8-Team College Football Playoff Expansion? Heck, Former Georgia Coach Mark Richt Is Pushing For 32 Teams

There is bold, and then there is Mark Richt.

Discussions about expanding the four-team College Football Playoff have been ongoing for some time now. Opinions vary on where expansion should land, with some pushing for six teams, eight teams or 12.

Eight seems to be the most popular number, and it makes sense. All of the Power Five conference champions would get in, and there would still be three spots left for non-champions, Group of Five schools, etc.

The former Georgia and Miami head coach is taking things a step further though. Shoot, he's taking four steps forward. During an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show on Monday, Richt made a push for a 32-team playoff.

Yes, I'm serious.

“Here’s the thing. You’ve got everybody opting out of bowl games now, and I know COVID had a big part in it. But I think Pandora’s box got opened,” Richt said, via 247Sports. “I think a lot more kids are going to opt out of bowls, and you may see more teams opt out of bowl games. So, if people say, ‘These games are not meaningful anymore in the postseason other than the four (playoff) teams.'

Or maybe you go to 32 teams and every game is a playoff game, but the bowl system handles those games, so the bowls can still survive. But now, every game would be meaningful because it’s part of a playoff. That’s a big chunk of games, but that may be what it takes to make the postseason work again.”

We have officially gone off the rails.

I understand Richt's point. Bowl games have become meaningless. All of the postseason talk focuses on the College Football Playoff, and that will only continue with expansion. Maybe a 32-team playoff happens down the road (doubt it), but it certainly isn't happening right now.

We have to give Richt props for the boldness though.

Follow Clint Lamb on Twitter @ClintRLamb.