8 Team Playoffs

[zaqhhh]

The more teams added, the more the bowls become obsolete which should not happen.

The system is not broke, in fact it's pretty damn effective. Keep it at 4.

 

[Checkerboard_Vol]

Doesn't handle the fact that ND had NO extra game vs a top opponent, while UGA, OSU, Mich, Bama, OU, etc all had to deal with this. The system is UNEVEN.

Agreed. ND does need to join a conference in football. ACC in everything else. Should have joined Big 10 yrs ago. However, they are the only independent team that would spoil my scenario and are only relevant about once every 5 or so yrs. And I don’t see a group of 5 ever getting in. But definitely agree about ND. They typically get “special” treatment.

 

[BenGrimm]

I’m good with 4 and the Conference Championships (mostly) mattering and in some cases acting as a play in game.

Six teams with 1-2 getting first round biweek is the most expansion I would like to see.

 

[peaygolf]

"one fair and right way to do this."

1) giving TOP seeds BYES...not an even system.
2) at large berths = human subjectivity and more debate
3) G5 teams will NEVER win. Give them their own championship.

My system stated earlier solves all these issues.

Nobody has byes in my idea btw. Cinderella can win a game or two.

Based on what you said about no G5 teams ever winning.......guess what, that would include 85% of P5 schools as well.

 

[Devo182]

I personally miss the BCS era. It made the bowl games such as the Sugar, Cotton, Orange, etc feel more important. Now, if your team isn’t one of the 4, it’s kinda like why bother watching? I don’t know if it’s because I had a child now and my free time is sparse, but I don’t feel as connected to college football as I used to. Maybe it’s because I’ve realized my team sucks? Maybe it’s the playoff system? Maybe it’s my personal life? I don’t know where to place the blame..

Having multiple teams "claim championships" was terrible. We shouldn't put the FEELINGS of other teams above the primary goal of determining the best team.

 

[VolAllen]

Having multiple teams "claim championships" was terrible. We shouldn't put the FEELINGS of other teams above the primary goal of determining the best team.

Well, I mean, how often did the best team really not get to play for the championship? Back then it was basically a 2 team playoff with #3 crying. Now it’s #5 crying. It will never end.

 

[peaygolf]

I’m sick and tired of all the bs talk about having to have the “best” 4,6,8,16 teams in a playoff. Every other college sport has teams QUALIFY for the national championship. Why does Football have to have people pick. It’s impossible. Win your freaking conference and be done with it. If you aren’t a conference champ.......you’re screwed!

Nobody cries/whines about college baseball, basketball, softball, soccer, golf, etc.........teams qualify for those championships. FCS, D2, D3, NAIA does it.

Why is FBS so special? Bowl $$$$$.

 

[GulfCoasterVol]

will not matter to us... we will never be in the top 30 ... much less top 8.... so who cares .... make it a 30 team playoff
.... will not matter

 

[bamawriter]

I’m sick and tired of all the bs talk about having to have the “best” 4,6,8,16 teams in a playoff. Every other college sport has teams QUALIFY for the national championship. Why does Football have to have people pick. It’s impossible. Win your freaking conference and be done with it. If you aren’t a conference champ.......you’re screwed!

Nobody cries/whines about college baseball, basketball, softball, soccer, golf, etc.........teams qualify for those championships. FCS, D2, D3, NAIA does it.

Why is FBS so special? Bowl $$$$$.

Except all of those other sports have massive playoff fields that go way beyond the automatic qualifiers. Creating such a field would require an overhaul of the entire sport of FBS football.

 

[peaygolf]

Except all of those other sports have massive playoff fields that go way beyond the automatic qualifiers. Creating such a field would require an overhaul of the entire sport of FBS football.

Look at what FCS, D2, D3, and NAIA football does. They might be less than, but they are a hell of a lot smarter!
Nobody cries about too many games.

 

[bamawriter]

Look at what FCS, D2, D3, and NAIA football does. They might be less than, but they are a hell of a lot smarter!
Nobody cries about too many games.

Well, they player fewer regular season games, they don't have to worry about filling stadiums, and they lose money.

