I am seriously tired of the SEC...

[bcubs9497]

Football here in the south is an integral part of its culture. I can't overstate its significance.

 

[SWC75]

There is a huge difference between hockey as a regional sport and CFB as a regional sport. College football is worth at least100 times what college hockey is worth.

People outsdde the South also watch CFB regularly and widely. The per capita rate in the midwest is not a high as in the South, but the numbers are basically the same.

The problem for CFB nationally from a Syracuse vantage is that starting no later than the 1970s, people in the northeast began tuning out again, as they had when the Ivy League and Army became small timers. I think a key part of that was that there never had been a Major conference in the region. And by the time anybody began to fear the implications, things were too far gone to ever have a halfway decent and important conference made up of just schools in the northeast. The Big East with only northeastern schools could not have survived to now even if PSU had joined. BE football, to be worth much, required multiple schools outside the northeast: WVU, VT, Miami, Notre Dame.

Starting BE was nothing more than a stop gap to try to save BE basketball.

The fans are just not in the northeast, but that does not mean that CFB has even a slightly less profitable future coming.

"The fans are just not in the northeast, but that does not mean that CFB has even a slightly less profitable future coming."

Trying to digest the syntax of that statement.

I think not having a major collegiate athletic conference to represent the northeast, still the most populous area of the country is ridiculous and it sickens me that our traditional rivals have had to attach themselves to conferences based elsewhere to compete. You get more money but not more money than the other teams in the conference and you wind up trying to recruit in the regions to which the other schools are native. It's the outgrowth of the failures that date back to the 1950's to create a conference of the best football schools in the northeast. That's what caused the loss of interest in CFB in the northeast. If they'd done that conference, I believe it would still exist and we'd be a big part of it.

I'd dial it back to the 50's and bring in Syracuse, Army, Navy, Boston College, Penn State, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Maryland and Notre Dame, (who had plenty of fans in the Northeast and a special relationship with Navy and no sweetheart contract with NBC. Then fast forward to the 80's and bring in Connecticut, Rutgers and Temple. There's enough good basketball schools there to make it work. (The NE catholic schools that just play big time basketball :Holy Cross, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, Villanova, LaSalle, St. Joseph's Duquesne, St. Bonaventure, Niagara and Canisius could also have their own conference and that would be the 'challenge' match each year.)

 

[BrooklynCuse]

No, the SEC is not like any other conference below its top 2-4. The bottom third of the SEC's football teams are better than anybody else's bottom third. I don't like that fact, but denying would make me a fool.

What is scary is that being being so much bigger than basketball means that the SEC has the money and league media domination to invest not merely to become as good in basketball as any league, but even to expand its non-revenue sports. SEC administrators know what lacrosse suggests, and my bet is that they already are planning long range to play D1 lacrosse.

SEC teams are 5-6 in their bowl games this year. That would suggest that their bottom third aren’t better than anyone else’s bottom third. They were 8-2 in 2019 but 6-6 2018, 5-6 2017 and 6-7 in 2016.

 

[MikeSU02]

UGA heavily involved. Can’t wait to watch Bama / UGA next year, again.

 

[Wrinkle]

No, the SEC is not like any other conference below its top 2-4. The bottom third of the SEC's football teams are better than anybody else's bottom third. I don't like that fact, but denying would make me a fool.

What is scary is that being being so much bigger than basketball means that the SEC has the money and league media domination to invest not merely to become as good in basketball as any league, but even to expand its non-revenue sports. SEC administrators know what lacrosse suggests, and my bet is that they already are planning long range to play D1 lacrosse.

I agree

 

[SWC75]

SEC teams are 5-6 in their bowl games this year. That would suggest that their bottom third aren’t better than anyone else’s bottom third. They were 8-2 in 2019 but 6-6 2018, 5-6 2017 and 6-7 in 2016.

There should be 'challenges' like they have in basketball. Both sports should shift the challenges around. The power five could have two challenges between the top four conferences from the previous year's computer rankings and the 5th on could take on the beat of the Group of Five. If there's an unequal number of teams, take it from the top down. Have the challenges on successive weekends at the beginning of the season.

