8 team playoff

[dan7800]

If they expand to 8, then people will soon be calling for 10.

 

[Xanadu]

Very true the 8 make alot of sense, but a Clemson or OSU getting beat by a Pitt or NW would be total BS. the template of 5 conference champs, 2 at large teams, and 1 G5 squad makes all the sense in the world...

Agree and disagree. P5 conference champs should get an automatic bid no matter what. In return, NCAA should demand two best conference records play for the championship. Then add the three at large. Let’s be real, SEC and Big Ten are always overrated, so if you just make it all at large you will see three SEC or three Big Ten teams in their and everyone will be scratching their heads. This way the conference championship games actually mean something

 

[Xanadu]

I disagree with conference champs. Can you imagine Pitt and Northwestern being in the playoff this year? I want the best teams. I’m not sure there should be any criteria, just pick the best teams.

Conference champs
ACC: Clemson
Big Ten: OSU
Big 12: Oklahoma
PAC 12: Washington
SEC: Bama
That leaves three of ND, UGA, UM, UCF for consideration. Sounds about right to me. Whataboutism is a logical fallacy.

Make the conferences all agree to going away from divisions and doing the two best records in exchange for automatic bids. How many times have we seen mediocre SEC and Big Ten teams be ranked in the top ten just because they are in the big girl conference and got the easy schedule that year? You want to leave that judgement up to a proven biased committee? No thanks. I’d rather the champions decide it on the field. Even if the ACC champ is a 9-4 SU team that had to beat a 12-1 Clemson team to get there. Pitt or NW beating Clemson or OSU actually says something about the characters of those teams.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

How about the 3 v 6 and 4 v 5 games though.

Meh.

The debate between 8 and 9 making it will be lame.

I think 5 and 6 were left out for valid reasons. One had 2 losses and one looked awful until they played Michigan. Also those teams will have no chance against the 1/2 teams after playing each other. It will become a battle of attrition.

16 games is too much football for college kids.

 

[Hoo's That]

Agree and disagree. P5 conference champs should get an automatic bid no matter what. In return, NCAA should demand two best conference records play for the championship. Then add the three at large. Let’s be real, SEC and Big Ten are always overrated, so if you just make it all at large you will see three SEC or three Big Ten teams in their and everyone will be scratching their heads. This way the conference championship games actually mean something

The NCAA HQ in India-noplace has nothing to do with D-1A football beyond setting the basic ground rules on eligibilty, number of games, practice time, etc. They let D-1A set its own rules on who plays in conference championship games and the SEC, B1G, and Big XII voted down 3-5-5 (hoping for the ACC to implode). Every year since 1984, the NCAA has received a grand total of $0.00 from D-1A football.

 

[PAcuse]

I would be happy to see 8
As others have said once we get to 8 people will yell for 10, then 12, and on and on

 

[timkay99]

16 games is too much football for college kids.

FCS plays 15 games if you make it to the final if you get the bye, 16 games if you make it all the way through without the bye.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

FCS plays 15 games if you make it to the final if you get the bye, 16 games if you make it all the way through without the bye.

OK well I still think its too much at this level.

The extra game and going from 14 to 15 is too much but it makes for a great product. I also think debating/choosing between 4 and 5 is better than having to pick between 2 and 3 when 3 might be as worthy as 1. In the current set up you know the best team won't get left out and end up 5. Thats the most important thing.

This screams cash grab and will devalue the regular season. If you are preseason top 5/10 you can lose 2 games and still make it.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

OK well I still think its too much at this level.

The extra game and going from 14 to 15 is too much but it makes for a great product. I also think debating/choosing between 4 and 5 is better than having to pick between 2 and 3 when 3 might be as worthy as 1. In the current set up you know the best team won't get left out and end up 5. Thats the most important thing.

This screams cash grab and will devalue the regular season. If you are preseason top 5/10 you can lose 2 games and still make it.

The more at large berths you have the less valueable the regular season. Which is why 8 teams stinks.

However expanding to 6 given my setup above, still preserves the conference season. If you aren’t one of the best two teams in your conference, you have zero shot at an auto bid. Even then there is no guarantee (see SU). And with six potential auto bids, there is no guarantee of an at large bid even existing at all.

Think about Championship weekend this year:

If Bama lost then they would have needed Clemson and UCF to lose.

UGA losing knocks them out.

If Clemson lost then they would need Bama to win and UCF to lose.

