Past long shots that could have mattered in a 24-team College Football Playoff
Quick summary
The New York Times examines which past underdog teams might have become dangerous under a 24-team College Football Playoff format. The piece is a hypothetical look at how expansion could widen access for long shots.
What happened
The article revisits past seasons and evaluates how a larger playoff bracket might have changed the postseason landscape. By adding more teams, the format would likely give lower-ranked and non-power-conference programs more chances to compete for a title. The piece frames the playoff expansion as a structural shift that could increase volatility and make more teams relevant deeper into the season. It is more of a forward-looking analysis than a report on a specific current event.
Chance analysis
In football terms, playoff expansion raises the ceiling for underdogs and increases the number of teams with meaningful postseason paths. That can boost upset potential and create more late-season incentive for teams that would otherwise be out of contention. For prediction markets, the key signal is not a single team move but a broader increase in tournament variance.
The likely effect is a broader, more chaotic playoff picture that improves long-shot relevance at the competition level.
Treat this as a format-driven competitiveness story, not a team-specific actionable news catalyst.