The ACC could play the AAC next year while the Big 10 plays the pac 10 and the SEC plays the Big 12, all the games in each match on the same weekend.

 

[Alsacs]

UGA heavily involved. Can’t wait to watch Bama / UGA next year, again.

That is basically play for play in action.
I don’t blame the kids but gets a
Salary cap already.
The kids should get what they can while they can but the sport is a joke when it’s the obviously being done.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

Once Oklahoma and Texas go to the SEC, I rather see it go back to the old Bowl system and then who ever is #1 and #2 after the Bowls plays in the NCG. Having a big debate over who should be the Top 2 is good for the sport IMO.


Sugar SEC Champ vs B1G
Rose B1G Champ vs P12 Champ
Orange ACC Champ vs B12 Champ
Cotton SEC vs B12
Peach ACC vs SEC
Fiesta P12 vs at large

So this year would have been something like:

Sugar #1 Bama vs #6 Ohio State
Rose #2 Michigan vs #11 Utah
Orange #12 Pitt vs #4 Cincy
Cotton #3 UGA vs #7 Baylor
Peach #17 Wake vs #8 Ole Miss
Fiesta #14 Oregon vs #5 Notre Dame

So the NCG is Bama vs either Michigan or UGA.

2020 would have been:

Sugar #1 Bama vs #11 Indiana
Rose #2 Ohio State vs #25 Oregon
Orange #3 Clemson vs #8 Cincy
Cotton #6 Oklahoma vs #10 iowa State
Peach #4 ND vs #5 A&M
Fiesta #17 USC vs #7 Florida

So the NCG is Bama vs either Ohio State or Clemson

2019 would have been:

Sugar #1 LSU vs #8 Wisconsin
Rose #2 Ohio State vs #6 Oregon
Orange #3 Clemson vs #7 Baylor
Cotton #4 Oklahoma vs #21 Cincy
Peach #24 UVA vs #9 Florida
Fiesta #11 Utah vs #5 UGA

So the NCG is LSU vs either Ohio State or Clemson.

2018 would have been:

Sugar #1 Bama vs #7 Michigan
Rose #6 Ohio State vs #9 Washington
Orange #2 Clemson vs #8 UCF
Cotton #4 Oklahoma vs #16 WV
Peach #20 SU vs #5 UGA
Fiesta #13 Washington State vs #3 ND

So the NCG is Bama vs Clemson if they win or ND

The way it is now you have 2 games to pay attention to. Going back to Bowls you end up paying attention to twice as many games. The SEC gets 3-4 of those Bowl slots while everyone else gets 2-3. ND has only one possible entry (Fiesta) so maybe they decide to join the ACC? They will have a very hard time making the NCG with no CCG and playing P12 #2 in the Fiesta. The ACC is stuck playing the worst P5 conference which will make it harder to get into the Final 2. That would make the B1G happy. SEC #2 would have a hard time getting into the Final 2 though. The Final 2 will be heavily influenced by winning your conference due to the Bowl matchups. The G5 gets pretty much left out. They do have a shot at the at large but they would need to be Top 5 to likely have a chance at it. That IMO is a good thing. Look at the G5 after the next round of realignment.

 

[Roger N]

I think there should be one championship for them... and one championship for all the other schools.

The landscape has become too unbalanced, and it will only get worse with NIL, the transfer portal, Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC, etc.

The two semi-final games tonight were boring embarrassments.

Apparently, The viewing public agrees. From yahoo Sports on January 4, 2022

New Year's Eve College Football Playoff viewership down significantly from Jan. 1, 2021​

They are going to choke on their own money. nobody will care about them.

I remember a famous quote from Yogi Berra regarding a restaurant in New York City.
"Nobody goes there any more, the wait for a table is too long"

 

[SWC75]

The NAIA has 98 teams and a 16-team playoff.

NCAA Division 3 has 241 teams and a 32-team playoff.

