Conference Realignment

[bobongo]

Just wondering why you chose to ignore my post showing Tulane's victory in the Cotton Bowl last year vs. USC? You keep asking for examples but then ignore posts which gives examples.....

Exactly. In 2022, #8 USC fell to #14 Tulane. A mild upset. Not so remarkable, really.

 

[RonJohn]

Exactly. In 2022, #8 USC fell to #14 Tulane. A mild upset. Not so remarkable, really.

I wonder why the question was changed from top ten to: top seven, with a short time span also. Almost like someone found all of the answers and modified the question to exclude those.

 

[4shotB]

No, but Troy won their conference and lost to a 7-5 Duke team. That was the point.

i have learned that bowl games are significant competitive events to exactly half the teams that play them and meaningless exhibition games for the other 50%. Tell me your favorite team and I can probably figure how you as a fan stand on the issue. At least for this year.

 

[forensicbuzz]

This would’ve been the way to go 40 years ago - back when there was strong parity among the 10 team SEC, Pac-10, Big 8, SWC, ACC, Big-10, and even then the outsider WAC had a BYU national championship, and that’s not even considering the strong independent teams including Miami, VT, Penn St, Notre Dame, BC, FSU, SCar, Pitt, WVU, etc etc.

Unfortunately we have gone way too far down the road of conference consolidation for a tournament of conference champs to be a realistic or IMO even a fair system. The (will never happen) answer is to break up the superconferences and return us to an age of conference sanity.

Unfortunately, I agree with you.

 

[57jacket]

I get it. This is your opinion. Your opinion is one among many. There are plenty of people that feel the same way you do. There are plenty of people who don’t.

What is being discussed isn’t people people saying they want to see BG versus uga and think that’s a good game. What people are throwing out there is that as it currently sits, there are a limited number of teams that will ever have a chance to play for the “championship,”,’ even if someone else is undefeated. Essentially, the G5 teams aren’t playing in the same “league” (i.e., the FBS) because they really have no avenue to the championship. Troy or Georgia Southern will never have a chance.

If I were King, there would be a Tournament of Champions that only allowed the conference champions in. This would crown the National Champion. Then, the bowls would have great football matchups that pitted equally talented teams against each other. The regular season determines whether you get to play for the championship, not some committee behind closed doors or some random poll.

This is just my opinion. It might have compelling football and it might not.

You must remember Root.. is, as my psychologist daughter taught, me, a contriarian. He will challenge any positive or marginally correct statement. Not that it is a bad thing. After a while one gets used to it. He can't help himself. He will challenge any positive , or questionable opinion. I would call him a pessimist. He calls himself a realist, which most pessimist do. Forgive the spelling.

 

[Richard7125]

I think your debate partner is also missing another point. There is no better sports story in all of sports than an underdog story. If underdogs routinely won they would not be underdogs and there would be no story. The chance very year to see a David and Goliath matchup would draw interest. People would look for those handful of plays where they held their own and the TV cut to shots of their raucous fans awash in delusional dreams of victory. Drinking games could develop in sports bars based on scores for each quarter, or three and outs, or how many times a defender got pancaked. And then, once every decade or so, just often enough to keep hope alive while still validating the underdog story, a miracle would happen.

Point is, just like people who like college basketball will watch all the matchups they can, so too a “tournament” of football would bring a whole new group of viewers.

I agree with your David v Goliath premise, but i disagree how it would apply to a 12 team football playoff. What do you think is going to generate more excitement leading up to a first round playoff game: #1 Michigan 12-0 versus #12 Ole Miss 10-2 or #1 Michigan versus #12 (8-4) conference champion Troy?

 

[forensicbuzz]

You must remember Root.. is, as my psychologist daughter taught, me, a contriarian. He will challenge any positive or marginally correct statement. Not that it is a bad thing. After a while one gets used to it. He can't help himself. He will challenge any positive , or questionable opinion. I would call him a pessimist. He calls himself a realist, which most pessimist do. Forgive the spelling.

I can be called a contrarian, but not a pessimist. If something doesn’t sit right, I will question you until I am satisfied with the answer. I commonly challenge absolute or extreme opinions.

 

[Towaliga]

You must remember Root.. is, as my psychologist daughter taught, me, a contriarian. He will challenge any positive or marginally correct statement. Not that it is a bad thing. After a while one gets used to it. He can't help himself. He will challenge any positive , or questionable opinion. I would call him a pessimist. He calls himself a realist, which most pessimist do. Forgive the spelling.

Here’s Root:

 

[stinger78]

Hay, the CFP is going to be selected as I want. Not stupid auto bids for G5s.

Since it’s an FBS playoff, and FBS includes G5 conferences, I just want to reward those G5 team’s conference champs - however they determine them - with a slot in a supposed “playoff.” I get that you don’t think those teams pass muster and will be poorly watched games, reducing monetary benefits, but they are part of the group the championship represents. They should have their earned shots at the prize. It’s just the right thing to do, IMPO.

Understand though that this thing is dominated by money, and money won’t choose those teams, regardless of the fact that those teams can and do win games against P5 teams. Rather, the money has been spent building the SECheat and B1G elite so they will be over represented in any “playoff.”

