Georgia's Smart: CFP expansion would favor tougher schedules

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart believes teams that play tougher schedules would benefit from an expanded College Football Playoff.

"I think a lot of this is going to boil down to strength of schedule," Smart said Saturday on ESPN's "Marty & McGee." "For a long time now we have been trying to build up our future strength of schedule because it's not the losses that are going to kill you; it's not playing the best teams.

"We've tried to go out and schedule major Power 5s across our scheduling system all the way out with the hopes that this would give us the opportunity to go play some really good teams. And losses won't kill you when you start talking about (the) top 12. You've got to have a powerful schedule and go play good teams."

Introduced as a four-team field in 2014, the CFP could grow to 12 contenders by 2023. The CFP's management committee will discuss the prospective model Thursday and Friday and could present the idea to presidents and chancellors June 22.

Coaches across the country have bemoaned the four-team format for years, arguing the exclusivity hurts schools that don't have a chance to play top competition.

Smart led a Georgia squad last year that lost to a pair of top-10 programs before winning the Peach Bowl as the ninth-ranked team in the nation. The Bulldogs traveled a similar path the year prior, winning the Sugar Bowl after missing the playoff as the fifth-ranked team.

Georgia is slated to open its 2021 season against powerhouse Clemson, and it has future matchups scheduled with the likes of Oregon (2022), Oklahoma (2023), and Florida State (2027).