CFP Discussion

[Richard7125]

I think most of the SEC and Big10 fans would prefer to have a wider selection of teams in the 12 team playoff - not just 4 and 5 from their two conferences. They're fans like the rest of us and want to see their teams beat teams from other conferences.

 

[MusicalBuzz]

I think Liberty would be in there.

I for one am very glad that they are finally playing as legit a team as is Oregon this year. Should go to show whether they and their (severely) weak schedule really belong (or do belong) in the same hemisphere as the CFP conversation

 

[Root4GT]

That assumes that the rankings are purely analytical and not influenced by outside lobbying. If there are five or six teams vying for the final 2-3 spots, the SEC will lobby very hard to have all of those final spots to be SEC teams. This year, it wouldn't have really mattered. If playoff spots were on the line would Louisville had jumped over LSU? Oklahoma? Ole Miss? Mizz?

The criteria is only whatever it takes to justify the decision you want to make. It is easy to come up with reasons why an 11-2 Louisville is better than any of those teams. It is also easy to come up with reasons that an 11-2 Louisville is not better than those teams. The committee has changed the criteria year to year, and even week to week so they can justify whatever they say. It is extremely obvious that without any hard criteria, bias will always be involved. What is important this year will not be important next year. Teams should be able to understand what it takes to get into the playoffs. Teams currently can do everything next year that the committee says is important this year, only to find out that nothing they accomplished is important next year.

Only a very few will care about team 12 vs team 13 next year. This year it would be Oklahoma in and LSU out.

 

[Vespidae]

I do not think the SEC or B1G would "break off" to do their own thing. While it might be fun for their fans to rave on about being the best, the practical side of not having a broad spectrum of competing teams would lesson the attractiveness of their endeavor. And, there is also the danger that the other conferences would say to those two conferences, "Enjoy having your own March Madness as well. And, your own women's championship events."

If the "other teams" said bye-bye to the SEC and B1G, their own financials would tank off a cliff. The entire CFB landscape is moving towards a SEC v B1G face off. My bet is they will engineer the demise of the ACC and its done.

This is what happens when you delegate authority to warring tribes.

 

[7979]

too many repeat games

"...too many repeat games...."
This.....

 

[MusicalBuzz]

Assuredly the CFP will expand beyond 12 teams. But all this is doing is decreasing the chance that the absolute best team is crowned champion. And more significantly deprecates the value of the Regular Season. So a 12+ team playoff is just an another tournament.. which is exactly what the NCAA Basketball is.

And, if they really wanted to identify the Best Team, they’d ditch the single elimination construct and make it round robin between just the Top 4, which wouldn’t be decided by a (gasp!) “committee” .. but instead use the BCS-premise composite scoring based on any number of computer and person rankings that have the effect of balancing the overall score.

 

[stinger78]

If the "other teams" said bye-bye to the SEC and B1G, their own financials would tank off a cliff. The entire CFB landscape is moving towards a SEC v B1G face off. My bet is they will engineer the demise of the ACC and its done.

This is what happens when you delegate authority to warring tribes.

Do you honestly believe that CFB will just cease to exist? Not rhetorical. I think it will change, and maybe not for the worst. There will always be GA Tech Yellow Jackets football.

 

[RonJohn]

Only a very few will care about team 12 vs team 13 next year. This year it would be Oklahoma in and LSU out.

The rankings for teams 5-12 would have been different this year if it was a 12 team playoff precisely because 12 vs 13 matters. The committee is all about actual fairness when it doesn't matter, but make no mistake it will be all SEC and Big10 when it does matter.

I am for having automatic qualifiers, because that takes the decision for deserving teams out of the committee's hands. However, if it moves down to a 5+7 format without any further stipulations, it will basically be 9 Big10/SEC teams plus three token "others", which includes the Big12 and ACC. If the SEC and Big10 want total control, then as @orientalnc implied the rest of FBS and D1 should let them do their own thing in all sports. People complain about ND competing in the ACC in all sports except for football, yet seem to be OK with the SEC and Big10 taking all control of the money in FBS football while depending on the other D1 conferences for the other sports. Let them become their own regionalized group with limited competition and see how much national interest they are able to keep.

 

[Vespidae]

Do you honestly believe that CFB will just cease to exist? Not rhetorical. I think it will change, and maybe not for the worst. There will always be GA Tech Yellow Jackets football.

There are models for how industries and markets evolve. #1 and 2 count, 3 is iffy. Everyone else are small. College football is evolving in a similar manner.

 

[bobongo]

"...too many repeat games...."
This.....