 

[forensicbuzz]

I agree with your David v Goliath premise, but i disagree how it would apply to a 12 team football playoff. What do you think is going to generate more excitement leading up to a first round playoff game: #1 Michigan 12-0 versus #12 Ole Miss 10-2 or #1 Michigan versus #12 (8-4) conference champion Troy?

This is the problem. There’s two different arguments. One is talking about everyone getting a fair shot on the field and the other is talking about interesting, exciting matchups. While they don’t need to be mutually exclusive, most times they will be, to an extent.

It comes down to what’s more important to you as a viewer. Everyone has their own opinion.

 

[Richard7125]

I wonder why the question was changed from top ten to: top seven, with a short time span also. Almost like someone found all of the answers and modified the question to exclude those.

i think you would agree a CFP would be seeded similarly to the NCAA bb tourney. in that scenario, your auto bids will be seeded against the Top 5 teams. Most agree the top 3 to 4 teams (and sometimes 5 or 6 teams) are head and shoulders better than everyone else.

 

[stinger78]

i think you would agree a CFP would be seeded similarly to the NCAA bb tourney. in that scenario, your auto bids will be seeded against the Top 5 teams. Most agree the top 3 to 4 teams (and sometimes 5 or 6 teams) are head and shoulders better than everyone else.

Probably, but at least they have their shot at a championship that claims to represent them. Otherwise, just create a G5 championship. It’s really easy when you look at it from a level perspective.

 

[bobongo]

I agree with your David v Goliath premise, but i disagree how it would apply to a 12 team football playoff. What do you think is going to generate more excitement leading up to a first round playoff game: #1 Michigan 12-0 versus #12 Ole Miss 10-2 or #1 Michigan versus #12 (8-4) conference champion Troy?

Troy might not be in it. I would imagine they would let only a few of the top-ranking G-5 champions get into the playoffs, but not all. I don't think it's going to be all or nothing.

 

[Richard7125]

Troy might not be in it. I would imagine they would let only a few of the top-ranking G-5 champions get into the playoffs, but not all. I don't think it's going to be all or nothing.

the argument is to include all G5 conference champions. I think a lot of people are OK with 1 and in the very rare case maybe 2.

 

[Richard7125]

Probably, but at least they have their shot at a championship that claims to represent them. Otherwise, just create a G5 championship. It’s really easy when you look at it from a level perspective.

I don’t understand why people are equating G5 conferences with P5 conferences. There’s a reason the 3rd place ACC generates $40m/year/school and the Mt West generates $4m/year/school. They might all be FBS, but they are in different leagues. If you want to have a separate playoff to reward G5 conference champions, have it at, but having >40% of your playoff teams from G5 schools is not a good solution.

Ps...I would 100% support the G5 schools having their own playoff. I may or may not watch it. I didn't watch any of the FCS playoffs this year (but some years i do watch it).

 

[Root4GT]

the argument is to include all G5 conference champions. I think a lot of people are OK with 1 and in the very rare case maybe 2.

Exactly!

 

[bobongo]

the argument is to include all G5 conference champions. I think a lot of people are OK with 1 and in the very rare case maybe 2.

I'd be good with a minimum of two, with a possibility of three in a rare case. But no, I couldn't go along with all of them. I just couldn't see excluding all of them, either.

 

[bobongo]

Exactly!

I thought you were saying they would have "no chance". Maybe I misunderstood.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Here’s Root:
View attachment 15497

“That’s not an argument, that’s gain saying.”

 

[RonJohn]

i think you would agree a CFP would be seeded similarly to the NCAA bb tourney. in that scenario, your auto bids will be seeded against the Top 5 teams. Most agree the top 3 to 4 teams (and sometimes 5 or 6 teams) are head and shoulders better than everyone else.

In a 12 team playoff, those teams would be seeded against the #5 and #6 teams.

In reference to another post of yours, sure Michigan vs Ole Miss would get better ratings. However when, in a 16 team playoff, the #15 or #16 team takes a lead into halftime the ratings for the second half of that game would be higher than any college football game to date.

Another thing that happens in the bball tournament is that people will watch the team that beat their team until they lose. If your team loses in the first round, but the other team makes it to the final four it makes you feel better about the loss. The CFP "championship" game gets very good ratings, but there are lots of college football fans who have already checked out and don't watch. The "championship" game last year got lower ratings than the semi-final games. There is an idea that people want to watch the same teams play every year, some for the second or third time. However, looking at the ratings, many people go away once their team is out. The bball tournament gives every single D1 school a chance at the beginning of the year to be the champion. Fans get caught up with their team, and their teams chances. When their team is eliminated, tournament or conference tournament, people follow their opponents. Maybe root for or root against, but they follow. In the NFL, every single team has an opportunity at the beginning of the season. People become invested in their teams. Once eliminated in the regular season or playoffs, they will follow their opponents, to root for or against. In college football, the College Football Pageant will be made up of a select group of teams every year. In the four team system, there were 10-15 teams. Maybe one team in some years could break into the four, but it takes a LOT to do so. In the twelve team system there are maybe 15-20 teams that will represent nine or ten spots every single year. There will be lots of games with teams matching up for the third time that year. You might get 20 million to watch the "championship" game, but there are going to be a lot of people left on the table who simply lose interest before that game.