Urban Meyer Raises Major Concern With Current College Football Playoff Format

Urban Meyer, a former college football coach and current analyst, expressed strong disapproval of the current College Football Playoff format during an appearance on The Joel Klatt Show. The 2025-26 CFP saw heated debates over which teams earned spots based on their schedules, with Notre Dame and Texas being prominent examples of potential snubs.

Miami managed to secure a spot in the championship game, where they lost to Indiana. The SEC's Texas and the Big Ten's Ohio State are set to meet in a significant out-of-conference matchup on Saturday night. Meyer, now with Fox Sports, argued that games like this one do not belong in the CFP and called the format's "core fundamentals" "so wrong."

He suggested replacing the committee with a play-in tournament where each conference would have four games, ultimately allowing eight teams to compete. Texas, which did not make the CFP last year, would have been included if they had faced a tougher opponent like Ohio State instead of Old Dominion, Meyer contended. The coach emphasized that the current system often prioritizes easy wins over challenging out-of-conference games, potentially harming team records and CFP chances.

The College Football Playoff has been in place since 2014, with the format expanding from four teams in the inaugural tournament to 12 teams in 2023, and possibly expanding further after this season. However, the selection criteria continue to be a source of controversy and debate in the world of college football.