ORLANDO — Expansion of the College Football Playoff to a field of 24 teams appears imminent and inevitable, a development that UCF head coach Scott Frost believes will make the postseason more competitive than ever.
"I'd just like to be there someday," Frost said Oct. 19 during his game-week availability ahead of the Knights' home date with No. 2 BYU. "I don't really think my opinion matters much in terms of that. I heard Coach (Nick) Saban, the most successful that's ever done it, say that there wasn't 24 deserving teams to be in it. I kind of think there is this year."
Frost pointed to the recent string of surprising results, including five teams ranked in the AP's top 10 falling this past weekend. Georgia and Texas fell at home to unranked opponents — Auburn and Florida, respectively. BYU, a double-digit underdog, snapped Notre Dame's 16-game winning streak in a prime-time showdown. Ohio State got its revenge against defending champion Indiana, and Tennessee throttled Alabama for the Crimson Tide's second straight defeat.
"I think it will be even more competitive than it's ever been," Frost added. "Sure want to be in it someday, but I think it's going to be great for people to watch."
Expansion should give the Big 12 Conference greater equity than it has received in the 12-team format. Each of the past two seasons, the Big 12 has been a one-bid league with only its champion earning the automatic invitation — Arizona State in 2024 and Texas Tech last year.
BYU's victory raised the national perception of the Big 12, as did Oklahoma State's stunning victory over then-No. 6 Oregon last month. Four of the league's teams — BYU, Texas Tech, Utah and Houston — are among the top 16 in this week's US LBM Coaches Poll, for which Frost is a voter.
As for the argument of devaluing college football's regular season at the cost of playoff expansion, Frost still thinks games will matter a great deal each week.
"People show up for NFL games, and that's a 17-game season where each game matters even a little less," Frost said. "It's going to be hard, in the Playoff, to be considered if you're not at least a 10-2 team. So every game matters.
"I'm kind of a traditionalist, and I grew up with it a certain way. And it's changing. We all have to get on board with that. You can't tell me that each game doesn't matter right now, and I don't think a 24-team (bracket) is going to change that."
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Scott Frost believes 24-team CFP expansion will be 'even more competitive'