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For decades, the condition commonly referred to as March Madness has been exasperated by one uncontrollable factor.
The upsets.
The unpredictability inherent in the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments attracts audiences across all demographics which fosters a television ratings bonanza, which in turn, showers the sport in multiple forms of revenue.
This same cause-and-effect relationship will apply to next season's expanded College Football Playoff which holds the promise that a lower seed will string together a series of upsets and capture the championship.
That's what the Texas Rangers did this fall.
A 90-win team during the regular season, the Rangers swept the wildcard series and division series, outlasted the Astros in the American League Championship Series and then defeated the Diamondbacks in five games in the World Series.
Last season's unlikely NCAA Men's Final Four -- San Diego State, Florida Atlantic, Miami and Connecticut -- offers another example of what can happen when a team gets hot in the postseason.
It doesn't take an expert panel to identify the top six college football teams in the country right now.
The national consensus is that they are Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, Washington, Florida State and Oregon.
The next six selections for a 12-team field inspire more debate.
Texas, Alabama and Penn State appeared in each of the first three CFP rankings. Louisville, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Oregon State have all made appearances.
All of those teams play in Power 5 conferences. Stage fright will not affect them in the playoffs.
While the top four seeds enjoy a first-round bye, the teams seeded 5-8 will host the 9-12 seeds.
"And it's going to be glorious," Pat Forde wrote for si.com. "Bowls cannot replicate the energy and noise that come with campus home games."
The teams seeded 5-12 will need to win four postseason games to claim the national title.
How likely is it that all the seeds will hold through the 10 games that precede the championship game?
A turnover, penalty, or injury to a key player could factor into an upset in any round of the playoffs.
And, as the Texas Rangers demonstrated, late-season momentum is the great equalizer.
The CFP expansion is not a gimmick like the NBA In-Season Tournament. It has become a necessity in this era of super conferences.
"More teams and more access mean more excitement for fans, alumni, students and student-athletes," said CFP executive director Bill Hancock.
No matter how many objective criteria are considered, any postseason selection process that ends with voting by human beings is subject to unconscious bias and errors in judgment.
When the 12 playoff teams are announced next year, expect the 13th team in the rankings to argue that it was denied its rightful place in the field.
Take Penn State for example. Next season, the Nittany Lions must navigate a schedule that will likely feature at least four ranked teams.
With a bye mixed in, Penn State will play UCLA, USC, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Washington in a row.
That lineup is reminiscent of 1984 Penn State opponents Texas, Alabama and Notre Dame.
A Big Ten team with two or three losses -- suffered against ranked opponents only next season -- should merit serious consideration for a spot in the playoffs.
Nevertheless, even the perceived slights of the selection process will benefit college football.
With the exception of a few upsets, the only thing better for a postseason tournament's health is a public outcry for more expansion.
Jim Caltagirone writes a monthly column for the Mirror. He also comments on college football's national scene for Gameday.