“They Just Didn’t Belong”: Shannon Sharpe & Chad Johnson Share Their Honest Thoughts on the New CFP Format After a “Boring” First Round

Back when the new format of the college football playoffs was announced, the NCAA’s move wasn’t met with much fanfare due to the skewed quality dynamic of the games. Now with the first round games over, Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson have doubled down on their negative feeling toward the new system.

Needless to say, the games were a complete mismatch. For instance, the 5th-ranked Texas took on the 12th-seed Clemson, while sixth-seeded Penn State played the 11th-ranked SMU. Texas won 38-24; Penn State ran through the Mustangs 38-10. The difference in quality in each fixture led to one-sided games with the higher-ranked teams progressing without any hassle.

Ocho believes lower-seeded teams don’t belong in the playoffs. He explained his point by giving the example of weight classes in boxing, which are meant to create a level playing field by grouping boxers with different body weights into their respective divisions. So, fighters of similar size and weight fight each other.

The Nightcap co-host said that the heavyweights of college football — favorites such as Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas, and Ohio — clinched easy victories after facing lighter “weight class” opponents.

Ocho said – “They just didn’t belong [there]… There’s levels to everything. There’s levels to competition, there’s a reason for everything…

“In boxing, there’s a reason for weight classes. You weren’t in your weight class and that’s no disrespect to them. You just don’t have a team assembled that can compete with the type of teams you’re playing, like the Notre Dame,” elaborated Ocho.

Unc, meanwhile, endorsed closely contested games, noting that the fixtures weren’t enjoyable for neutral fans. The fans of the stronger teams were happy, of course.

“If I go to University of Texas or Notre Dame, if I went in one of those schools, I love it, but the fans that’s watching at home that didn’t attend those universities… I mean they want the game to be close. They want the game to be interesting. There’s nothing interesting about 38-10,” Unc added.

Since the playoffs brackets were announced, it was evident that the first-round matches will not have even contests. The committee should have taken this factor into account while planning and implementing the new format.

Now that the fixtures are done with, the four quarterfinal games beckon. They are set to be played on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The Bowl games are evenly matched, and should provide a great viewing experience for the fans this Holiday season.