too.

Now, teams can chase the ultimate prize without even winning their conference. That’s a shift not everyone’s comfortable with, but it’s the reality.

If you want to dig into how these strategies are changing, the full article’s over at The New York Times.