Jon Gruden shares bold plan to fix College Football Playoff

Jon Gruden proposes fixing the playoff format by mandating five elimination games.

Former NFL coach Jon Gruden went viral on Wednesday night by sharing his bold vision on how to repair the College Football Playoff. | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In a video post shared on social media, former NFL head coach Jon Gruden outlined his idea for fixing the College Football Playoff. Speaking from the "Fired Football Coaches Association" office, Gruden expressed frustration with the current postseason format and the selection committee's logic. His primary concern is the disparity between teams required to play in conference championship games and those with a bye week before the tournament begins.

Gruden highlighted the perceived unfairness where top programs like the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Indiana Hoosiers must battle for the Big Ten title. He questioned the logic of risking injury or seeding while other contenders rest.

"I mean, hell, I'm looking at Indiana. They didn't play Michigan, Ohio State, or USC," Gruden said regarding the unbalanced schedules. "How the hell do you determine who a conference champion is when these conferences are way too big? Some of these conferences got about 20 teams in a conference. It's impossible."

Gruden Proposes Neutral Site Elimination Games For Resting Teams

Gruden argues that the current system penalizes the best teams while rewarding those who didn't qualify for a title game. He pointed out the absurdity of teams like the Ole Miss Rebels and the Texas A&M Aggies sitting idle while the Georgia Bulldogs and the Alabama Crimson Tide clash.

"You got a team like Ole Miss and Texas A&M, they're fresh as a daisy, man," Gruden said. "They don't even have to play a game, but they get into the tournament? What kind of logic is this?"

How I would fix the College Football Playoff. pic.twitter.com/wbYu6k6mty

— Jon Gruden (@BarstoolGruden) December 4, 2025

His solution involves granting automatic bids to the teams playing for conference titles, regardless of the game's outcome. He insists that Ohio State, Indiana, Georgia, Alabama, the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and the BYU Cougars have already done enough. However, for the remaining contenders, Gruden proposes five "bonus games" in neutral cities to earn their spots.

"Some of you guys gotta keep proving your resumes worthy by playing another game as well," Gruden said. "These five games are going to determine who's in. If you lose one of these five games, you're out."

Gruden’s proposed matchups include the Oregon Ducks facing the James Madison Dukes and Notre Dame playing the Miami Hurricanes in Las Vegas. He also wants to see if Ole Miss can maintain its form after coaching changes by playing the Tulane Green Wave.

Former NFL coach Jon Gruden has a new vision to repair the College Football Playoff's inadequacies. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

"I wanna see Notre Dame play the Miami Hurricanes," Gruden said. "Winner take all, the winner's in, the loser's out."

He also suggested a rematch of the Red River Rivalry in Minnesota and a showdown in Atlanta for the Southeastern Conference hopefuls.

"Let's see the Vanderbilt Commodores play Texas A&M in Atlanta," Gruden said. "The winner's in. The loser goes home. I think it's fair."