NCAA Division 2 has 166 teams and a 28-team playoff.

NCAA FCS has 127 teams and a 24-team playoff.

NCAA Division 1 has 130 teams and 4 team playoff.

Yes, we are having a hard time getting competitive games in the 4-team playoff and teams that would be added would be unlikely to do better. if you asked me if the best team in the country had been present in each of the eight 4 team playoff, I'd have to say "Yes". These other divisions have had dominant teams, too, (North Dakota State, Mount Union). Maybe FBS is doing it right and the other divisions should cut down their playoffs to a top 4.

But schools, coaches, players and fans want a shot. Cincinnati isn't sorry that they had to play Alabama, any more than Michigan is sorry they got a shot at Georgia. if you want more competitive games, they are likely to come from the games between teams like Cincinnati and Michigan and the teams allowed in my expansion. If a team wins all its games, they deserve a shot at the championship and would get it in the other divisions. They should get it in FBS, too. An expanded playoff would increase interest in the regular season, especially if the conferences get automatic bids. it's in the pros where they have 30 teams and expand the playoffs from, say, 12 to 16 teams, that the regular season gets devalued, not from expanding from 4 to 8 or 16 teams in a 130-school division.

 

[TheCusian]

The NAIA has 98 teams and a 16-team playoff.

NCAA Division 3 has 241 teams and a 32-team playoff.

NCAA Division 2 has 166 teams and a 28-team playoff.

NCAA FCS has 127 teams and a 24-team playoff.

NCAA Division 1 has 130 teams and 4 team playoff.

Yes, we are having a hard time getting competitive games in the 4-team playoff and teams that would be added would be unlikely to do better. if you asked me if the best team in the country had been present in each of the eight 4 team playoff, I'd have to say "Yes". These other divisions have had dominant teams, too, (North Dakota State, Mount Union). Maybe FBS is doing it right and the other divisions should cut down their playoffs to a top 4.

But schools, coaches, players and fans want a shot. Cincinnati isn't sorry that they had to play Alabama, any more than Michigan is sorry they got a shot at Georgia. if you want more competitive games, they are likely to come from the games between teams like Cincinnati and Michigan and the teams allowed in my expansion. If a team wins all its games, they deserve a shot at the championship and would get it in the other divisions. They should get it in FBS, too. An expanded playoff would increase interest in the regular season, especially if the conferences get automatic bids. it's in the pros where they have 30 teams and expand the playoffs from, say, 12 to 16 teams, that the regular season gets devalued, not from expanding from 4 to 8 or 16 teams in a 130-school division.

Yep.

I think 8-12 is the way to go. Limit conferences (2 teams per). Allow pods within conferences. Allow an extra year of eligibility to allow teams that develop players a chance to have parity with the factories.

The very top teams will still cruise and whatever. But the first days of the NCAA tournament are the most entertaining for a reason. 5 vs 12.

We’ll see if these small tweaks work. In my dreamworld we abolish the NCAA and create an org with teeth alongside really stringent controls on cheating.

 

[UnknownOrange]

That is basically play for play in action.
I don’t blame the kids but gets a
Salary cap already.
The kids should get what they can while they can but the sport is a joke when it’s the obviously being done.

A salary cap...

Then put one on coaching staffs

 

[SWC75]

Yep.

I think 8-12 is the way to go. Limit conferences (2 teams per). Allow pods within conferences. Allow an extra year of eligibility to allow teams that develop players a chance to have parity with the factories.

The very top teams will still cruise and whatever. But the first days of the NCAA tournament are the most entertaining for a reason. 5 vs 12.

We’ll see if these small tweaks work. In my dreamworld we abolish the NCAA and create an org with teeth alongside really stringent controls on cheating.

If you give auto-bids to all the conferences than their regulars season become part of the playoff. 16 with auto bids to all 10.

 

[Sherman20]

I think there should be one championship for them... and one championship for all the other schools.

The landscape has become too unbalanced, and it will only get worse with NIL, the transfer portal, Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC, etc.