If SU won they get left out.

Winner of tOSU/Michigan gets in.

Winner of UW/WSU gets in.

Winner of OU/Texas gets in.

UCF gets in with a win.

ND would need one of Clemson or UCF to lose.

None of the above teams makes it to tge CCG unless they have a good record.

The one thing that becomes less meaningful is OOC games. Which IMO is a good thing. You can now schedule harder games OOC. This will create better national matchups. If you lose no biggie. The P5 can all go to a uniform 9 conference, 2 P5 OOC, and 1 non P5 OOC.

 

[bpo57]

There aren’t 8 worthy teams. At most cap it at 6. Plus the top team should be rewarded with a bye.

If you are a P5 conference champion and in the Top 10 you get in. If you are a G5 team and in the Top 10 you get in. Whatever spots are leftover go to the highest ranked teams.

BTW they should go back to a BCS like formula for rankings.


2018
Bama vs winner of Ohio State/Washington
Clemson vs winner of Oklahoma/UCF
Too bad ND join a conference

2017
Clemson vs Bama/Ohio State winner
Oklahoma vs Georgia/USC winner

2016
Bama vs Washington/Penn State
Clemson vs Ohio State/Oklahoma

2015
Clemson vs Oklahoma/Iowa
Bama vs Michigan State/Stanford

2014
Bama vs Ohio State/Baylor
Oregon vs FSU/TCU

Washington with three losses against teams that aren't even in the top 25. Ugh...

 

[bpo57]

what if there are no worthy g5 teams. throw them in for the heck of it? what if two g5 teams are deserving?

Good question. Same issue with conference champs. There have been some years (like this year) where the PAC-12 did not deserve to send their conference champ cuz they weren't top ten material.

 

[Cusefan95]

If the conferences were able to eliminate divisions and have the top 2 teams play in a championship game, an autobid makes sense. The way the structure is set up now, it doesn’t...but I think if they went to an autobid and a 7-5 Borthwestern team pulledcan upset to go the playoff, the system would change quickly anyway.

Some people seem to think an independent, undefeated Notre Dame getting left out would be a disaster for them. It’s a bigger disaster for whatever system led to that outcome. The system will break before Notre Dame does. The conferences can try to force Notre Dame into a conference - but doing so would require conferences to massively overestimate their leverage.

 

[bpo57]

It's really very simple. The P5 conference champs get in. With so little crossover competition you have to reward the teams that win their conference, that's who everyone plays for the most part. Plus, that adds the possibility that someone could "play their way in" by upsetting the regular season 1st place team. Then the next best 3 teams. Sorry, no auto bid for the G5 schools. If they want in they have to earn it. UCF this season imo has not earned it and should not be in an 8 team tournament. (Non Conf they beat SC St, Pitt and FL Atlantic). They had a game scheduled against UNC which is at least another P5 team but it was rained out. And then UCF (Like WVU) decides not to make that game up.
Add in GA, MI and WA and there's the 8 for this year. GA, MI and ND get the at large bids.

Top team doesn't deserve a bye. Even this year, Alabama has proven nothing other than they are the best team in the SEC and better than Louisville, LA- Lafayette, Arkansas St and The Citadel. That does NOT deserve a bye. Also, you can't set the tournament up to satisfy one season's results. That's how we ended up where we are by short sighted people deciding there's only 4 teams that deserve a shot so let's make it 4.

I really don't see why it is so hard.

What if Pitt or Northwestern had pulled the upset this year in their respective conference championship games? Would you want them in?

 

[Eric15]

If the conferences were able to eliminate divisions and have the top 2 teams play in a championship game, an autobid makes sense.

Agreed. What makes college football by far my favorite sport is that it rewards excellence from the moment the season starts to the minute it ends. You can't just be mediocre for 80% of the year and then ride a hot streak to a title.

 

[bpo57]

The more at large berths you have the less valueable the regular season. Which is why 8 teams stinks.

However expanding to 6 given my setup above, still preserves the conference season. If you aren’t one of the best two teams in your conference, you have zero shot at an auto bid. Even then there is no guarantee (see SU). And with six potential auto bids, there is no guarantee of an at large bid even existing at all.

Think about Championship weekend this year:

If Bama lost then they would have needed Clemson and UCF to lose.

UGA losing knocks them out.

If Clemson lost then they would need Bama to win and UCF to lose.

If SU won they get left out.

