College football playoff format means Josh Heupel's Tennessee offense can show no mercy | Adams

Our subject for today: Style points .

Some of my readers might find the subject repugnant. But I can’t ignore such an unsavory topic now that college football has expanded its playoff to include 12 teams .

But no matter how large the playoff field grows, it can’t escape human judgment. Never mind that a selection committee won’t have a say-so in the outcome of games. It will help decide who plays in the games.

Power 4 conference champions are automatic qualifiers. However, at-large berths will be determined by a committee.

Won-loss records, strength of schedule and head-to-head competition between playoff contenders are among the factors that will help distinguish teams. And, as Florida State discovered last season, the health of a starting quarterback also will matter.

But sometimes, you also must rely on margin of victory in separating playoff participants from playoff candidates. That’s when style points come into play.

Accumulating style points often doesn’t meet with universal approval. Some followers of college football regard that as nothing more than running up the score, which they deem as inappropriate. As I’ve mentioned many times, I’m not in that camp.

The offense’s job is to score. The defense’s job is to stop the offense from scoring. If the NCAA wanted to interfere with those basic principles, it could implement a “mercy rule.” If a team were ahead by so many points after three quarters, officials could put an end to the mismatch.

How much fun would that be?

It wouldn’t be much fun for the backup players, some of whom aren’t rewarded with playing time unless the game is out of an opponent’s reach. It also wouldn’t be much fun for fans. As much as they pay for admission, they should get their money’s worth. And they should be able to see their favorite team score as many points as it can.

That’s one reason Tennessee fans find coach Josh Heupel so appealing. When his offense is properly manned, it scores 40 points in an average outing. Moreover, Heupel hasn’t been prone to slowing down his offense as the score mounts.

Why should he?

He can’t lose sight of the big picture, though. I’ve already weighed in on the importance of maintaining the health of star quarterback Nico Iamaleava . If victory is firmly in the Vols' grasp, it would be in their best interest to have him on the bench.

Don’t worry. That shouldn’t affect Tennessee’s standing with the playoff selection committee. Whether the Vols win their season opener against Chattanooga by 65 or 45 points, that shouldn’t influence a committee member.

But style points in meaningful games could matter for a Tennessee team that’s regarded as a playoff contender.

For example, let’s take Tennessee’s second game — against N.C. State in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Suppose the Vols are leading by nine points and have a first down on the Wolfpack’s 10-yard line with a minute to play. They could run out the clock and take the nine-point victory. Or they could try to tack on another score and win the game by 16 points.

ADAMS: Why Tennessee football quarterback room is bigger than just Nico Iamaleava

My advice: Try to score.

Playoff selection committeemen can’t help but be influenced by point differential. Convincing victories against competent competition create an image. And a 16-point victory — no matter how it occurred — looks more convincing than a nine-point victory.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com . Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: College football playoff format means Josh Heupel's Tennessee offense can show no mercy | Adams