The NFL has 12 post season teams in the playoffs every year and it doesn't take away from their regular season, even when teams have clinched their divisions. I've seen many of those rested teams lose in the playoffs. Plus if you lose a regular season game in college football it can hurt you in the national seeding if a couple other teams have better records. Remember, the quarterfinals are played first. And most likely those game will be played on their opponents home field. Which is a big deal in college football. Seeding is also a big deal in college basketball. So the regular season does matter. More than most people think. How many teams below the 4th seed win the NCAA Basketball Championship every year? I can tell you it's very few and far between. Mainly because the road to the final four gets much harder and perilous when you get in below a #4 seed. You want the easiest road to the championship, not the hardest. I think it's even more magnified in college football, especially when your not playing at a neutral site.
