ARLINGTON, Texas – Ohio State coach Urban Meyer could have easily stoked a debate about expanding the four-team College Football Playoff after his Buckeyes were the first team left out this season.
Instead, he focused – as much as he could – on tonight’s Cotton Bowl matchup against Southern California, another conference champion.
“We’re on the outside looking in twice. We’re in the playoff twice, and twice we’re right on the edge of not being in it. If they extended the playoff but I don’t see that happening,” Meyer said Thursday. “College football is just hitting on all cylinders right now, so I don’t know how much I’d change.”
The Big Ten-winning Buckeyes won the first championship in the four-team playoff era three years ago. That game was at AT&T Stadium, where No. 5 Ohio State (11-2) returns tonight to play Pac-12 champion and No. 8 Southern California (11-2) in the second Cotton Bowl appearance for both teams.
USC coach Clay Helton mostly agreed with Meyer after initially deferring to him to first answer the question posed about if it was time to consider an eight-team playoff.