Forget about conferece expansion, it is conferecne contraction that we need.

A recent poll shows that fans prefer a playoff to the BCS. Two things will need to be done to facilitate a playoff, first will be to return to an 11-game season and second will be to eliminate conference championship games.

In the FCS, where there is a playoff, there is an 11-game season. The CAA (Colonial Athletic Association), the only conference that partakes of the FCS playoffs that has divisions does not have a championship game. Mainly, they do not need one. They seem to get four or five schools into the playoffs anyway. They had four teams in the playoffs this season with three of those four teams in the final four. And without Hofstra, the CAA may abandon the division concept next year.

With a 12-game schedule, a conference championship game and a 20-team playoff like the FCS will have next year, there exists the potential for an 18-game season. The Maximum that an NFL team plays is 20...well 24 if you count the pre-season...but who does.

So, while we are talking about conference expansion, the talk of a playoff would call for contraction. If you return to an 11-game season, and you eliminate the conference championship games, and you have a 20-team playoff, you have, at most, 16 games. That spells a nine team conference.

I would imagine, however, that the SEC and Big 12 would not feel the need to contract and feel entitled to have at least two and perhaps three or four teams each in the playoffs. Much like the Colonial gets in the FCS. But Conference USA and the MAC would have to shed some weight.

This year, the FCS had a 16-team playoff, but DII has had a 20-team playoff for a few years. Next year, the FCS will have a 20-team playoff to allow them to give automatic bids to the Big South and Great West and to encourage participation from the Ivy League and the Southwest Athletic Conference (Traditional Black Schools) with currently do not participate in the playoff system. There are also more teams playing 2 games against FBS schools and that tends to confuse the selection committee. The FCS playoffs may expand to 24 or 28 in the near future.

Here is how a 20 team playoff would have worked in the FBS this year:

Automatic entries-11:

ACC-Georgia Tech
Big 12 - Texas
Big East - Cincinnati
Big 10 - Ohio State
C-USA- East Carolina
MAC - Central Michigan
MWC - TCU
PAC-10 - Oregon
SEC - Alabama
Sun Belt - Troy
WAC - Boise State

At Large-9 (Based on BCS Standings)
Florida
Iowa
Virginia Tech
LSU
Penn State
BYU
Miami
West Virginia
Pittsburgh

Seedings (Based on BCS Standings)
1. Alabama
2. Texas
3. Cincinnati
4. TCU
5. Florida
6. Boise State
7. Oregon
8. Ohio State
9. Georgia Tech
10. Iowa
11. Va Tech
12. LSU
13. Penn State
14. BYU
15. Miami
16. West Virginia
17. Pittsburgh
18. East Carolina
19. Central Michigan
20. Troy

First Round
17. Pittsburgh at 16. West Virginia
18. East Carolina at 15. Miami (FL)
19. Central Michigan at 14. BYU
20. Troy at 13. Penn State

Second Round
Lowest remaining first round seed at 1. Alabama
9. Georgia Tech at 8. Ohio State

Highest remaining first round seed at 4. TCU
12. LSU at 5. Florida

11. Virginia Tech at 6. Boise State
Second highest remaining first round seed at 3. Cincinnati

10. Iowa at 7. Oregon
Second lowest remaining first round seed at 2. Texas

By Conference:
ACC-3
Big 12-1
Big East-3
Big 10-3
C-USA-1
MAC-1
MWC-2
PAC-10-1
SEC-2
Sun Belt-1
WAC-1

Given it goes down this way, I thing there would be lobbying for a 24 game playoff so that the entitled conferences can each get 3 team each. The next four in would be: Oregon State, Oklahoma State, Arizona and Stanford.

Here are some observations that I have from the FCS playoffs.
-The opening round games seem to have a 10 to 35 percent attendance drop-off from the regular season averages. Expect this to play a role in which teams are selected. This would bode well for Oklahoma State or Utah getting in with Miami and Pittsburgh being left out. This would solidify BYU's chances at getting in. Attendance at neutral site games would also play a factor in seeding.
-There is also a lot of pull from the big conferences. This could mean that Oregon State or Oklahoma State could get in over BYU.
-Potential TV ratings games play a role in where teams are seated. For example, you may see TCU seeded 3 to increase the likelihood of a TCU/Texas match-up.

Other ways to facilitate a playoff.
-Begin the season earlier.
-Actually demote some programs to the FCS.