COLUMBUS, Ohio — The College Football Playoff’s expanded 12-team format is facing early criticism following two lopsided first-round games that saw Group of Five (G5) teams Tulane and James Madison thoroughly outmatched by their Power Four opponents.

With the Cotton Bowl matchup between Ohio State and Miami now set, Buckeye Talk podcast host Stephen Means addressed growing concerns about the playoff structure after listener texts questioned the competitiveness of the bracket.

“After two terrible football games, I’m convinced that we don’t need more than six teams in the playoffs,” read one listener text from the 210 area code. “Four was not enough, but I do not see a world where anyone lower than six wins the national title.”

The criticism stems from James Madison’s 51-34 loss to Oregon and Tulane’s 41-10 defeat at Ole Miss – games that were essentially decided early and raised questions about whether G5 teams belong on the same stage as college football’s elite programs.

Means offered a frank assessment of why we saw two G5 teams in this year’s playoff, a situation he doesn’t expect to continue.

“I think for starters, the reason the G5 got two teams in it this year isn’t because there were two G5 teams who were good enough to get in. It’s because the other four conferences didn’t do enough to keep them out,” Means explained on the podcast.

The struggles of traditional powers like Michigan, USC, and ACC teams opened the door for James Madison and Tulane to earn playoff berths as conference champions. However, the disparity in talent was evident once the games began.

While Means acknowledges that blowouts happen in every tournament format, he predicts the selection committee will adjust its approach for future playoffs.

“I don’t think we’ll see two G5 teams get it again,” Means said. “I think that is the immediate fix I think happens next year is that whether it’s Boise State or Tulane or whoever… I think only the best of that bunch is going to get in and then the other 11 spots will be power four spots.”

The format debate comes at an interesting time, as fans and analysts are still adjusting to the expanded playoff. Many wonder if the tournament will eventually grow to 16 teams, though Means expressed skepticism about the necessity for further expansion.

“I would love to see a decade of this just to see how it looks and how things turn out,” he said, contrasting it with the four-team format that provided a decade’s worth of data showing that deserving teams were being left out.

Despite the early criticism, there were some positives from the first weekend of playoff action. Two of the four games – the 7-10 and 8-9 matchups – delivered compelling entertainment, suggesting the middle-seeded games can provide the competitive balance fans crave.

As Ohio State prepares for its quarterfinal matchup with Miami, the playoff debate continues. But one thing seems clear: if the committee has its way, we’ll likely see fewer G5 teams in future playoffs, with Means predicting “only the best of that bunch” will make the cut going forward.

Here’s the podcast for this week: