11 game regular season, with a 12th game for conference championship. Go back to the BCS formula. Then set a 16 team playoff based on those rankings. Last two teams end up playing 16 games. Last two play 15 now. Not a huge leap.
Why not? Has nothing to do with player health, academics, exams, or the holidays.
Nope, it's all about the Benjamins, folks. Bowl Money. No way the Schools, AD's, Conferences, or Teams are giving up that pile of cash without a fight.
Every level of college football from the FCS down to NAIA has, and has had, a playoff system for decades. But not I-A, or the FBS as it's now known. And the reason why is money, plain and simple.
Best you can hope for is an 8-team playoff. Better than 4, and the bowls (and big money) are still in play.