The two semi-final games tonight were boring embarrassments.

Congress needs to intervene to regulate NIL. But that’ll never happen because the lawmakers can’t agree on much these days.

 

[JKinPhilly]

Congress needs to intervene to regulate NIL. But that’ll never happen because the lawmakers can’t agree on much these days.

Why exactly would Congress need to intervene? What has the government ever touched and actually improved in history?

 

[TheCusian]

Why exactly would Congress need to intervene? What has the government ever touched and actually improved in history?

We could all be speaking Japanese or German right now, we’re one of the richest countries in the world thanks to the framework and regulatory systems provided by government, millions of old people don’t die in destitution, our justice system while flawed does do a lot of good things to keep people safe, roads are pretty good, we fund all kinds of research to improve our lives, even this forum (Internet!) can be traced to something government “touched.”

One of the sickest tricks ever played on us, is the idea that government is bad.

 

[Cuseregular]

We could all be speaking Japanese or German right now, we’re one of the richest countries in the world thanks to the framework and regulatory systems provided by government, millions of old people don’t die in destitution, our justice system while flawed does do a lot of good things to keep people safe, roads are pretty good, we fund all kinds of research to improve our lives, even this forum (Internet!) can be traced to something government “touched.”

One of the sickest tricks ever played on us, is the idea that government is bad.

Amen

 

[RandomGuy]

The NAIA has 98 teams and a 16-team playoff.

NCAA Division 3 has 241 teams and a 32-team playoff.

NCAA Division 2 has 166 teams and a 28-team playoff.

NCAA FCS has 127 teams and a 24-team playoff.

NCAA Division 1 has 130 teams and 4 team playoff.

Yes, we are having a hard time getting competitive games in the 4-team playoff and teams that would be added would be unlikely to do better. if you asked me if the best team in the country had been present in each of the eight 4 team playoff, I'd have to say "Yes". These other divisions have had dominant teams, too, (North Dakota State, Mount Union). Maybe FBS is doing it right and the other divisions should cut down their playoffs to a top 4.

But schools, coaches, players and fans want a shot. Cincinnati isn't sorry that they had to play Alabama, any more than Michigan is sorry they got a shot at Georgia. if you want more competitive games, they are likely to come from the games between teams like Cincinnati and Michigan and the teams allowed in my expansion. If a team wins all its games, they deserve a shot at the championship and would get it in the other divisions. They should get it in FBS, too. An expanded playoff would increase interest in the regular season, especially if the conferences get automatic bids. it's in the pros where they have 30 teams and expand the playoffs from, say, 12 to 16 teams, that the regular season gets devalued, not from expanding from 4 to 8 or 16 teams in a 130-school division.

Yepp.

With an expanded playoff, you can be fairly certain of an occasional upset. Most of us would eat that up. 16? Fanbases completely involved. Brackets keeping others involved, office pools etc...

I'm not sure if an expanded playoff helps with opt outs, but more games against top competition could increase a players draft stock. Opt outs here could certainly hurt a team more. If that happens to be a top 4 team, and say #14 is coming in at full strength? Interesting. Not only that. If QB1 opts out on a team? Its fanbase might get a 2,3 or 4 game look at QB2. Certainly would give us more CFB to talk about in the offseason.

In terms of FAN involvement, an expanded CFB is a no-brainer. The only post season game I cared about this year was Cincy/Alabama. If #4 Cincy had beaten #13(ole miss) in the playoff? I would have watched 2 games. I'll always root for the underdog.

It makes too much sense for the NCAA to make it happen. 16 meaningful bowl games. A playoff that 4 times the amount of fanbases would care about.

 

[Hoo's That]

{snip}

It makes too much sense for the NCAA to make it happen. 16 meaningful bowl games. A playoff that 4 times the amount of fanbases would care about.

Please remember NCAA HQ is not involved with this at all. They have absolutely no say in how many and which teams are/are not in the playoff. The number of teams that get a bid to the playoffs is decided by the P5 conference ADs and their reps and them alone. India-noplace is a spectator in all this just as much as we are.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

Yepp.

