I also think an 8-team playoff with automatic berths for P5 conference champions and 3 at-large would solve some of the problems folks have with the current system. Although, I'd argue you will still have legit 'grey area' when isolating the best final 2 or 3 slots (of the 8) between what would usually be 4-6 teams with a good case to get in.
A sixteen team playoff doesn’t work. The bowl game system was built around the regular season ending in early December, followed by Finals, and Christmas break. Further, adding two extra rounds would make the champ play SEVENTEEN games. This is supposed to be collegiate athletics, not pros.
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The bowl game system was built around...........
I agree 100%Why should we care what the bowl games were built around? To say that there can't be a real playoff because we must appease the Gasparilla bowl doesn't sway me much.
Why should we care what the bowl games were built around? To say that there can't be a real playoff because we must appease the Gasparilla bowl doesn't sway me much.
I'd be willing to can all the Bowl Games and just have the 16 team PlayoffsThat’s not what I said. Lemme try again... Regular season ends in early Dec, followed by Finals, and Christmas break. So these extra bonus bowl games logically take place afterward around New Years. A sixteen team playoff forces teams to play on top of Finals and Christmas like pros instead of like the collegiate student athletes they are who should be focused on passing their classs and allowed to see their families. Also forces fanbases into extra short-notice travel plans over the holidays, which already is not working-out for those Gasparilla/Birmingham/QuickLane bowls.
That’s not what I said. Lemme try again... Regular season ends in early Dec, followed by Finals, and Christmas break. So these extra bonus bowl games logically take place afterward around New Years. A sixteen team playoff forces teams to play on top of Finals and Christmas like pros instead of like the collegiate student athletes they are who should be focused on passing their classs and allowed to see their families. Also forces fanbases into extra short-notice travel plans over the holidays, which already is not working-out for those Gasparilla/Birmingham/QuickLane bowls.
Again, I’m not talking about appeasing bowl games. I’m saying with Final exams and Christmas break for the student-athletes, December is a lousy time for add-on elimination games, for both players and ticket-buying fanbases alike. Always has been, always will be.
FCS, D2, and D3 say hi.
FCS, D2, and D3 say hi.
Must be numbers and earlier dates then. They start playoffs sooner and proportionally far fewer teams have to work over Finals.
FCS only 24 playoff teams out of 124 and they start in November.
Div II: 28 out of 312 teams and they started way back on Nov 18th.
Div III: 32 out of 249; started Nov 18th and championship on Dec 15th.
If you want to do away with all FBS conference championship games and the Army/Navy game and our annoying game at the end of November then yeah 16 game playoff becomes totally doable.