Indeed. Why are Texas and Alabama both in the playoff? That has already been decided, when Texas beat Alabama 34-24 in Tuscaloosa.
You have 133 teams playing 12-game schedules and you have to have a repeat? That only makes sense if you're counting the money instead of the points already scored in a game already played.

 

[RonJohn]

Indeed. Why are Texas and Alabama both in the playoff? That has already been decided, when Texas beat Alabama 34-24 in Tuscaloosa.
You have 133 teams playing 12-game schedules and you have to have a repeat? That only makes sense if you're counting the money instead of the points already scored in a game already played.

Texas and Alabama are both in the playoffs because the committee didn't think they could justify putting Alabama in without putting in Texas. They wanted Alabama in. They had to come up with some scenario in which Alabama could get in. Discounting FSU and putting TX in above Alabama was the only way to make any justification of putting Alabama in.

 

[bobongo]

Texas and Alabama are both in the playoffs because the committee didn't think they could justify putting Alabama in without putting in Texas. They wanted Alabama in. They had to come up with some scenario in which Alabama could get in. Discounting FSU and putting TX in above Alabama was the only way to make any justification of putting Alabama in.

I understand the committee's fig leaf rationalization. Alabama couldn't get in without Texas. My question was rhetorical. Texas belongs in the playoff IMO. Alabama does not. Alabama has already been eliminated (or should have been) by Texas.

 

[Vespidae]

I understand the committee's fig leaf rationalization. Alabama couldn't get in without Texas. My question was rhetorical. Texas belongs in the playoff IMO. Alabama does not. Alabama has already been eliminated (or should have been) by Texas.

The SEC is the conference with the most appearances (10) ... there was no way the committee was leaving the SEC out.

 

[stinger78]

There are models for how industries and markets evolve. #1 and 2 count, 3 is iffy. Everyone else are small. College football is evolving in a similar manner.

Yes, there are. Disruptive innovation can be dealt with proactively. I would suggest they start. This will not end well.

 

[RonJohn]

The SEC is the conference with the most appearances (10) ... there was no way the committee was leaving the SEC out.

You can't seem to realize that is a problem. This year, the SEC was down. Yet, they still have a very large presence in the CFP top 15. Several have pointed out that the best OOC win that the SEC had all year was Louisville. The SEC is still getting credit for the tough SEC grind every single week, when they lose out of conference more than they win. The SEC has the most appearances, not because the SEC is hands down better than everyone else but because they get the hype.

I don't disagree with you that the committee wasn't going to exclude the SEC. I do disagree with you that the SEC should have gotten a team in this year. If the mutts had won, would Texas have jumped FSU? No. It would have been mutts, Michigan, Washington, and FSU. The only reason Texas made the playoffs is to provide an excuse to put an SEC team in.

 

[stinger78]

The real stupidity is a 4-team “playoff” for 5 conferences. Imagine the NFC and AFC playoffs only having 2 slots each.

 

[MusicalBuzz]

The real stupidity is a 4-team “playoff” for 5 conferences. Imagine the NFC and AFC playoffs only having 2 slots each.

Aside from the comeback that conferences are not necessarily equal.. you’ve definitely hit on something! And also with the notion of NFC/AFC having two slots.

So: each Power 5 provides — independent of rankings and committee(sic) — their top two teams. And, no, the other fringe conference teams aren’t invited .. not sorry. And if you (FSU / u(sic)GA) have an issue just email your own Commissioner, but otherwise shut up publicly.

10 teams. Round robin format. More games, problem solved .. easy peasy.

 

[stinger78]

Aside from the comeback that conferences are not necessarily equal.. you’ve definitely hit on something! And also with the notion of NFC/AFC having two slots.

So: each Power 5 provides — independent of rankings and committee(sic) — their top two teams. And, no, the other fringe conference teams aren’t invited .. not sorry. And if you (FSU / u(sic)GA) have an issue just email your own Commissioner, but otherwise shut up publicly.

10 teams. Round robin format. More games, problem solved .. easy peasy.

But, but, but, you might get a (gasp) blowout! The horrors.

 

[orientalnc]

Anytime you think ESPN controls college sportss, think about this. A much anticipated basketball game between UConn and Gonzaga is on the air at 10 PM tonight. That is not prime time for most of the country.

 

[stinger78]

Anytime you think ESPN controls college sportss, think about this. A much anticipated basketball game between UConn and Gonzaga is on the air at 10 PM tonight. That is not prime time for most of the country.

It’s in Seattle.