With an expanded playoff, you can be fairly certain of an occasional upset. Most of us would eat that up. 16? Fanbases completely involved. Brackets keeping others involved, office pools etc...

I'm not sure if an expanded playoff helps with opt outs, but more games against top competition could increase a players draft stock. Opt outs here could certainly hurt a team more. If that happens to be a top 4 team, and say #14 is coming in at full strength? Interesting. Not only that. If QB1 opts out on a team? Its fanbase might get a 2,3 or 4 game look at QB2. Certainly would give us more CFB to talk about in the offseason.

In terms of FAN involvement, an expanded CFB is a no-brainer. The only post season game I cared about this year was Cincy/Alabama. If #4 Cincy had beaten #13(ole miss) in the playoff? I would have watched 2 games. I'll always root for the underdog.

It makes too much sense for the NCAA to make it happen. 16 meaningful bowl games. A playoff that 4 times the amount of fanbases would care about.

There is a huge difference in FBS talent disparity. The Top 4-5 teams have OL and DL play that cannot be matched by teams 6-10, let alone teams 11-16. That is the difference in the sport. Look at Cincy and how badly they were overmatched. You will never have a 16 seed go on the road and win at a 1 seed. If on neutral field maybe an 8/9 team could occasionally beat a 1 seed but it would be like a 2 seed in BBall losing to a 15. It won't happen very often, and wouldn't happen if the 1 seed is at home. Heck the 4/5 won't be a good game the majority of the time vs the 1 seed.

Even if you look at the FCS, the games generally are not close. Most Quarterfinals are blowouts. It is nice to add the intersectional matchups but then you need a shorter regular season which is bad for everyone. And goodbye Bowl games. Also in a way the CCGs are a like a playoff.

Looking at the FCS, this season is the only one in the last 5 season where it wasn't 1 vs 2/3 in the CG. So there hasn't been much variety.

In the last dozen years the 1 seed has made it 2/3 of the time. The 4/5 seed has made it 1/4 of the time. This is the 1st season the 1/4/5 did not make the CG in the last dozen.

The 2/3 seed has made it 3/4 of the time. The only time outside the 6/7 seed was the Cinderella run by Youngstown State in 2016.

So 20 of the 24 CG slots in the last dozen years have gone to 1-5 seeds. Only once by a seed over 8. Is it worth that when in return we get a bunch of blowout playoff games? Also you need to consider WHO is in the playoffs. The FBS will be mainly SEC and B1G teams. There aren't 13 conferences in FBS like there are in FCS. So a 16 team playoff in FBS will easily be 1/2 SEC and B1G teams, and more often 2/3 of the field. That will make the regular season Champ meaningless in those conferences.

 

[SWC75]

There is a huge difference in FBS talent disparity. The Top 4-5 teams have OL and DL play that cannot be matched by teams 6-10, let alone teams 11-16. That is the difference in the sport. Look at Cincy and how badly they were overmatched. You will never have a 16 seed go on the road and win at a 1 seed. If on neutral field maybe an 8/9 team could occasionally beat a 1 seed but it would be like a 2 seed in BBall losing to a 15. It won't happen very often, and wouldn't happen if the 1 seed is at home. Heck the 4/5 won't be a good game the majority of the time vs the 1 seed.

Even if you look at the FCS, the games generally are not close. Most Quarterfinals are blowouts. It is nice to add the intersectional matchups but then you need a shorter regular season which is bad for everyone. And goodbye Bowl games. Also in a way the CCGs are a like a playoff.

Looking at the FCS, this season is the only one in the last 5 season where it wasn't 1 vs 2/3 in the CG. So there hasn't been much variety.

In the last dozen years the 1 seed has made it 2/3 of the time. The 4/5 seed has made it 1/4 of the time. This is the 1st season the 1/4/5 did not make the CG in the last dozen.

The 2/3 seed has made it 3/4 of the time. The only time outside the 6/7 seed was the Cinderella run by Youngstown State in 2016.

