Wetzel playoff article (merged)

[rpvol]

If there were a 16 team playoff. No one could argue that. They would all be playing.

True.

 

[Vercingetorix]

this season, the reg season literally has been a play off.

The timing of losses still matters too much for that to really be the case. If the regular season were a playoff, UGA wouldn't be #4, West Virginia might not be #2, etc. Losses to South Carolina and UT are keeping Georgia out of the SEC championship game, because "every game counts." But if there were a playoff this year, Georgia would be in it, primarily because they haven't lost since early October. How can every game count in the conference championship race but not the NATIONAL championship?

I'm with you -- don't mess with the regular season too much. And a sixteen-team field is IMO too large not to do that. I'd like to see eight conference champions in the field and that's it, with seeding heavily determined by the quality of your out-of-conference victories (to encourage good OOC games). But that's not going to happen. I'd be okay with a twelve-team field -- eight BCS conference champions and four at-large teams, all of whom would have to play in the first round. Four at-large teams from all of college football is probably not too many to hurt the regular season too badly; everyone would still have the same sense of urgency because none of those at-large slots would be a gimme.

Sixteen teams is too many, IMO. Eight at-large teams is a whole conference worth of them. You'd have guys sitting out games like OSU-Michigan, Florida-Florida State, etc. -- not to mention conference championship games -- to rest up for the playoffs. No thanks.

 

[VOL61]

The timing of losses still matters too much for that to really be the case. If the regular season were a playoff, UGA wouldn't be #4, West Virginia might not be #2, etc. Losses to South Carolina and UT are keeping Georgia out of the SEC championship game, because "every game counts." But if there were a playoff this year, Georgia would be in it, primarily because they haven't lost since early October. How can every game count in the conference championship race but not the NATIONAL championship?

I'm with you -- don't mess with the regular season too much. And a sixteen-team field is IMO too large not to do that. I'd like to see eight conference champions in the field and that's it, with seeding heavily determined by the quality of your out-of-conference victories (to encourage good OOC games). But that's not going to happen. I'd be okay with a twelve-team field -- eight BCS conference champions and four at-large teams, all of whom would have to play in the first round. Four at-large teams from all of college football is probably not too many to hurt the regular season too badly; everyone would still have the same sense of urgency because none of those at-large slots would be a gimme.

Sixteen teams is too many, IMO. Eight at-large teams is a whole conference worth of them. You'd have guys sitting out games like OSU-Michigan, Florida-Florida State, etc. -- not to mention conference championship games -- to rest up for the playoffs. No thanks.

The only way to have a fair playoff is to include everyone. 16 teams is four weeks. Come on. Also you don't know where the next Boise ST or Hawai will be. You have to include everyone. Just like Divison AA. That is the only way it will ever work. You will only have 5 at large teams. Not Eight.

 

[Vercingetorix]

The only way to have a fair playoff is to include everyone. 16 teams is four weeks. Come on. Also you don't know where the next Boise ST or Hawai will be. You have to include everyone. Just like Divison AA. That is the only way it will ever work. You will only have 5 at large teams. Not Eight.

A sixteen-team playoff that included ALL the conference winners -- from the WAC, the Sun Belt, the MWC, etc. -- would be probably okay, because as you say, it would limit the at-large teams to five. I'm just not convinced that the minor conferences have enough clout to be guaranteed slots every year. The Powers That Be will conclude that TV ratings would be higher if they had more at-large teams from BCS conferences instead (which is probably true), and the lesser conferences will be relegated to an ancillary role like they are in the current system. And then you'll have a situation where somebody like, say, Glenn Dorsey might not play on Saturday because the coach wants to rest him up for the playoffs.

