The Thinking Fan's Guide to the College Football Playoff - Tapa blanda

In his uniquely informative and entertaining style, renowned college football writer Stewart Mandel provides a comprehensive guide to college football's new era. He examines why it took 145 years for the sport to adopt a simple four-team playoff. He demystifies the confusing rotation in which the Rose, Sugar and four other bowls will take turns hosting semifinal games. He examines the criteria selection committee members like Tom Osborne and Condoleezza Rice will use to determine the playoff field and other bowl participants. And he applies the new system to previous seasons to illustrate the many ways fans will experience the sport differently going forward.

Pay close attention. There’s a quiz at the end.

STEWART MANDEL has covered the national college football beat since 1999, formerly for Sports Illustrated and SI.com and now as a senior columnist for Fox Sports and Fox Sports 1 contributor. His popular online Mailbag column is a weekly staple for fans of all teams. He previously wrote the critically acclaimed book Bowls, Polls and Tattered Souls: Tackling the Chaos and Controversy that Reign Over College Football.