For the past four seasons or so I have posted my college football playoff proposal. It's not perfect but I think it’s better than what we currently have.
This proposal is designed to have a playoff and keep the bowls intact. Basically, there is a 16 team playoff with each of the 10 conference champions plus six at-large teams being seeded. Using the College Football Playff Rankings, the teams are ranked 1-16 and seeded just like the NCAA basketball tournament (see below).
Some of you may be incensed that Georgia Southern, Marshall and Northern Illinois would be in the playoffs because there is no way in heck they are one of the best 16 teams in the country. Think of it this way though, they would be playing Alabama, Oregon, and Florida State thus giving those teams a reward for having a great regular season. Plus, every D-1 team is eligible for a national championship, no matter what conference they're in.
The higher seed plays at home since it's too hard for fans to travel around the country week after week if their team wins. Home games would sell out and generate a lot of money for both teams.
The first round would start on the first or second Saturday of December. The real, final, championship game would be held at a neutral location in large NFL-sized stadium (Miami, New Orleans, Dallas, Phoenix, LA) two weeks after the semi-finals. This season all CCGs would need to be played on November 29th. Rounds 1-3 of the playoffs would be played on December 6th, 13th, and 20th. The Championship game would be played on Monday, January 5th.
Under Conan's plan, only two teams per conference are allowed in the tournament. This is to make sure it doesn't turn into an SEC post season tourney. Also, it limits the possibility of rematches between conference members. However, If each P5 conference sends two teams to the playoff and each G5 sends one team, that means only 15 of the 16 seeds are filled. The last team in the playoff goes to the highest ranked remaining P5 team. This year that team would be Ole Miss.


Here's what the bracket would look like if it were held this season:

1. Alabama
16. Georgia Southern

8. Michigan State
9. Ole Miss

5. Baylor
12. Boise State

4. Ohio State
13. Marshall

6. TCU
11. Arizona

3. Florida State
14. Memphis

7. Mississippi State
10. Georgia Tech

2. Oregon
15. Northern Illinois

What about the bowls you ask? Under the Conan plan, the bowls would be ranked based on payout amounts. They would then be allowed to choose from the remaining teams not included in the tournament. The Rose Bowl would be the first to choose, the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl would be the last. The Rose Bowl, for example, could choose to keep the PAC 12/Big 10 tie-in or choose a different team from another conference if they want to. Again, in under the Conan plan bowls can invite any available team once the bowls above them have invited their teams. There are no conference tie-ins. All bowl games would be played during the 16 days between the semi-final and the championship game (between December 22nd-January 5th)
Some bowls need to die or be allowed to take 5 win teams. I prefer they die.

2013-2014 Bowls and Payouts per team (in millions) :
1. Rose unknown
2. Sugar unknown
3. Fiesta unknown
4. Orange unknown
5. Peach unknown
6. Cotton unknown
7. Citrus 4.25
9. Alamo 3.83
10. Outback 3.5
11. Cactus 3.33
12. Texas 3.0
13. Holiday 2.825
14. Tax Slayer Gator 2.75
15. Music City 2.75
16. Russell Athletic 2.28
17. Foster Farms 2.213
18. Sun Bowl 2.15
19 Pinstripe 2.0
20. Belk 1.7
21. Liberty Bowl 1.438
22. Maaco Las Vegas 1.3
23. Independence 1.2
24. Birmingham 1.0
25. Military 1.0
26. Heart Of Dallas Bowl .800
27. Little Caesars .750
28. GoDaddy.com .750
29. Armed Forces .675
30. Hawaii .650
31. Poinsettia .612
32. St. Petersburg .538
33. New Orleans .500
34. New Mexico .456
35. Famous Idaho Potato .325
36. Miami Beach unknown
37. Boca Raton unknown
38. Bahamas unknown
39. Quick Lane unknown