Conference Realignment

[orientalnc]

They may expand to 16 inthe short run, but the playoff will go to 24 within 8 years. Too much money and passion for it to not. keeping fanbases involved longer into the season is a win win. Even if you lose like SMU at least you had the shot. Many here believe we would beat SMU today. Maybe, but we didn’t win the games we needed to win to have that chance, they did.

I like most of this post, but 24 teams would be a disaster. Eight first round byes???

 

[RonJohn]

Giving the conference champs a 1st round bye seemed reasonable at first. Reward the champs over the non-champs. It didn't play out as well as expected. You could make a good argument that tOSU v. Oregon or ND v. uga will have the two best teams playing each other in the quarterfinals. The seeding needs to be fixed.

I still don't see an issue with seeding conference champions higher. I would have gone even further and seeded the fifth conference champion fifth. That makes it "qualifiers" and "second chance" teams. Texas didn't "deserve" a spot in the playoffs. They were granted a second chance by the committee. The ACC champion didn't do well this year. If the Big12 and MW champions don't do well either, then it will prove that the Big10 and SEC teams were better. If Boise State ends up winning the championship, then all of the people who have been saying for 15 years that they haven't deserved a chance will be proven wrong.

"Best" teams is entirely subjective, and is driven mostly by companies that want you to watch TV, or want you to place online bets. I remember one commentator who said one year in the 2000s that Boise State didn't deserve to be in the BCS game until they proved for several years that they were that good. Then a few years later, the same commentator said that Boise State didn't deserve to be in the playoff, because they should have proven their case even more the first year and now they were old news. It is all entirely subjective, and the important measurements change to match the desired outcome every single year. Are "big wins" important, or are "bad losses" detrimental? Well, one year it is "obvious" one way and the next year it is "obvious" the other way. Make it ALL qualifiers. Have all 9 or 10 FBS champions be "qualifiers", then have a smaller group of "second chance" teams. Then it will be a real championship. Now it is still a pageant. Better than before, but still largely based on the perception driven by companies with financial interets.

 

[GTHomer]

They may expand to 16 inthe short run, but the playoff will go to 24 within 8 years. Too much money and passion for it to not. keeping fanbases involved longer into the season is a win win. Even if you lose like SMU at least you had the shot. Many here believe we would beat SMU today. Maybe, but we didn’t win the games we needed to win to have that chance, they did.

If this were done, they would need to shorten the regular season otherwise when would the players have time for school???

 

[UgaBlows]

I like most of this post, but 24 teams would be a disaster. Eight first round byes???

Why would there need to be byes?

 

[RonJohn]

I like most of this post, but 24 teams would be a disaster. Eight first round byes???

FCS has had that number since 2013. They were at 20 in 2008. They were at 16 in 1986. But if you listened to the TV commentators just 10 years ago, a 4 team playoff would mean far too many games for college football players. They can't possibly play that many games in a single season. (ignoring the fact that FCS teams had been doing that for decades already.)

 

[orientalnc]

Why would there need to be byes?

With 24 teams? Yes.

 

[orientalnc]

Why would there need to be byes?

Math??? 2-4-8-16-32. You have to get to one of those numbers in a single elimination tournament.

 

[RonJohn]

Math??? 2-4-8-16-32. You have to get to one of those numbers in a single elimination tournament.

If you don't you don't end up with a single game at the end. 24-12-6-3 - How do three teams play in a championship game?

 

[GoJacketsInRaleigh]

I like most of this post, but 24 teams would be a disaster. Eight first round byes???

It's what FCS does. It can work if you just get rid of the conference championship games.

 

[GoJacketsInRaleigh]

Here is the 16 team playoff this year based strictly on rankings without any preference given for byes.

1-16: Oregon vs Clemson
8-9: Indiana vs Boise
5-12: ND vs Arizona St
4-13: Penn St vs Miami
6-11: Ohio St vs Alabama
3-14: Texas vs Ole Miss
7-10: Tennessee vs SMU
2-15: Georgia vs South Carolina

BYU, Iowa St, Mizzou and Illinois just miss.

Here is a 24 team playoff this year based strictly on rankings without any preference given for byes.
1: Oregon
16-17: Clemson vs BYU
8: Indiana
9 -24: Boise St vs UNLV
5: Notre Dame
12-21: Arizona St vs Syracuse
4: Penn St
13-20: Miami vs Illinois
6: Ohio St
11-22: Alabama vs Army
3: Texas
14-19: Ole Miss vs Mizzou
7: Tennessee
10-23: SMU vs Colorado
2: Georgia
15-18: South Carolina vs Iowa St

 

[tmhunter52]

Is this thread really about conference realignment?

