College football’s playoff system is starting to resemble a poorly built cheap bookshelf—it looks okay, but it can’t handle the real load. Well, as the CFP committee enters the final two weeks, there are several decisions that the 13 members to make: For instance, which team will receive a first-round game at home? Which four conference champions will receive a first-round bye? Ideally, the top four champions receive a bye into the quarterfinals and many assumed that the champions of the four power leagues would get those first-round byes annually. However, the CFP’s previous rankings were only as clear as mud.

Boise State, which was 10-1, was ahead of all Big 12 teams. That made way for the Broncos to receive the No. 4 seed and also the first-round bye in a Group of Five-over-Power Four leap. Big 12 commissioner, Brett Yormark, was unhappy with such a decision. And now, former Penn State tight end and analyst Adam Breneman sees the cracks. He is of the opinion that the whole seeding system is a mess and needs a complete overhaul. Is it finally time to build a stronger shelf that can hold the weight of the best teams in college football?

Breneman posted a video on Instagram which he captioned, “The CFP seeding system currently broken. We need to fix it ASAP.” In the video, he shared some of his concerns.

He explained, “The College Football seeding system is broken. And the way that teams get first round byes. I don’t believe that a college football conference championship game, in any conference, makes a ton of sense. I don’t think that conference championship game is all that important. When you play 12 regular season games, the top record in the conference should be the conference champion.”

“The NFL is a pretty good model now. They have done it right for a long time. The NFL doesn’t have a divisional championship. They have the division champions who make the playoff and the top teams from the division get the first round byes and get a chance to host a playoff game. That’s how the college football playoff should be run.”

His analogy to the NFL’s divisional structure drives his point home. Unlike college football, the NFL rewards sustained excellence throughout the season, offering byes and home games to top teams without subjecting them to a single, do-or-die divisional playoff game.

Breneman further explained, “A team goes 12-0 in regular season, then loses by a fluke play in the big 12 title game. The other team should not then get the first round bye with 3 or 4 losses just because they won one game. The team that one 12 games straight should get the first round bye and should be the conference champion. So I don’t love having one game matter so much in college football.”

Breneman’s remarks bring the Nittany Lions head coach’s side to the spotlight. James Franklin and Penn State have narrowly escaped a loss against Minnesota with a nail-biting 26-25 win, keeping their CFP hopes alive. But Adam Breneman pointed out a controversial twist: if Penn State avoids the Big Ten Championship Game, they are almost guaranteed to host a first-round playoff game.

“There’s gonna be a sentiment here where some teams may rather avoid the conference championship game. Because you may be guaranteed a first round home playoff game. You are not going to get a first round bye, but if you lose the conference title game, you may miss the playoff altogether. Or you may be on the road of the first round of the playoff. Think about a Penn State.”

“Penn State wins out, missed the conference the title game, is guaranteed to host the first round game in Happy Valley. If they play in the conference title game, then lose to Oregon by 14 points, they are probably still in the playoffs, but they are probably an 11 or 12 seed in the playoff. They are probably a 10 seed, not a 6 or 5 seed like they would be right now. So I think the conference championship games will have less and less significance as it goes on and I don’t think it ultimately makes a ton of sense to deem the conference champion as a team that wins one game,” Breneman concluded.

This argument gains traction in light of recent upsets across college football and Adam Breneman predicts a future where elite teams may deliberately avoid their conference title games to protect playoff positioning—a strategy that feels counterintuitive but might become the new norm.

This brings us to another argument: A nightmare scenario for Big 12. Kansas State, which beat Tulane in September, is ranked below the Green Wave. Many perceive it as the committee not viewing the Big 12 in a favorable light and that’s not something Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark is happy about.

“Based on where we sit today, I see no rationale for the Big 12’s champion not getting a first-round bye. The winner of our championship should receive a bye. I have a lot of trust in the selection committee and I’m sure they’ll see it that way. Just look at the data. The data doesn’t lie. From a strength-of-schedule standpoint, all four of our schools at the top of the standings are ranked ahead of Boise State,” Yormark told Yahoo Sports.

But to Penn State fans, there is a more tricky question waiting for an answer: Should James Franklin and his Nittany Lions gamble it all in the Big Ten Championship or play it safe, ensuring their playoff journey begins in front of a roaring home crowd? Regardless of coach Franklin’s gamble to save his QB Allar, he needs to still fix a few things.

Coach James Franklin outlines Penn State and its fix-it list

James Franklin started it off with the special teams’ struggles that turned out to be pivotal in Penn State’s matchup against Minnesota. The Gophers’ blocked punt in the second quarter shifted the game’s momentum, setting them up with prime field position for a quick touchdown and a 17-10 lead.

According to JK in his post-win press conference, it wasn’t a scheme failure but an execution mishap. With three blockers assigned to counter Minnesota’s three rushers, punter Riley Thompson’s wider-than-normal kick gave Derik LeCaptain just enough of an edge to get a hand on the pigskin. LeCaptain blocked the first punt against Penn State since 2018.

Later, another special team’s misstep haunted Penn State. A blocked extra-point attempt in the closing moments of the first half led to a Minnesota defensive two-point return. Instead of heading to halftime with the game tied, the Nittany Lions trailed 19-16, a frustrating swing that highlighted the significance of clean execution in high-pressure moments.

But what was Head Coach Franklin’s takeaway? Well, execution matters just as much as strategy.