Nebraska’s Matt Rhule Says College Football Playoff Should Feature 40 Teams

Nebraska’s Matt Rhule isn’t exactly the most popular name among Big 12 fans, and his recent comments on the College Football Playoff are another textbook example.

Playoff expansion has been a massive topic lately among coaches, ADs, commissioners, and more, and in Rhule’s eyes, the floodgates should be open for good.

At a recent press conference, Rhule advocated for 40 spots in the playoff field, saying, “The more spots the better, man. Make that thing 40 and let’s go. I think, again, you’re talking about a league that we play nine conference games in, where some others play eight. So I think that puts you at an automatic disadvantage.”

Rhule pointed at the SEC as having an advantage over the rest of college football, with the league playing just eight conference games as opposed to nine like the Big Ten, Big 12, and several other conferences.

He also discussed the location of key matchups like that of USC-Nebraska, and his hope that the game’s elements play a factor.

“I think the more spots, I think if they do go to where it’s guaranteed, hey, you get four at-large bids if you can play your way into those things, you just think about playing meaningful games in Memorial Stadium in November, December and January, where the weather starts to be a real factor,” Rhule continued. “We play UCLA every year, the first thing I do is say, where is it? When is it? I want it to be as cold as possible. Now they’re smart (UCLA and USC), they play each other at the end of the year, so they’re kind of protected from some cold-weather games.”

Rhule finished his thoughts by bolstering the Big Ten’s public perception, saying, “So the more spots, the better. We’re playing in a really, really tough league. We’re playing really, really good teams. And you know what? If you play in this league, you deserve a chance to get to the postseason and see what you can do.”

While Matt Rhule may dream of a 40-team playoff, the playoff is likely to be capped at 16 teams for the foreseeable future. Regardless, in a sport that is constantly changing, anything’s possible.