SWC75
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The Houston coach was on the radio this morning advocating for an 8 team playoff, obviously because that would give schools like Houston a better chance to be in it. But I've always thought an 8 team playoff would be the ideal number.
You want all the realistic contenders in there. Of all the writer's coaches and BCS national champions, only four did other than win all or all but one of their games, (three had a loss and a tie: the tie would now be an overtime game that would either be won or be their second defeat and knock them out of it: the other was 2007 LSU when everybody but Ohio State had 2 losses.) A major conference team that wins all it's games or all it's games but one is a legitimate national title contender. A team outside the major conferences that runs the table should have a shot, which Houston would if they beat Navy and then Temple in the conference title game and the big boys knock each other off, as they will do.
The power five would probably want automatic bids with an 8 team playoff but I have no problem with that. A power conference champion should have a shot at the national title, as well. I'd prefer a December playoff with the championship in a New Year's Day Bowl on an alternating basis and the teams that don't make the final get to go to other bowl games so they have a chance to end their season on a positive note.
I decided to look at last year and this to see what an 8 team playoff might look like. I used the playoff committee's rankings for seedings. The champions of the ACC, SEC, Big 10 and Pac 12 are their championship game winners. The Big 12 champion is based on (1) their standings then (2) head to-head confrontations and (3) the playoff committees rankings. (And why doesn't the Big 12 snap up BYU and Boise State and get a championship game?)
2014
ACC champion: Florida State 13-0 (3 seed)
SEC champion: Alabama 12-1 (1 seed)
Big 10 champion: Ohio State 12-1 (4 seed)
Big 12 champion, (based on their 61-58 win over TCU): Baylor 11-1 (5 seed)
Pac 12 champion: Oregon 12-1 (2 seed)
At large: Texas Christian 11-1 (6 seed), Mississippi State 10-2 (7 seed) and Michigan State 10-2 (8 seed)
Power Five teams with no or 1 losses left out: None
Undefeated non-power conference teams left out: None
The Bracket:
Michigan State 10-2 at Alabama 11-1 vs. Baylor 11-1 at Ohio State 12-1
Mississippi State 10-2 at Oregon 12-1 vs. Texas Christian 11-1 at Florida State 13-0
2015 (as of this moment)
ACC champion: Clemson 10-0 (1 seed)
SEC champion: Alabama 9-1 (2 seed)
Big 10 champion: Ohio State 10-0 (3 seed)
Big 12 champion, Oklahoma State (6 seed)
Pac 12 champion: Stanford, (higher ranked than Utah) 8-2 (8 seed)
At large: Notre Dame 9-1 (5 seed), Iowa 10-0 (5 seed) and Oklahoma 9-1 (6 seed)
Power Five teams with no or 1 losses left out: Florida 9-1, Michigan State 9-1, Baylor 8-1, North Carolina 9-1, Texas Christian 9-1
Undefeated non-power conference teams left out: Housotn 10-0
Notes: Clemson will play North Carolina for the ACC title. Alabama will play Florida for the SEC title. Ohio State will play Michigan State and, if they win, Iowa for the Big 10 title. Oklahoma State plays Baylor and Oklahoma. Stanford plays Notre Dame. Oklahoma plays TCU and State. Houston plays 8-1 Navy and 8-2 Temple for the conference title. we'll see who would get "left out" at the end of the season.
The Bracket:
Stanford 8-2 at Clemson 10-0 vs. Iowa 10-0 at Notre Dame 9-1
Oklahoma 9-1 at Alabama 9-1 vs. Oklahoma State 10-0 at Ohio State 10-0
I think that would be pretty nifty.
You want all the realistic contenders in there. Of all the writer's coaches and BCS national champions, only four did other than win all or all but one of their games, (three had a loss and a tie: the tie would now be an overtime game that would either be won or be their second defeat and knock them out of it: the other was 2007 LSU when everybody but Ohio State had 2 losses.) A major conference team that wins all it's games or all it's games but one is a legitimate national title contender. A team outside the major conferences that runs the table should have a shot, which Houston would if they beat Navy and then Temple in the conference title game and the big boys knock each other off, as they will do.
The power five would probably want automatic bids with an 8 team playoff but I have no problem with that. A power conference champion should have a shot at the national title, as well. I'd prefer a December playoff with the championship in a New Year's Day Bowl on an alternating basis and the teams that don't make the final get to go to other bowl games so they have a chance to end their season on a positive note.
I decided to look at last year and this to see what an 8 team playoff might look like. I used the playoff committee's rankings for seedings. The champions of the ACC, SEC, Big 10 and Pac 12 are their championship game winners. The Big 12 champion is based on (1) their standings then (2) head to-head confrontations and (3) the playoff committees rankings. (And why doesn't the Big 12 snap up BYU and Boise State and get a championship game?)
2014
ACC champion: Florida State 13-0 (3 seed)
SEC champion: Alabama 12-1 (1 seed)
Big 10 champion: Ohio State 12-1 (4 seed)
Big 12 champion, (based on their 61-58 win over TCU): Baylor 11-1 (5 seed)
Pac 12 champion: Oregon 12-1 (2 seed)
At large: Texas Christian 11-1 (6 seed), Mississippi State 10-2 (7 seed) and Michigan State 10-2 (8 seed)
Power Five teams with no or 1 losses left out: None
Undefeated non-power conference teams left out: None
The Bracket:
Michigan State 10-2 at Alabama 11-1 vs. Baylor 11-1 at Ohio State 12-1
Mississippi State 10-2 at Oregon 12-1 vs. Texas Christian 11-1 at Florida State 13-0
2015 (as of this moment)
ACC champion: Clemson 10-0 (1 seed)
SEC champion: Alabama 9-1 (2 seed)
Big 10 champion: Ohio State 10-0 (3 seed)
Big 12 champion, Oklahoma State (6 seed)
Pac 12 champion: Stanford, (higher ranked than Utah) 8-2 (8 seed)
At large: Notre Dame 9-1 (5 seed), Iowa 10-0 (5 seed) and Oklahoma 9-1 (6 seed)
Power Five teams with no or 1 losses left out: Florida 9-1, Michigan State 9-1, Baylor 8-1, North Carolina 9-1, Texas Christian 9-1
Undefeated non-power conference teams left out: Housotn 10-0
Notes: Clemson will play North Carolina for the ACC title. Alabama will play Florida for the SEC title. Ohio State will play Michigan State and, if they win, Iowa for the Big 10 title. Oklahoma State plays Baylor and Oklahoma. Stanford plays Notre Dame. Oklahoma plays TCU and State. Houston plays 8-1 Navy and 8-2 Temple for the conference title. we'll see who would get "left out" at the end of the season.
The Bracket:
Stanford 8-2 at Clemson 10-0 vs. Iowa 10-0 at Notre Dame 9-1
Oklahoma 9-1 at Alabama 9-1 vs. Oklahoma State 10-0 at Ohio State 10-0
I think that would be pretty nifty.