So 20 of the 24 CG slots in the last dozen years have gone to 1-5 seeds. Only once by a seed over 8. Is it worth that when in return we get a bunch of blowout playoff games? Also you need to consider WHO is in the playoffs. The FBS will be mainly SEC and B1G teams. There aren't 13 conferences in FBS like there are in FCS. So a 16 team playoff in FBS will easily be 1/2 SEC and B1G teams, and more often 2/3 of the field. That will make the regular season Champ meaningless in those conferences.

In my post above, (to which this was not a direct response), I acknowledged that there were elite teams in all divisions. the diversity of an expanded playoff is still desirable. If you are using the bowls in the playoff, there's no need to cut down the regular season, (which is too long anyway). And by giving automatic bids in all the conferences, you make the conference race a part of the playoff in a very real way. "Making the regular season meaningless" is an issue when a pro league of 30 teams puts 16 teams in the playoff. It's not really an issue when a college division of 130 schools does so. And, of course, much of the appeal of college football comes from rivalries that would never be dulled by a playoff. Duke-North Carolina is as good a rivalry as Ohio State-Michigan, even though the basketball tournment has 68 teams and the Blue Devils and Tar heels are almost always both in it.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

In my post above, (to which this was not a direct response), I acknowledged that there were elite teams in all divisions. the diversity of an expanded playoff is still desirable. If you are using the bowls in the playoff, there's no need to cut down the regular season, (which is too long anyway). And by giving automatic bids in all the conferences, you make the conference race a part of the playoff in a very real way. "Making the regular season meaningless" is an issue when a pro league of 30 teams puts 16 teams in the playoff. It's not really an issue when a college division of 130 schools does so. And, of course, much of the appeal of college football comes from rivalries that would never be dulled by a playoff. Duke-North Carolina is as good a rivalry as Ohio State-Michigan, even though the basketball tournment has 68 teams and the Blue Devils and Tar heels are almost always both in it.

If you are going to have auto bids for all conference champs then you better go well past 16 teams. Do we really pine for these matchups? The G5 games are mostly just a waste of time. Even more so if those games are hosted by the higher seeds.

1. Bama vs 16. Northern Illinois (93rd in Sagarin)
2. Michigan vs 15. Utah State (55th in Sagarin)
3. UGA vs 14. UTSA (62nd in Sagarin)
4. Cincy vs 13. Louisiana (that is interesting but it is 2 G5s)
5. ND vs 12. Pitt
6. Ohio State vs 11. Utah
7. Baylor vs 10. Ole Miss (moving them to avoid rematch with Bama)
8. Okie State vs 9. Michigan State (moving them to avoid Michigan rematch)

If you expand to 20:

13. BYU vs 20. Northern Illinois with the winner playing Cincy
14. Oregon vs 19. Utah State with the winner playing UGA
15. Oklahoma vs 18. UTSA with the winner playing Michigan
16. Iowa (moving them to avoid B1G matchup vs Michigan) vs 17. Louisiana with the winner playing Bama

These games wouldn't be all that good. IMO BYU, Oregon, and Oklahoma win easily. Iowa likely wins but Louisiana at least has a chance. Then for the round of 16:

Bama would roll Iowa but it is a better game than Northern Illinois.
Michigan Oklahoma has intrigue while Utah State does not.
UGA would probably win easily over Oregon but at least there is a chance unlike UTSA.
Cincy vs either BYU or Louisiana is an interesting game, only because Cincy isn't that great. Typically this game wouldn't be that great.

So you get a better round of 16 by going to 20. But in doing so you are making this a P2 vs G8 tournament. The future B1G/SEC have 8 of the 20 teams. The future B12 gets three teams, P12 two teams, and one team each from the other 6 conferences. This will be typical. Looking at 2019 it is SEC/B1G 10 teams, P12 two teams, everyone else one team each. It is cute that the G5 gets a seat at the playoff table but the expansion greatly benefits the SEC/B1G and hurts the ACC/B12/P12.

