8 team playoff

[Xanadu]

How do expect fans to be able to afford attending the extra playoff games?

First round played at higher seeds home turf

 

[bpo57]

Betting lines are driven by opinions. You can have the greatest models, but they’re all based on bias and then you add humans driving the line. The SEC is Bama, UGA and everyone else. Even terrible SU played LSU tough when they were supposed to beat the crap out of us. The P5 are all pretty close to each other. No one has ever been far superior

I don't see it that way - don't think any of the other P5s are close to the SEC - but hey that's what makes a market. Vegas lines are set by power rankings and then adjusted as money comes in to find an equilibrium. These guys are good at setting lines so the adjustments are usually rather small.

 

[DeGrozz]

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

"I don't care how awful the Pac-12 is this year, a 10-2 USC team with their only losses to #2 Notre Dame and #6 Washington absolutely deserve to be in the playoffs. This system is broken."

 

[Horn88]

Clemson did all right. Louisville, not so much.

On the flip side of that, look at how much tougher two middle of the pack SEC teams played Clemson relative to anyone in the ACC (excluding our game though I'm sure some Clemson backers will cite the QB situation).

 

[Horn88]

First round played at higher seeds home turf

If they move it to 8 then that's 100% the way it should/will go but it also just opens up a whole new opportunity for everyone to complain that the "same schools and conferences always get the benefit fo the doubt for a home game" or that "the committee made UCF a 7 seed so they'd have to travel all the way out to Columbus and play in the cold instead of making them the 6 seed and get a closer warm weather game in Tuscaloosa or Athens to protect the blue bloods".

Basically, people will always find something to complain about.

 

[Orangezoo]

Love the idea of creating a larger playoff with the conference championships. Hate the idea of only six teams and some teams having byes. 8 or 16 team playoff makes the most sense. Regular season becomes incredibly relevant if you get rid of divisions and play the two best in the championship game then every single game matters for more teams. With the automatic bids for champions, there will be more incentive for teams to schedule premier out of conference games.

The only concern with going too many is that if you do use the conference affiliation as eligibility then you guarantee 8 of the 12 a playoff spot so the math gets weird. Essentially 6 gives you power find plus one or power 4 plus two given how bad the PAC 12 has been.

 

[Ish88888]

So you'd take a Pitt this year over a Georgia because they won their conference championship? Sorry but that's el loco.

Uga might still get in as an at large. Would be a discussion between UGA, OSU, and Clemson and Clemson would, should be out if losing to Pitt. thus, things wwould work out. 8th team UCF. 8 works and still preserves the regular season juice.

 

[Ish88888]

Why not make the NFL a 32 team playoff then. Who wouldn’t want to see an 0-16 team upset the #1 seed?

What???? Let every teamin p5 in? Dumb.

 

[Ish88888]

First round played at higher seeds home turf

Yup, EXACTLY, then the system and bowls as we know it now kicks in.

 

[TheCusian]

I think reasonable people can come to two conclusions:

1) The SEC deserves very harsh criticism for its tendency to schedule weak OOC teams in September and for that eyesore they schedule in mid-November. That said, they're far from the only teams to play FCS opponents. Btw ND, who always comes in for harsh critiques on this board, does not play FCS opponents.

2) This year the SEC's depth of talent at the top, middle and bottom was far superior to the other P5 conferences. You don't have to look any further than the betting lines in the bowl games to have that driven home.

Totally agree. Not sure why we’re focusing on the SEC exclusively here.

 

[bpo57]

Uga might still get in as an at large. Would be a discussion between UGA, OSU, and Clemson and Clemson would, should be out if losing to Pitt. thus, things wwould work out. 8th team UCF. 8 works and still preserves the regular season juice.

Yeah but some of these guys want four or five loss teams in just because they won a conference title. That's crazy.

 

[bpo57]

Totally agree. Not sure why we’re focusing on the SEC exclusively here.

All in the context of choosing the best teams for the playoffs and not necessarily conference champions. Some conferences are just flat out better than others. No automatics here, pick the best teams.

 

[Ish88888]

Yeah but some of these guys want four or five loss teams in just because they won a conference title. That's crazy.

I get it. There could be selection qualifiers such as < or = to 3 or 4 losses. Not sure of that would fly.

 

[Ish88888]

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

Good point, wo divisions like the pros, there will always be a subjective component to selecting 4 or 8 or 16.

 

[Ish88888]

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

I dont think they will . 8 is perfect in preserving the reg season juice of every game having impact.

 

[Ish88888]

I love upsets the first two rounds. I then hate them with a passion the rest of the tournament. IMO the champion in any sport should be one of the best teams and never the hot team. I prefer the European model of sport. Round robin champ but also a separate knockout tournament.

I hear ya, but the hot team has often won in the NFL.

