There seems to be a growing discussion among college football connoisseurs about the possibility of playoff expansion in the not too distant future. As it stands right now, four teams are selected based off strength of schedule, head-to-head results against common opponents, championships won and other factors.

The current system is in its fifth year of existence and seemingly has received very few gripes. Still, many fans want more teams included.

The common solution there seems to be an eight-team playoff.

You could take five champions from the sport’s major conferences (SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12), and the other three spots could be occupied by at-large teams (i.e. teams that fell short of winning conference championships or independents like Notre Dame or even teams—like unbeaten UCF—from lesser conferences).

This year, for instance, it would probably be: No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Clemson, No. 3 Notre Dame, No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 5 Georgia, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 7 Michigan and No. 8 Washington.

My problem with the above proposal is that it will devalue the regular season. There will be three-loss teams like Pac 12 Champion Washington making it to the playoff. Truth is, if you’ve lost that many games, you probably don’t deserve to compete for a national championship.

Every game on the schedule needs to feel important and like a must-win. If you lose a game—whether it be early in the season or late—it should significantly hinder your chances of making the cut.

Then there’s the less common six-team proposal, which would award the top two teams a bye week while the other four square off. I’m not a big fan of this either. Right now, top-ranked Alabama gets 27 days to rest up and prepare for their semifinal matchup. And Notre Dame?

Thirty-three days. Do these teams really need or deserve a bye week on top of that? Probably not.

If you can’t already tell, I’m satisfied with what the four-team playoff brings to the table. More often than not, the committee has gotten it right with their selections and put the most deserving teams in.

But does a program like UCF deserve a shot? Members of the American Athletic Conference, the Knights have won 25 straight games dating back to last year, but they’ve yet to receive legitimate consideration for the playoff. Obviously their strength of schedule or lack thereof hurts

them, but you can’t ignore what they did to Auburn in last year’s Peach Bowl. If UCF beats LSU in next week’s Fiesta Bowl, maybe it’s time to finally include the Knights in that conversation.

That’s what makes the NCAA Basketball Tournament so great each and every year. It’s that David versus Goliath aspect of the little guy facing off with an established powerhouse. And we’ve seen the little guys not just come out swinging but also come out victorious on countless occasions. Maybe UCF or Boise State or another wildly successful Group of Five team will get their shot one day. If not, maybe a separate playoff for the Group of Five Conferences (American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt) could be an option.

Point is, there’s always room for dialogue and discussion when it comes to the future of the sport. If any changes were to come for the current system, it would be several years down the road once the CFP’s television contract with ESPN expires. I’m sure we’ll hear many more ideas between now and then.