 

[stinger78]

There are 9 conferences, P4 and G5.

You’re forgetting the P12. Either they are P or G. If P, then it’s P5 and G5. If it’s G, then it’s P4 and G6.

 

[GoJacketsInRaleigh]

And if the playoff expands more, the bowl games need a complete re-working for matchups. The committee just should place the bowl teams. Like the first 8 out of the playoffs will go to the four "best" bowl games. The next 8 to the next four best games. And so on...

 

[stinger78]

Here is the 16 team playoff this year based strictly on rankings without any preference given for byes.

1-16: Oregon vs Clemson
8-9: Indiana vs Boise
5-12: ND vs Arizona St
4-13: Penn St vs Miami
6-11: Ohio St vs Alabama
3-14: Texas vs Ole Miss
7-10: Tennessee vs SMU
2-15: Georgia vs South Carolina

BYU, Iowa St, Mizzou and Illinois just miss.

Here is a 24 team playoff this year based strictly on rankings without any preference given for byes.
1: Oregon
16-17: Clemson vs BYU
8: Indiana
9 -24: Boise St vs UNLV
5: Notre Dame
12-21: Arizona St vs Syracuse
4: Penn St
13-20: Miami vs Illinois
6: Ohio St
11-22: Alabama vs Army
3: Texas
14-19: Ole Miss vs Mizzou
7: Tennessee
10-23: SMU vs Colorado
2: Georgia
15-18: South Carolina vs Iowa St

If it doesn’t include GT, there is no reason for 16 teams.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

FWIW, there hasn't been a single upset. I didn't think the games were especially tight or entertaining, either.

The sample size is too small, but it makes me wonder whether 9-12 just aren't that good or if the home field advantage is too much to overcome.

My concern is that too many of us have become conditioned by the committee’s work over the years into believing that the purpose of the playoffs is to create close games. I’m kind of offended by that strange ungodly creature that’s been foisted on us. That is not the purpose of any playoff in any sport that I know of.

Bet if you asked the fans of Penn State, Texas, Notre Dame and Ohio State what their experience of the playoffs is so far they would give it a perfect score. When uga beat TCU by over 60 points in a championship I didn’t hear many uga fans complain that they wished the game could have been a nail biter and if they did they would be lying.

 

[roadkill]

There are 9 conferences, P4 and G5.

This is correct for now. The former P12 is adding teams to meet the 7-member NCAA conference minimum next year. Remains to be seen if the result will be viewed as adding to the P4 or G5. P4 and G5 are not official NCAA designations, so it will be whatever the national media calls it.

 

[MountainBuzzMan]

They may expand to 16 inthe short run, but the playoff will go to 24 within 8 years. Too much money and passion for it to not. keeping fanbases involved longer into the season is a win win. Even if you lose like SMU at least you had the shot. Many here believe we would beat SMU today. Maybe, but we didn’t win the games we needed to win to have that chance, they did.

This is the correct answer. It is all about $$$. I would count the conferecne championship games for the Big 4 conferences as one of the playoff games.

 

[MountainBuzzMan]

Why would there need to be byes?

By counting the conference championship game as part of the playoff. If you play that extra game and win then you should get the bye

 

[Root4GT]

Giving the conference champs a 1st round bye seemed reasonable at first. Reward the champs over the non-champs. It didn't play out as well as expected. You could make a good argument that tOSU v. Oregon or ND v. uga will have the two best teams playing each other in the quarterfinals. The seeding needs to be fixed.

You guys simply want a popularity contest. Winning the Conference Championship is far harder in football than basketball. In basketball it is a 3 or 4 game Conference Tournament that basically discards the 16-20 regular season games.

To win the conference in football you need to be a top 2 team in a 16-20 team Conferennce and then win the Title game.

Letting the Committee seed the teams discards the on field play for pure opinion. It’s your opinion that Az St and Boise St are lesser teams. That is an opinion. Boise St played at Oregon and lost by a FG. They earned their seeding. Ohio Stare, Penn St and Texas had their chances. Ohio State was 4th in the B1G. Texas snd Penn St lost in their Conference Title games. If Conference Championships matter then it’s absurd to simply say even if you lose the Title game, don’t worry you will be a top 4 seed and get a bye. That’s nuts!

This was year one. The overreaction is nuts.

 

[bke1984]

If you don't you don't end up with a single game at the end. 24-12-6-3 - How do three teams play in a championship game?

I for one would love to see a three team finale! Round robin until one team wins against the other two. We could call it “season overtime!” After the first round robin if no team has won you are forced to go for two. Then from the third round robin on you just have O linemen kick extra points until someone wins.