Josh Brooks’ “out of the box” thinking may not be the best idea after all. As it is, the SEC is staring at an uncomfortable question as the idea of expanding the College Football Playoff to 16, or even 24 teams, continues to float. With playoff races getting tighter every season, the Georgia AD decided to add his own twist. 

“I’ve been a proponent of maybe thinking outside the box a little bit if we were to go to 16,” Josh Brooks said on Atlanta’s 680 The Fan. “I would be in favor of maybe the fifth-ranked SEC team playing the eighth-ranked team, the sixth playing seventh. That way five through eight get data points to show.”

“I would hope one through four [in the SEC] would probably be in that top 16,” he added. “So then, again, five play eight, six play seven, and that’s almost like a play-in game to make them bolster their resume to make a case for them.”

Instead of the traditional No. 1 vs. No. 2 SEC title game, Josh Brooks suggests turning championship weekend into a play-in showcase for teams ranked fifth through eighth in the conference. It sounds like a lifeline for promising teams. They get more games, more exposure, and more chances to impress the CFP committee. But if you’re already one of the SEC’s best, it’s not a favorable structure. And that’s where the logic starts to get questioned.

Brooks’ plan is not foolproof. What would happen when the conference has a down season? For example, Alabama finished the 2024 regular season at 9-4. They stood 4th in the conference, but only the top 3 ended up going to the playoffs (Texas, Georgia, Tennessee). And, if one of these playoff-contending teams is sitting at an 8-4 before this ‘SEC weekend,’ a 9-4 will not cut it with the playoff committee.

Josh Brooks’ proposal hinges on the assumption that the SEC’s top four teams are playoff locks in a 16-team field. Going by his logic, there would be a total of six SEC teams in the playoffs, the last two entering the bracket as wild-card teams. That leaves the Big Ten, Big 12, the ACC, and the other conferences 10 spots to fight for. But after the final 16 is locked, there is no guarantee that the SEC will have a National-Championship winning team. The last three seasons were won by the Big Ten. (Michigan still has the 2023 title.)

The playoff will remain at 12 teams for the 2026 season, much to the dismay of the SEC’s efforts. But if it changes from 12, something has to give. 

The SEC’s championship dilemma is getting real

Kirby Smart is probably the most familiar face when it comes to the SEC Championship games in recent years. He’s been here for five years straight now, and Georgia sits tied with Florida to have the second-most appearances in the game. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium is the Bulldogs’ home ground, after all. Yet, with impending changes in the playoff bracket, even Smart isn’t on board with playing the game.

“Where we are right now with 12 teams, I don’t necessarily agree that it needs to quit being played,” Smart said on April 2. “But if it gets to 16 or 24 and we’ve got to move the end of the season up and we’ve got to get everything done by the second week of January, then I’d say it probably has to go.”

The SEC is already moving to 9 conference games this season. If the playoff bracket increases, more games might have to be played. The gap between the regular season and the playoff schedule will get lesser. In such a scenario, the SEC championship doesn’t look as feasible. Looking at how things are progressing, fans might really have to say goodbye to a much-loved game.