Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti paints his conference’s 24-team College Football Playoff proposal as a way of making the regular season more meaningful, not less. Petitti said Tuesday he’s surprised he keeps having to explain that to a stout group of critics who favor a smaller expansion. Meeting with reporters at the Big Ten spring meetings, the commissioner explained reasons he favors doubling the current 12-team format. He'll need buy-in from the Southeastern Conference, whose own commissioner, Greg Sankey, says he expects some of his coaches and athletic directors to favor that format as well at that league's meetings next week.