I completely agree with all your points.
For 2026, one concept I really like is the idea of a "Championship Weekend". Basically, if the playoff expands to 14 teams, the SEC and B1G would each automatically send 4 teams into the playoff. Their teams would be determined as follows:
The #1 and #2 teams in the conference standings play in a traditional conference championship game. Both teams automatically qualify to the playoff, but the winner gets a 1st round bye.
The #3 team plays the #6 team and the #4 team plays the #5 team. The winners go to the playoff, the losers do not.
It certainly makes more teams engaged and gives teams like Nebraska a greater chance to qualify.
Thanks and as I look back upon it, the reason why it was enjoyable, was that it filled up a weekend of anticipated match-ups. The following week had another exciting weekend of great Bowl Games / match-ups too. So it felt continuous.
One thing I wish they would do in the future, if it wasn't such a Network money thing.... I would have scattered Round 1 of the playoffs.
I will give an example.
8 teams, 4 games, Round 1 college football playoffs were played in 24 hours. We had one Friday night game. But do we really need 3 playoff games on Saturday that starts at 11AM/Noon? The biggest playoff in college football history crammed into 9-10 hours on one day?? Sheesh, it was too much (overloaded).
Why would anyone tell 2 CFB playoff teams that they need to play during Brunch? Go play 11AM-3pm? FOX ?? Yeah - that's why $$$$$$. I mean, What kind of reward is that to possibly advance or end your season?
It makes no sense to have to play so early for a game that you want to be at your best. Those 11AM games are perfectly fine for NW vs Purdue with Beth Mowins calling the game. Not a playoff.
So what I hope they do (the committee) is read my mind and spread 4 games over 3 days. Give some prime time love for making the prime time playoffs. These teams definitely have more time on their hands than anything.
For example -
Thursday Night Prime Time - SMU at Penn State (whiteout)
Friday Night Prime Time - Clemson at Texas
Saturday 330pm - Indiana at Notre Dame
Saturday 7pm Prime Time - Tennessee at Ohio State
Allow fans to enjoy the early part of the day getting stuff done. And if you want to fill in the Big Noon Kickoff - just schedule a warm-up game like Navy vs OU, or Rutgers vs KSU, etc....
3 nights of college football playoffs covering Thurs, Fri & Saturday. No overloading it onto one day and the night before. Plus, it won't feel like one big s#!tty day of college football if there are blowouts because we have it spread out over 3 days.
That's what I would do if I was in the Committee Room and dealing with Networks. And it even works out for the winners when they play next (2 playoff games NY eve, and 2 playoff games on New Years Day "like usual")