Jedd Fisch, the head coach of the University of Washington, has proposed a bold idea to enhance the regular season of college football. Fisch suggests a Power Four round-robin format where each conference plays against the other three conferences during the first three weeks of the season. This proposal aims to address the concerns of devaluing the regular season, which has been a prominent criticism of the current 24-team College Football Playoff (CFP) proposal. Fisch believes that this format could help determine the strength of each conference and provide a fair basis for the final CFP rankings.
The Power Four round-robin idea is not without its challenges. It would require significant coordination between the four conferences, which have varying numbers of member teams. Additionally, it would need the support of television networks, particularly ESPN and FOX, to implement successfully. Despite these obstacles, Fisch's proposal offers a unique perspective on how to improve the regular season and ensure a more equitable playoff system.
Fisch's argument is that by playing each other early in the season, the Power Four conferences can establish a clear understanding of their relative strengths. This would help resolve the annual debate about which conferences are stronger and should receive more favorable treatment in the final CFP rankings. Fisch believes that a 9-3 Washington team should be ranked higher than a 10-2 team from a different Power Four conference, and that teams with three losses should still have a chance to compete for a national championship.
However, the implementation of this proposal is far from certain. It would require a level of cooperation between the conferences and television networks that has been rare in recent years. The potential for conference realignment and the need for a joint scheduling model further complicate the process. Nonetheless, Fisch's idea is an intriguing one that could spark a much-needed conversation about the future of college football's regular season and playoff system.
