Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti said both conferences are in favor of going to “straight seeding,” so that “there’s no difference between rankings and seedings.”

The change supported by the leagues would eliminate the reservation of top-four seeds and first-round byes for conference champions.

Even before Knute Rockne began breaking out the forward pass as a secret weapon, college football's biggest advantage was its element of surprise. Its appeal is basic and wonderful -- built on the uncertainty of the outcome.