 

[casetopia]

fast forward a couple of years. "we need more teams"

 

[Devo182]

Each of the Power 5 conferences should add 2 teams to get to 16 total. 4 divisions of 4 teams. the top in each division would play in a conference 4 team playoff. this gives you 20 teams in the power 5. Add 4 team playoff from AAC & Conf USA along with top 2 independants and the MAC and MW West champ and now you have a 32 team playoff.

this year would have looked like this.



ACC
1. Clemson
4. GT

2. Pitt
3. Syracuse

Big 10
1. OSU
4. Penn St

2. Mich
3. Northwestern

Big 12
1. Okla
4. WV

2. Texas
3. Iowa St

SEC
1. Bama
4. LSU

2. UGA
3. Kentucky

Pac 12
1. Washington
4. Utah

2. Washington St
3. Stanford

AAC
1. UCF
4. Temple

2. Memphis
3. Houston

USA
1. UAB
4. FIU

2. Marshall
3. La Tech

Independants & champs
1. ND
4. Buffalo

2. Army
3. Fresno St

winners of each of these games play to determine conference champs and you end up with 8 teams left. Seed them by record and let the winner take all. no one left out, no one complains, you only adding 2 more games to the schedule which most of these teams would play in a bowl game anyway so you are really only adding 1 extra game.

Reasonably close to my system (I constrict to 4 conferences and separate P5s to a separate championship altogether), but I like yours too and it's closer to reality/current conference setup.

The only thing is I see no reason to make 20 P5 divisions (4/conference). Keep it as 2 divisions/conference and take the top 2 from each, based on rules. Why? Because what if 2011 has Bama and LSU in the same division? Or old school Eastern subdivision has both us and uf together?

4 conference subdivisions can end in really uneven groupings. IE, based on regionality, Bama, Aub, and maybe LSU are stuck together, while UT likely gets UK and VU with us. 8-team divisions likely spreads things out better (giving the Miss schools to the West and UGA/UF to the East). Ultimately, it leads to fewer debates, as no team THIRD in its division ever has an argument to be included. 2nd in a division (with no wildcards) could often become a point of contention any season that 2 elite teams are in 1 subdivision.

Only other tweak would be to do away with all independents. Though your system greatly decreases debate and human subjectivity, this is the last point of debate. I'd force all teams to join a group if they want to play for YOUR championship. NCAA has the leverage, not Notre Dame. If ND doesn't want to join, eff em. They can go dominate the FCS.

 

[peaygolf]

Well, they player fewer regular season games, they don't have to worry about filling stadiums, and they lose money.

FCS plays 11.......D2-D3 some play 10 some play 11

Ahhhh...and you bring money into it. Most FBS schools loose money on athletics anyway.

 

[Devo182]

fast forward a couple of years. "we need more teams"

Slippery slope fallacy. We just want a debate-less, rules-based system. It is literally the only sport I can think of that leaves things up to voters, not systematic rules and teams that play things out on the field.

Can you think of another major sport that relies on voters (Condoleeza Rice???) to determine the fates of athletes like CFB does.

Or name a system built for all of its league's teams, that automatically, right off the bat disqualifies HALF of its paticipants (G5 teams).

It is absurd. It is archaic. It is time to use our brains and stop relying on "this is how things have always worked" traditionalism.

 

[peaygolf]

Slippery slope fallacy. We just want a debate-less, rules-based system. It is literally the only sport I can think of that leaves things up to voters, not systematic rules and teams that play things out on the field.

Can you think of another major sport that relies on voters (Condoleeza Rice???) to determine the fates of athletes like CFB does.

Or name a system built for all of its league's teams, that automatically, right off the bat disqualifies HALF of its paticipants (G5 teams).

It is absurd. It is archaic.

Thank you!

 

[VolAllen]

Slippery slope fallacy. We just want a debate-less, rules-based system. It is literally the only sport I can think of that leaves things up to voters, not systematic rules and teams that play things out on the field.

Can you think of another major sport that relies on voters (Condoleeza Rice???) to determine the fates of athletes like CFB does.

Or name a system built for all of its league's teams, that automatically, right off the bat disqualifies HALF of its paticipants (G5 teams).

It is absurd. It is archaic. It is time to use our brains and stop relying on "this is how things have always worked" traditionalism.

I think the drama of the voting is part of the excitement.

 

[Devo182]

Nobody has byes in my idea btw. Cinderella can win a game or two.