 

[duckman398686]

It's a pretty good plan, I like the sixteen teams but disagree a little bit with letting all the conferences in. I think that the power conferences (ACC, Big 12, Big 10, Pac 10, and SEC) should each get two bids. So for conferences with a two division structure the winner of each division would earn a playoff spot. The Big East should also get at least on automatic bid, but since they are only an 8 team conference two automatics is a little disproportionate. That leaves either 4 or 5 spots still up for grabs depending on how the Big East is handled. I don't like his idea of a selection committee, I say those spots should go to the 4 or 5 remaining teams with the best overall record regardless of conference, that way if you are Hawaii or Boise last season, you still don't left out. If there are more than 5 teams with equal record for those spots then the tiebreaker should fall to strength of schedule, this would keep teams from loading up with all weak teams to run up a good record. He's right about the current system rewarding teams that play weak schedules early. Remember, if UT had scheduled MTSU or some other pansy in week 1 instead of Cal, it's us and not Georgia praying for WV and Mizzou to lose so we get a shot at the NC. I love the idea of all games but the final being on campuses, with a Super Bowl like neutral site for the final. Finally for seeding the teams, that's what relevance the polls could still have, just use the AP poll to seed the teams 1-16 and then play it out, cause that would be awesome.

i like it. with this scenario, however, strength of schedule would probably have to start being taken into account again.

 

[jakez4ut]

Actually, the last 5 weeks of the season would be VERY IMPORTANT. The Vols had to win 4 SEC games to get into the SEC Championship Game. A win in the SECCG gets them into this mythical playoff with a shot at a national title.

for Tennessee that's correct.

but then there's GA sitting at #4, not even going to the SEC title game and they get in for a shot at the National title?

which begs the question......how important then, was the GA/TN game in the regular season for GA?.......one could argue that they actually BENEFITED from not winning the EAST. Same could be argued for KS......lose to MO, don't play in the title game, but they're in the playoff as a wild card, basically rendering the MO/KS meaningless????

call me crazy but that sucks.

and i'll ask this........does anyone care about conf. championships in Men's Basketball? i mean REALLY care? you win the reg. season.....so what, there's a conf. tourney......win that, you're in......but so are 5 of your conf. counter parts.........so big deal. the only teams that stand to GAIN anything in the conf. tourney, or conf tital game in this mythical playoff, are the teams that suck because of the auto bid should they win the tourney/conf. title game. the favorites don't want to play in it. they know better. the only ones that want a play off are the underdogs or whoever finished 3rd......SHOCKER!!!! and as usual, there's always a lot more teams at the bottom than at the top.......that's why everyone wants to get there afterall.

keep it as it is, or do the plus one.

 

[jakez4ut]

QUOTE=jakez4ut

don't mess with the regular season. are you honestly going to tell me that if there were a playoff that the last 4 weeks we've had in the reg. season would have been as exciting?

It would have been even more exciting. All the teams in the Top 1-15 still have something to play for. besides the Citrus Bowl or the Alamo Bowl.

It would have made us take a look at the lesser conferences also. Something no one seems to care about now. But tell me UF vs. FL st wouldn't have been a bigger game. Virginia Tech vs. Va. There would have been even more riding on those games.

Your argument doesn't hold up. We need a playoff. The fans want it. The players want it. Most coaches want it. There is a ton of money to be made. Do it already!!!!

GA/TN reg season game: TN wins, TN goes to the SEC title game. GA, by virtue of rankings, gets in to play off.

KS/MO reg season game. MO wins, MO goes to big 12 title game. KS by virtue of ranking gets in to playoff.

tell me again how imortant those two games are to the loser again?

you know why FSU/FL wasn't a big game? because neither team is going to win its conf. much less a national title. you want to sell me that game being big for Play off positioning? please.

and VA/VT had sometihng on the line.........a division title. the winner plays for the conf. title. so i don't see the point?

i agree with Vercingetorix about the timing of winning and losing still being too much a part of it, but that has everything to do wtih the polls, and nothing else. and since this mythical ranking will be taking 5 teams from the rankings, that will still come in to play, especially if your a top 15 team that loses a conf. title game.......to an underdog. take LSU this year........they've been top 3 all year. but after Saturday they could be 10-3, and drop in the rankings and not be eligible for this playoff since teams like KS, GA, FL, etc...are still in the mix....

so i say again, this year is the exact reason why we DON'T need one. we already have it.

 

[WA_Vol]

Take the top 16 teams per the BCS.

 

[jakez4ut]

booooooooooo