After three years and 12 participants, the impact of the College Football Playoff is being felt. For the first time in seven years, the Big 12 will have a conference championship game, a decision made "100 percent on our ability to optimize the likelihood of getting a team into the CFP," said commissioner Bob Bowlsby.
It's one example of the changes that conferences, athletic directors and coaches are making to adapt to the CFP era. But will it improve the Big 12's chances? The value of a conference championship came into question last season after Penn State, the Big Ten champion, was snubbed in favor of Ohio State, a team the Nittany Lions beat during the regular season.