In terms of quality IMO 7 is the magic number. It also rewards the #1 team and the #1 team isn't going to be challenged by the 8 seed anyway. It also is made for TV as you have 3 games (12pm, 4pm, 8pm) in one day.

1. Bama gets a bye
2. Michigan plays 7. Baylor
3. UGA plays 6. ND
4. Cincy plays 5. Ohio State

The ACC and P12 get left out for not having a Top 10 team.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

In a few years when the realignment is done IMO it will be worse. You won't have Cincy or BYU on the outside like this season. The gap between the SEC/B1G and the P3 will widen. The gap between the P3 and G5 will widen.

Future G5 schools that have cracked the Top 16 in the playoff era:

2020 #12 Costal Carolina (Covid messed up rankings though)
2016 #15 Western Michigan

That is it. So if the G5 gets auto bids you are most likely looking at 5 of the 16 teams being outside the 20 best teams. That is nearly a 1/3 of your playoff. With 20 teams you at least reduce it to 1/4.

The Top 25 future G5 by year, Top 16 future P3 by year, SEC/BIG Top 16 teams:

2014
G5 #20
ACC #3 and #12
B12 #5, #6, and #11
P12 #2, #10, #14, and #15
SEC/B1G 7 teams

2015
G5 #21 and #24
ACC #1, #9, and #10
B12 #11 and #16
P12 #6 and #15
SEC/B1G 8 teams

2016
G5 #15, #24, and #25
ACC #2, #11, and #13
B12 #12 and #16
P12 #4, #9, and #10
SEC/B1G 7 teams

2017
G5 #20 and #25
ACC #1 and #10
B12 #12 and #15
P12 #8, #11, and #13
SEC/B1G 8 teams

2018
G5 #21 and #25
ACC #2
B12 #8 and #16
P12 #9 and #13
SEC/B1G 10 teams

2019
G5 #17, #19, #20, and #23
ACC #3
B12 #7
P12 #6 and #11
SEC/B1G 11 teams

2020
G5 #12, #19, #22, and #24
ACC #2 and #13
B12 #8, #10, and #16
P12 None
SEC/B1G 9 teams

2021
G5 #23 and #24
ACC #12
B12 #4, #7, #9, and #13
P12 #11 and #14
SEC/B1G 8 teams

Overall
G5 highest rank avg: 18.625
G5 highest rank median: 20
ACC avg: 1.875 teams
B12 avg: 2.375 teams
P12 avg: 2.25 teams
SEC/B1G avg 8.5 teams

The ACC really needs to either get better or add Notre Dame. B12 IMO will slide down a bit as they will lose some respect after Texas and Oklahoma leave. They won't get ranked as high preseason and will not have a marquee game to bump them up. Even with Oklahoma, Baylor couldn't get higher than 7th despite being 11-2 and B12 Champs. The P12 needs to get better. The last 4 years they haven't shown much. The last 2 years they failed to even have a single Top 10 team.

The B1G and SEC should probably divvy up the ACC, B12, P12 and go to 24 teams each and then break away from the NCAA. Each conference can have 4 divisions of 6, a 4 team conference playoff, and then play each other for the national championship.

 

[RandomGuy]

There is a huge difference in FBS talent disparity. The Top 4-5 teams have OL and DL play that cannot be matched by teams 6-10, let alone teams 11-16. That is the difference in the sport. Look at Cincy and how badly they were overmatched. You will never have a 16 seed go on the road and win at a 1 seed. If on neutral field maybe an 8/9 team could occasionally beat a 1 seed but it would be like a 2 seed in BBall losing to a 15. It won't happen very often, and wouldn't happen if the 1 seed is at home. Heck the 4/5 won't be a good game the majority of the time vs the 1 seed.

Even if you look at the FCS, the games generally are not close. Most Quarterfinals are blowouts. It is nice to add the intersectional matchups but then you need a shorter regular season which is bad for everyone. And goodbye Bowl games. Also in a way the CCGs are a like a playoff.

