Believe in Sweet 16 and Purple Reign

This season’s College Football Playoff debate wasn’t the first and it won’t be the last with regard to the number of playoff teams.

Yesterday, Gazette sports editor R.B. Headley gave his and others’ opinions on the matter. Today, it’s only right that yours truly weighs in.

Before the CFP, we had the Bowling Championship Series. People, then, thought the title should be settled on the field and not “with a bunch of computers,” as some put it.

But is four the magic number for the CFP?

Ideally, I’d like to see 16 teams. That includes all 10 conference champions, plus six at-large bids.

Yes, that includes the Sun Belt and MAC.

Why? Because, in my opinion, the regular season has to matter. Personally, I don’t buy into the idea that college football’s regular season is a four-month playoff. If it was, then why did Central Florida miss this season?

Why did Alabama get a rematch with LSU in 2011, even though the Crimson Tide lost to the Tigers in the regular season?

It’s a nice tagline for fans, but it hasn’t played out that way.

Conference champions would make those late November games matter. It’d make those week night MAC games matter. And, really, would people complain about two extra weeks of college football?

I’d also like to see higher seeds host every round before the national title game, but that’s a discussion for another day.

On the topic of Scott Frost and Nebraska, I think qualifying for a bowl game next season is a realistic goal. Give it until 2019 before they challenge for the division and 2020 before they’re conference title contenders.

If there’s one thing Frost has proven in his time at Central Florida, it’s that he can get results. I believe he will do that at Nebraska too.

For the NFL playoffs, I must begin with a disclaimer: I’m a Vikings fan.

The AFC is a two-horse race between New England and Pittsburgh. I think both win convincingly this weekend, then the Pats win in Foxboro next weekend.

The NFC is more wide open, but I am a fan of Minnesota’s defense and this inexplicable run of performances from Case Keenum. I think the Vikes beat the Saints, then the Falcons, to get to their fifth Super Bowl.

In its home dome, I think MINNESOTA finally wins its first Super Bowl over those Patriots.