College Playoff

[ShortCreek]

The media overwhelmingly has endorsed last weekend's college slate of games as a blockbuster success. Just think how much fun college football could be if the powers-to-be would expand the playoff.

The minimum playoff should be at least an 8-team bracket, and I'm not convinced that a 16-team bracket is not possible. What stinks is that those teams who lost last weekend (LSU, USC, Auburn, ND, Oklahoma, etc.) are really up against a wall to make the 4-team playoff.

I would love to see a college football post-season that allows teams to play stiff competition in the regular season and lose, or those who take big risks with their scheduling, etc. to be rewarded, not punished. I hope someday we have a playoff where a team that vastly improves throughout the year can get in, say one that might have as many as three losses.

I just hate a system that virtually locks you out of the ultimate prize after one game. The playoff has improved the college game as witnessed last weekend, but it can be so much better.

 

[Mayoman]

That is one POV. I like the cream rises to the top one myself.

Great teams develop one game at a time over time. Why reward mediocrity? If you lose more than 1 game, or if you remain unbeaten beating all your competition in conference you deserve to advance to the Final 4. Added: If you are an unbeaten or 1 loss Conference champion of one of the P5 conferences, you are not mediocre.

Only the best of the best should get to the Final 4 based on the entire season of play. 2 and 3 lose teams have lost......so sad too bad you eliminate yourself. Don't lose, that is the sign of a champion.....not 2 or 3 loss teams. It is what it is.

Some like Vanilla and some like chocolate. Ce la viv!

 

[ShortCreek]

I'm just glad we've got an excellent basketball program. I'd hate to have all my marbles wrapped up in college football, anticipate the upcoming season, and the bubble be busted after ONE game? Man, with your argument you must hate multiple teams from the ACC going to March Madness! I mean, why reward mediocrity!

 

[ActionJackson502]

I wouldn't be surprised to see the playoff expand to 8 teams in the near future. Id personally love to see a 16 team playoff at some point. This could give some teams a little more room for error in the regular season which could lead to more big time match ups out of conference.

 

[topdecktiger]

That is one POV. I like the cream rises to the top one myself.

Great teams develop one game at a time over time. Why reward mediocrity? If you lose more than 1 game or remain unbeaten beating all your competition in conference you deserve to advance to the Final 4.

Only the best of the best should get to the Final 4 based on the entire season of play. 2 and 3 lose teams have lost......so sad too bad you eliminate yourself. Don't lose, that is the sign of a champion.....not 2 or 3 loss teams. It is what it is.

Some like Vanilla and some like chocolate. Ce la viv!

The problem is, you have too many teams and not enough games to determine who is actually "good." In the NFL, you basically have a closed loop of teams that all play each other. You have enough information there to make a realistic determination of who is actually good and who isn't. In college, you have 128 teams, and only 12 games. That's just not enough to really know who's good and who isn't.

 

[Mayoman]

I'm just glad we've got an excellent basketball program. I'd hate to have all my marbles wrapped up in college football, anticipate the upcoming season, and the bubble be busted after ONE game? Man, with your argument you must hate multiple teams from the ACC going to March Madness! I mean, why reward mediocrity!

Pretty simple: basketball is not football. And, as we saw last year, 1 ICL or OCL did not prevent Bama from being their conference champion and winning the playoff to be NC.

More to your point, I did like the purity of the NCAA CBB tournament when it was conference champions only that advanced in the tournament.

I also like having multiple teams from one conference making the tournament now......but now there are too many losses teams, that make it and too many from the bigger conferences......to me, it diminishes the importance of the regular season schedule and more mediocre teams advance than actually deserve it.

Likely, some where in the middle is a better format for CBB.

Furthermore, I do not want CFB to take the road that CBB has, in this case I like quality over quantity......but that is just my preference. To be the best....don't lose and don't burst your bubble are the same thing. Set the bar high.

 

[KerryRhodes]

This isnt or wont be popular, here goes.

NCAA needs a comissioner that would reduce division 1 to 80 teams.
8 conferences of 10 teams. Conference winners ONLY in a 8 team playoff.

Conferences ;

ACC
BIG10
PAC10
SEC
BIG12
SWC ( Southwest conference)
Big East
MWC

The non playoff teams would play in bowl games.

 

[CardVille]

8 is perfect. Five P5 champs, One access slot, Two at large.

 

[Cue Card]

I like 8 too. Seems to be the perfect number of teams.

 

[Mayoman]

I could live with 8.....but I still like 4 best.

 

[CardLaw]

8 is perfect. Five P5 champs, One access slot, Two at large.

I'm not sure that will happen or that it should. Under the current system, a team from the SEC, ACC, Big 10 or Pac 12 that makes the championship game will play 15 games on the season. Adding another layer makes it 16 games or a reduction in the regular season by one game or an elimination of the conference championship games. None of those are particularly good options.

A reduction in regular season games means a reduction in revenue for everyone but the playoff teams. An elimination of conference championships means a loss of revenue for the conferences and schools other than the playoff teams. Both proposals would go over like a lead balloon. That leaves a 16 game schedule for two teams.

It is one thing to ask pros who make millions a year to play 19 games. It is another to ask college kids - most of who will never get a football related check - to take on another game. The extra game also increases the risk to those who otherwise would get an NFL or CFL contract. At some point it is just too much to ask.

Obviously, I can't say it will "never happen". Only a fool would. But I have my doubts. In the two years so far, there have been 6 teams and 5 teams respectively who had a real argument to be in. If it were 8 now, both years would have had pointless filler teams - kind of like the play in games for CBB.

 

[topdecktiger]

It is one thing to ask pros who make millions a year to play 19 games. It is another to ask college kids - most of who will never get a football related check - to take on another game. The extra game also increases the risk to those who otherwise would get an NFL or CFL contract. At some point it is just too much to ask.

Yet FCS does it every year.

 

[CardLaw]

Yet FCS does it every year.

They play an 11 game schedule and the two teams that play in the championship game end up with 15 games total - same as the current championship game in Div I-A assuming both teams are from a conference with a league championship game.

 

[topdecktiger]

They play an 11 game schedule and the two teams that play in the championship game end up with 15 games total - same as the current championship game in Div I-A assuming both teams are from a conference with a league championship game.

FCS has a 5-round playoff. Only the top 8 schools get byes. Even without a CCG and 11 games, that means 5 games for the rest of the schools to win the NC, meaning 16 total games. The only way to get 15 games is to win your conference (with no CCG), and get a first-round bye.

 

[CardLaw]

FCS has a 5-round playoff. Only the top 8 schools get byes. Even without a CCG and 11 games, that means 5 games for the rest of the schools to win the NC, meaning 16 total games. The only way to get 15 games is to win your conference (with no CCG), and get a first-round bye.

OK.

How often do teams not in the top eight get through?

At some point a line will have to be drawn, though. That is my main point. Whether it is at 15 games or 16 or 20. It will be arbitrary either way. But at some point there are too many games to put the players through. I would not be shocked to see playoff go to eight teams (meaning 16 potential games). I would be surprised to see it go beyond that number though. No way the schools or conferences give up the regular season or league championship revenue.