my thoughts this morning on the playoff

[05_never_again]

You hit on a problem in your last paragraph. Why are teams ranked going in to the season. It sets a bias which affects the whole enchilada.

Let's say you did away with preseason rankings. Not sure how you do that since the AP or whatever polling service can do whatever they want, but whatever.

When the playoff committee starts ranking teams midway through the season, what is to prevent them from still having a "higher opinion" about big name teams that are undefeated but haven't played anybody yet? That implicit bias towards the "brand name" teams is always going to be there no matter when the polls start. Brand name teams or teams with a history of recent success are going to get benefits of the doubt.

 

[bamawriter]

Oh so now you want to use winning percentages? Look at UCF. Oh that's right, Bama would automatically and undoubtedly wipe the floor with them so in that case the metric can be ignored.

I don't want to use anything at all. I just think it's funny that you have said, more than once, that Bama finished third "at best", which would indicate that they might have finished worse than third.

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

Let's say you did away with preseason rankings. Not sure how you do that since the AP or whatever polling service can do whatever they want, but whatever.

When the playoff committee starts ranking teams midway through the season, what is to prevent them from still having a "higher opinion" about big name teams that are undefeated but haven't played anybody yet? That implicit bias towards the "brand name" teams is always going to be there no matter when the polls start. Brand name teams or teams with a history of recent success are going to get benefits of the doubt.

I know preseason rankings won't go away. It is all hypothetical. Knuckle draggers could never stand it if there wasn't some sort of adulation before the season. I am just saying that it creates a bias that is difficult to overcome. I guess one of the reason I dislike them so much is that colleges rebuild almost every year... Last year was last year.

I know I am not going to win this argument. I just don't think the current system is any better than anything heretofore.

Oh and to our resident bammers, if you want to go with third at worst, then I will concede that. You finished third.

 

[05_never_again]

I know preseason rankings won't go away. It is all hypothetical. Knuckle draggers could never stand it if there wasn't some sort of adulation before the season. I am just saying that it creates a bias that is difficult to overcome. I guess one of the reason I dislike them so much is that colleges rebuild almost every year... Last year was last year.

I know I am not going to win this argument. I just don't think the current system is any better than anything heretofore.

Oh and to our resident bammers, if you want to go with third at worst, then I will concede that. You finished third.

There is preseason adulation and hype for certain teams before the season in every sport. It isn't unique to college football. What is unique to college football is that due to having 130 teams, or 90 teams in the P5 conferences, you can't play enough games to have a regular season where you can go by records alone for judging teams. The difference in talent between the good teams and the bad teams is enormous. It isn't the NFL where you have 32 teams and very thin differences in talent between the worst team and the best team. The reason college football will never have an NFL-like playoff system is the same reason why high school football will never have a college football-like playoff system. There is no "high school national championship;" hell, aren't there like 15 high schools from Texas that will win a state championship this year because there are so many divisions and classes?

There has to be some sort of ranking of the teams, and those rankings are going to be influenced by preseason perceptions or brand name in the presence of doubt.

I don't see how anyone can make the argument that the playoff isn't better than the BCS, the Bowl Coalition/Alliance, or no system at all. At least it is decided on the field, however flawed it might be. You kind of sound like some of these really old school "mythical national championship" guys.

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

There is preseason adulation and hype for certain teams before the season in every sport. It isn't unique to college football. What is unique to college football is that due to having 130 teams, or 90 teams in the P5 conferences, you can't play enough games to have a regular season where you can go by records alone for judging teams. The difference in talent between the good teams and the bad teams is enormous. It isn't the NFL where you have 32 teams and very thin differences in talent between the worst team and the best team. The reason college football will never have an NFL-like playoff system is the same reason why high school football will never have a college football-like playoff system. There is no "high school national championship;" hell, aren't there like 15 high schools from Texas that will win a state championship this year because there are so many divisions and classes?

There has to be some sort of ranking of the teams, and those rankings are going to be influenced by preseason perceptions or brand name in the presence of doubt.

I don't see how anyone can make the argument that the playoff isn't better than the BCS, the Bowl Coalition/Alliance, or no system at all. At least it is decided on the field, however flawed it might be. You kind of sound like some of these really old school "mythical national championship" guys.

to be perfectly honest, I don't GAS about a football national champion primarily because the process is so ****ed up, but mainly because it has now rendered anyone NOT in the NC irrelevant. EVERYBODY is an also ran. I used to enjoy the Sugar Bowl, and the Citrus Bowl and the Tangerine Bowl.... etc etc etc... When it became the ______________ (corporate bowl) it ruined them because it is all about the money and not the school.

Never watched a minute of American Idol, and I ain't watching this **** show.

Go to hell Alabubba.

 

[bamawriter]

Never watched a minute of American Idol, and I ain't watching this **** show.

Did you watch last year?

You never responded to my inquiry about why you're so much more sped up about this year's playoff when last year's should have been much more problematic within your argument.

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

every major sport has

1. a significantly lower number of participants so evaluation of team to team is much easier

2. with the exception of the NFL, they all have best of formats instead of one and done formats

You're trying to look at an orange and say its an apple

You're the one that said, and I quote "any playoff format that uses at large is worthless". I'm simply pointing out that they all do it, so by your argument they are all worthless. The major difference is:

1. The criteria for choosing the wild card teams in the big 4 sports is objective.

2. Totally agree with that, although it would be impossible for football to have a best of series to determine the champion.

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

Did you watch last year?

You never responded to my inquiry about why you're so much more sped up about this year's playoff when last year's should have been much more problematic within your argument.

No I didn't watch last year. Frankly, after Jan 2 I really don't GAS about football. Too much hype for the NC games for my taste.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

to be perfectly honest, I don't GAS about a football national champion primarily because the process is so ****ed up, but mainly because it has now rendered anyone NOT in the NC irrelevant. EVERYBODY is an also ran. I used to enjoy the Sugar Bowl, and the Citrus Bowl and the Tangerine Bowl.... etc etc etc... When it became the ______________ (corporate bowl) it ruined them because it is all about the money and not the school.

Never watched a minute of American Idol, and I ain't watching this **** show.

Go to hell Alabubba.

So you haven't enjoyed them in about 20-25 years at least?

 

[VolsSportsFan]

The conference champion should represent the conference. Period.


And furthermore, LOSING the conference CG shouldn't be punitive like it is now. All those years ago when we were going to the SECCG and losing, the ****ing gators would go to a better bowl. That **** ain't right. I n a weak ass conference like the East, unless you have this years' UGA stats, you are better off NOT to go than to go and get beat. Case in point: Alabubba.

"All those years"...lol, you mean...the one time? In 2001 we lost to LSU in the SEC Championship, we ended up in the Citrus, they went to the Orange.

In 2004 we lost the SECC and went to the Cotton, UF went to the Peach.

In 2007 we lost the SECC and went to the Outback, UF went to the Citrus; unless you think the Citrus is so much better than the Outback.

Also in 1999, UF lost the SECC and went to the Citrus, and we went to the Fiesta Bowl.

 

[TUSKtimes]

This year is the straw that broke the camel's back.

Not sure if it broke the camel's back, but it sure short-circuited your noggin.