Winner of tOSU/Michigan gets in.

Winner of UW/WSU gets in.

Winner of OU/Texas gets in.

UCF gets in with a win.

ND would need one of Clemson or UCF to lose.

None of the above teams makes it to tge CCG unless they have a good record.

The one thing that becomes less meaningful is OOC games. Which IMO is a good thing. You can now schedule harder games OOC. This will create better national matchups. If you lose no biggie. The P5 can all go to a uniform 9 conference, 2 P5 OOC, and 1 non P5 OOC.

Bama would have been in even if they lost to Georgia. OU would have been out.

 

[lskul60]

What if Pitt or Northwestern had pulled the upset this year in their respective conference championship games? Would you want them in?

should the 2011 Giants with a 9-7 record, have been in the playoffs?

 

[HRE Otto IV]

should the 2011 Giants with a 9-7 record, have been in the playoffs?

No and I say that as a Giants fan.

 

[lskul60]

No and I say that as a Giants fan.

wowwwwwwwwwww

 

[Cusefan0307]

OK well I still think its too much at this level.

The extra game and going from 14 to 15 is too much but it makes for a great product. I also think debating/choosing between 4 and 5 is better than having to pick between 2 and 3 when 3 might be as worthy as 1. In the current set up you know the best team won't get left out and end up 5. Thats the most important thing.

This screams cash grab and will devalue the regular season. If you are preseason top 5/10 you can lose 2 games and still make it.

Good. Maybe there’s a chance Alabama would lose for a change. Right now the sport is entirely too predictable.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

wowwwwwwwwwww

How does a team that goes 5-7 in conference deserve to make the playoffs. NFC should be three divisions and have only one wild card. Limits chances of teams worse than 11-5 winning it. Giants were the best team in the playoffs and I am happy that we won. But I hate the fact that a 9-7 team even has a chance.

 

[lskul60]

How does a team that goes 5-7 in conference deserve to make the playoffs. NFC should be three divisions and have only one wild card. Limits chances of teams worse than 11-5 winning it. Giants were the best team in the playoffs and I am happy that we won. But I hate the fact that a 9-7 team even has a chance.

I hear ya, but isn't that what makes the playoffs great? Anybody can win.

Look at the NCAA tourney.
Only one time did all four number 1's make it to the final four. That's what makes it so compelling by having a 1985 Villanova possible to happen.

 

[Chip]

Dump the FCS games (make it one allowable preseason game).

All P5 move to 9 conference games. Scrap the divisions and conf championship game. Give each team some number of annual opponents (preferably 2) and then rotate the rest.

Have to schedule at least 1 P5, and then the last 2 games can be G5. Bonus points if the team schedules more P5. Penalized if they schedule FCS.

ND has to play 6 ACC games and at least 4 other P5 games.

Best 8 teams are in the playoff.

I think that would keep regular seasons more interesting with fresh opponents in your own league (other than the Big 12).

Solved.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Good. Maybe there’s a chance Alabama would lose for a change. Right now the sport is entirely too predictable.

Hows it predictable Clemson beat Bama and UGA had them beat twice and choked it away. I think we will get 3 good games.


If Pay for Play becomes a thing then I am OK with the extra round. But as it stands asking college kids to play 4 games after the 12 game regular season is just too much IMO. Particularly with how much longer/more plays there are in college than NFL.

The current system is great. Ohio State was punished for narrowly escaping vs bad B1G teams a few times. OU got to redeem their loss to UT in Red River and got in. No Big 12 title game and Ohio St is in despite those struggles and getting smoked by Purdue. Worked perfectly.

 

[Eric15]

How does a team that goes 5-7 in conference deserve to make the playoffs. NFC should be three divisions and have only one wild card. Limits chances of teams worse than 11-5 winning it. Giants were the best team in the playoffs and I am happy that we won. But I hate the fact that a 9-7 team even has a chance.

I admire you for being able to compartmentalize (a) what you’re rooting for, and (b) what is smart/right.

 

[Horn88]

I don't like the automatic bids for winning your conference in the 8 team set up. Reality is that if you win your conference and are still sweating out if you're in the top 8 or not then you probably didn't take care of business during the season like you should've to get a chance to win the championship. Any team that wins their conference championship and belongs in the final 8 will get in without needing an automatic bid.

If they make it with automatic bids then it just confirms that the conference commissioners want a cash grab and not an improved process.