 

[kirbivore]

in 1985 the 8-8 cleveland browns got in over the 11-5 denver broncos

Denver got their revenge a year later

 

[NJneer12]

A lot of people state the schedule wouldn't work with an 8 team playoff and I just don't understand that argument. I haven't seen it here, but thought I would share my idea:

Start the regular season one week earlier (there are already 2-4 games that weekend anyway). Thanksgiving weekend is now Conference Championship Weekend. You can now have Friday and Saturday be all CFB and the Power 5 can take the Fri 4pm, 8pm, Sat 12pm, 4pm, 8pm slots so everyone can watch every game (including the committee). Ratings would be big for each conference.

Rankings and Quarterfinal games are setup the next day on Sunday. Top 4 seeds get home games the following week. Then the same thing as it is with the 4 game playoff and Bowl setups. This ensures the losers the the quarterfinal games get bowls games as well, as to not dilute the bowl season.

Army-Navy is still the same weekend. Then Bowl Season and the Final 4.

 

[KaiserUEO]

A lot of people state the schedule wouldn't work with an 8 team playoff and I just don't understand that argument. I haven't seen it here, but thought I would share my idea:

Start the regular season one week earlier (there are already 2-4 games that weekend anyway). Thanksgiving weekend is now Conference Championship Weekend. You can now have Friday and Saturday be all CFB and the Power 5 can take the Fri 4pm, 8pm, Sat 12pm, 4pm, 8pm slots so everyone can watch every game (including the committee). Ratings would be big for each conference.

Rankings and Quarterfinal games are setup the next day on Sunday. Top 4 seeds get home games the following week. Then the same thing as it is with the 4 game playoff and Bowl setups. This ensures the losers the the quarterfinal games get bowls games as well, as to not dilute the bowl season.

Army-Navy is still the same weekend. Then Bowl Season and the Final 4.

Not bad.

Also would also give the NFL another reason to drop a Thursday and play on Saturday.

 

[N.Y. Orangeman]

I'm sure many heard Dino on Golic this AM, but he put together a great argument against the playoff expanding. A good listen...

 

[HRE Otto IV]

I'm sure many heard Dino on Golic this AM, but he put together a great argument against the playoff expanding. A good listen...

He was for it. Although I don’t agree with his assessment. He said that having to win three games is an advantage to the better team. That actually is not true. It is an advantage to the better program. If tOSU were in this year’s playoffs, they are at worst on par depth wise. Same could be said about UGA. His point rings true for UW and UCF though.

Also he totally ignores the fact that the 1 seed is more likely to lose having to play three games vs two.

 

[UnknownOrange]

He was for it. Although I don’t agree with his assessment. He said that having to win three games is an advantage to the better team. That actually is not true. It is an advantage to the better program. If tOSU were in this year’s playoffs, they are at worst on par depth wise. Same could be said about UGA. His point rings true for UW and UCF though.

Also he totally ignores the fact that the 1 seed is more likely to lose having to play three games vs two.

It's the same as the NCAA tournament. Back in the 60's and 70's you had the better teams winning. Now it's the worst way to determine a champion. I mean no offense to Loyola Chicago but imagine if they won it all?

Don't get me wrong I love the tournament but there's a reason all 4 1 seeds have made the final four only 1 time

 

[Alsacs]

I hate the 8 team playoff expansion unless it provides automatic spots to conference champions who are ranked in the top 15.

I say top 15 because these poll voters have shown they are bias to certain conferences and I don’t want politics screwing a conference champion so a higher rated non champion can get in over a champion.

Like if a 9-3 PAC-12 team got screwed so a 9-3 LSU could make it.

5 conference champions
3 at-large bids.

As long as the 5 champions are top 15 and if a G5 team is top 15 they get one berth.

I don’t care if the 7th and 8th ranked teams are screwed I want Conference championships to matter.

 

[Alsacs]

Based on my criteria I would have made the 8 team playoff look like this.
This past weekend
8 seed Washington at 1 seed Alabama
7 seed Central Florida at 2 seed Clemson
6 seed Ohio State at 3 seed Notre Dame
5 seed Georgia at 4 seed Oklahoma

12-29
2 semi finals

1-7
National Championship

 

[HRE Otto IV]

Based on my criteria I would have made the 8 team playoff look like this.
This past weekend
8 seed Washington at 1 seed Alabama
7 seed Central Florida at 2 seed Clemson
6 seed Ohio State at 3 seed Notre Dame
5 seed Georgia at 4 seed Oklahoma

12-29
2 semi finals

1-7
National Championship

Teams should be ranked based 1/2 on AP/Coach average and 1/2 on Computer average. That helps limit bias.

Then have a selection committee. I think this year you see Ohio State as the 5 seed to avoid a UGA/Bama potential semifinal