Looking at the FCS, this season is the only one in the last 5 season where it wasn't 1 vs 2/3 in the CG. So there hasn't been much variety.

In the last dozen years the 1 seed has made it 2/3 of the time. The 4/5 seed has made it 1/4 of the time. This is the 1st season the 1/4/5 did not make the CG in the last dozen.

The 2/3 seed has made it 3/4 of the time. The only time outside the 6/7 seed was the Cinderella run by Youngstown State in 2016.

So 20 of the 24 CG slots in the last dozen years have gone to 1-5 seeds. Only once by a seed over 8. Is it worth that when in return we get a bunch of blowout playoff games? Also you need to consider WHO is in the playoffs. The FBS will be mainly SEC and B1G teams. There aren't 13 conferences in FBS like there are in FCS. So a 16 team playoff in FBS will easily be 1/2 SEC and B1G teams, and more often 2/3 of the field. That will make the regular season Champ meaningless in those conferences.

Didn't know that. I'd still watch the playoffs and root for the underdog, though. So would many other fanbases. In terms of those bowls, I imagine they'd become more lucrative, cuz ya never know. Higher team has some turnovers? Maybe you get the upset. Higher team with more opt outs? Alrighty then...

I figured 'Bama would beat Cincy. I watched anyways. Would have freaking loved that upset.

 

[SWC75]

If you are going to have auto bids for all conference champs then you better go well past 16 teams. Do we really pine for these matchups? The G5 games are mostly just a waste of time. Even more so if those games are hosted by the higher seeds.

1. Bama vs 16. Northern Illinois (93rd in Sagarin)
2. Michigan vs 15. Utah State (55th in Sagarin)
3. UGA vs 14. UTSA (62nd in Sagarin)
4. Cincy vs 13. Louisiana (that is interesting but it is 2 G5s)
5. ND vs 12. Pitt
6. Ohio State vs 11. Utah
7. Baylor vs 10. Ole Miss (moving them to avoid rematch with Bama)
8. Okie State vs 9. Michigan State (moving them to avoid Michigan rematch)

If you expand to 20:

13. BYU vs 20. Northern Illinois with the winner playing Cincy
14. Oregon vs 19. Utah State with the winner playing UGA
15. Oklahoma vs 18. UTSA with the winner playing Michigan
16. Iowa (moving them to avoid B1G matchup vs Michigan) vs 17. Louisiana with the winner playing Bama

These games wouldn't be all that good. IMO BYU, Oregon, and Oklahoma win easily. Iowa likely wins but Louisiana at least has a chance. Then for the round of 16:

Bama would roll Iowa but it is a better game than Northern Illinois.
Michigan Oklahoma has intrigue while Utah State does not.
UGA would probably win easily over Oregon but at least there is a chance unlike UTSA.
Cincy vs either BYU or Louisiana is an interesting game, only because Cincy isn't that great. Typically this game wouldn't be that great.

So you get a better round of 16 by going to 20. But in doing so you are making this a P2 vs G8 tournament. The future B1G/SEC have 8 of the 20 teams. The future B12 gets three teams, P12 two teams, and one team each from the other 6 conferences. This will be typical. Looking at 2019 it is SEC/B1G 10 teams, P12 two teams, everyone else one team each. It is cute that the G5 gets a seat at the playoff table but the expansion greatly benefits the SEC/B1G and hurts the ACC/B12/P12.

In terms of quality IMO 7 is the magic number. It also rewards the #1 team and the #1 team isn't going to be challenged by the 8 seed anyway. It also is made for TV as you have 3 games (12pm, 4pm, 8pm) in one day.

1. Bama gets a bye
2. Michigan plays 7. Baylor
3. UGA plays 6. ND
4. Cincy plays 5. Ohio State

The ACC and P12 get left out for not having a Top 10 team.

There's no need to go beyond 16. The Power 5 gets 5 conference champs and up to 6 at large bids. they'll be happy. I see nothing wrong with your first scenario. the playoffs in the other divisions start out like that as well, as does March Madness, the lacrosse tournament, etc.