Based on what you said about no G5 teams ever winning.......guess what, that would include 85% of P5 schools as well.

But those teams HAVE AN AVENUE. It is about equal access to success. If Kansas goes undefeated, beats OU or whoever in a big 12 championship, they are 100% in. This is not true for FCU, even after 2 years.

Fwiw, I AM NOT for giving such a team a spot in the 4 team playoff. Their sos is terrible. I am only stating the obvious - every team within any given system should have an avenue to championship if they do everything within their control. Give G5s their own championship or expand the current playoff.

It's not difficult. It's just logical.

 

[bamawriter]

FCS plays 11.......D2-D3 some play 10 some play 11

Ahhhh...and you bring money into it. Most FBS schools loose money on athletics anyway.

Yes, they play 11 with no conference title games.

Every FCS team loses money. Almost every P5 program is in the black.

 

[Devo182]

8 games would be good so you would hear less teams whining about not making the playoff. The regular season would need to be shortened by at least one game. Cut out the games which are exhibitions like Tennessee vs. ETSU.

Fwiw, it is my opinion, if you were to cut 1 of the OOC games, the FCS team should actually NOT be the one. Many FCS programs can only survive by playing these money games. These programs support and affect many kids that would otherwise not have an opportunity to be a scholarship athlete and a college graduate. I would cut 1 of 2 G5 opponents. To counteract, give them their own playoff which would help all G5s.

 

[Devo182]

How I'd do it?

P5 conference champions get an automatic bid. The highest ranked G5 team in the final CFP poll gets an automatic bid. Two additional teams that are the next ranked get "at large" bids which accounts for the Independents in the league. No bye games in the qualifying rounds. Three rounds of play.

IF we are going to stick with a system determined by voting and dogmatism (conference champs get in, even a 4 loss Northwestern team??), let's at least minimize the dogmatism and not guatantee a g5 spot. Many years the best g5 is 10th, 15th, 20th. Why guarantee any spot?

Which brings me back to...giving them their own ring. Top 8 P5s makes fine sense. Still, why have conference championships, THEN determine 8 teams? Might as well be more efficient and build the conference championship games into the overall system. Stop the "default play-in games" and literally make them play-in games.

 

[GreyWolf1129]

I think the Big XII won't survive the next round of rights negotiations, the remaining 4 conferences will all get a guaranteed spot, and it will stay at 4 for at least a few decades.

I'll be surprised if we're still at 4 teams in 2023. Contracts can always be re-negotiated. Show ESPN, the bowl sponsors, and the conferences the money, and it's a done deal.

There will be other adjustments / concessions that go with it. Not sure how that part plays out, but maybe an 11 game regular season (doubt it); conference championship games stay; rankings based on your best 10 opponents (doubtful, but would help level the field); no more than one FCS opponent; the "Round of 8" is played at a rotation of 4 major bowls (look for a new player here if/when that happens); then the semis and the final are played on a rotation amongst the Sugar, Rose, Orange, and Fiesta sites (for example). The odd bowl out on any given year drops down into the Round of 8 games.

Just guessing on how the playoff games / bowls work it out amongst themselves, but yeah...8 team playoff is coming.

 

[Devo182]

The more teams added, the more the bowls become obsolete which should not happen.

The system is not broke, in fact it's pretty damn effective. Keep it at 4.

The goal here is to let the best teams determine things on the field, not to cater to the feelings of a hoarde of 6-6 teams.

There is no other sport so concerned with its middle-of-the-road teams as CFB.

 

[dcm3w]

I would like to see it as a 12 team play off with the winners of the 11 division one conferences grabbing the spots. The last spot either going to an at large school (maybe the highest ranking runner up) or a division 2 school.

IMO, that would be the fairest way to decide the championship. It would take away the debate of if UCF should be in the playoff or not.

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

I personally miss the BCS era. It made the bowl games such as the Sugar, Cotton, Orange, etc feel more important. Now, if your team isn’t one of the 4, it’s kinda like why bother watching? I don’t know if it’s because I had a child now and my free time is sparse, but I don’t feel as connected to college football as I used to. Maybe it’s because I’ve realized my team sucks? Maybe it’s the playoff system? Maybe it’s my personal life? I don’t know where to place the blame..

I'm in the same boat. The bigger college football has become, the less interested I've become.