How the potential expansion of CFP could affect the USC-UCLA rivalry
There's been plenty of talks of the College Football Playoffs expanding to 24 teams. That switch could lead to USC and UCLA moving their rivalry game.
The UCLA Bruins are still waiting for their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance but with rumors of an expanded playoff format , things could get a bit easier for the Bruins to get into the dance. If the CFP does end up expanding to 24 teams, then it becomes well within UCLA’s reach, with the Bruins program seemingly on the rise under new head coach Bob Chesney. UCLA hasn’t come close to a CFP appearance since the format was adopted in 2014.
UCLA isn’t alone, as the USC Trojans also have yet to make the playoffs. With the potential CFP expansion coming, Trojans Wire writer Matt Zemek wrote on how the programs should shift the scheduling of their rivalry game in order to best prepare themselves for a shot in the playoffs. “USC and UCLA therefore need to realize that in order to ensure their rivalry means everything, and that resting starters is never a possibility or a question for their annual game, they should move their game up a week so that it's not the finale of the regular season,” Zemek wrote.
“The Trojans and Bruins , instead of playing a cupcake opponent in late August or on Labor Day weekend, should schedule that cupcake for the season finale so that if either team is going to the expanded 24-team CFP, they can rest starters for that game on that final weekend. ” With UCLA and USC being conference rivals, there shouldn’t be any worries about the rivalry going to the wayside , but with an expanded playoff format, the timing of the rivalry could be changing in the coming years. This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: How the potential CFP expansion could affect the USC-UCLA rivalry game