ESPN's Playoff Projection - Week 6

[gtjackets930]

I think most people are just wanting a reason to hate ESPN right now. This article isn't claiming that these teams will be in at the end of the year, it's saying these are the top 4 most deserving teams in the nation right now. An argument could be made for TCU or Baylor being in the top 4 right now, but I can't say that many teams have had more impressive seasons than Auburn, Mississippi St., or Ole Miss. Auburn has a solid away win at Kansas State and a dismantling of LSU. Mississippi State's wins against A&M and LSU away were equally as good. Ole Miss beat Boise (not that great, but credit for playing someone of note) and obviously Bama. Those are seriously impressive wins at this point in the year.

I'm not saying ESPN doesn't have serious biases, but getting mad that this is their top 4 at this point in the season is a little unreasonable in my opinion.

 

[DTGT]

The length of the contract means very little. Once all parties involved, see how much $$$ is rolling in and how much more $$$ an additional 4 teams would bring, they'll renegotiate. I could definitely see it going to 8 teams within the next 10 years.

I did a little research into this and it looks like the typical locked-in language is not actually in the playoff contract. They will be able to renegotiate easily. However, due to it rotating between Rose/Sugar, Orange/Cotton, and Fiesta/Peach for the semi-final games, I don't see it changing in the middle of one of those cycles. I'd look for the expanded playoff to start in either the 2017-18 season or the 2020-2021 season.

 

[Techster]

The only way to run a playoff is to have 5 conference champions and 3 at larges and do away with rankings until week 7

This. The playoff model will probably change to this eventually once they see the GOBS of money it's going to make. "Wait, we made a BILLION dollars off the playoffs?!! Let's add another round and more teams!!! We'll make more money!!!"

I agree that the Power 5 champions should automatically make the playoffs, and 3 wild cards for a total of 8 playoff teams. It gives the "big boys" their share of the pie, and gives the "little brothers" in non-P5 conferences a chance to make the playoffs as well.

 

[jeffgt14]

This. The playoff model will probably change to this eventually once they see the GOBS of money it's going to make. "Wait, we made a BILLION dollars off the playoffs?!! Let's add another round and more teams!!! We'll make more money!!!"

I agree that the Power 5 champions should automatically make the playoffs, and 3 wild cards for a total of 8 playoff teams. It gives the "big boys" their share of the pie, and gives the "little brothers" in non-P5 conferences a chance to make the playoffs as well.

65 is not enough! We must have 68 teams!!

 

[Gojackets55]

This. The playoff model will probably change to this eventually once they see the GOBS of money it's going to make. "Wait, we made a BILLION dollars off the playoffs?!! Let's add another round and more teams!!! We'll make more money!!!"

I agree that the Power 5 champions should automatically make the playoffs, and 3 wild cards for a total of 8 playoff teams. It gives the "big boys" their share of the pie, and gives the "little brothers" in non-P5 conferences a chance to make the playoffs as well.

This. The playoff model will probably change to this eventually once they see the GOBS of money it's going to make. "Wait, we made a BILLION dollars off the playoffs?!! Let's add another round and more teams!!! We'll make more money!!!"

I agree that the Power 5 champions should automatically make the playoffs, and 3 wild cards for a total of 8 playoff teams. It gives the "big boys" their share of the pie, and gives the "little brothers" in non-P5 conferences a chance to make the playoffs as well.

In the current format if you don't win your conference there should be no way in hell you should get a shot in a playoff.

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

If bammer wins out, it will still be bammer from the SEC (and possibly another team)....hope that doesn't happen.....

 

[ATL1]

Bama should win out from here they're in.
We should actually root for FSU unless they play GT.
I still feel Oklahoma will win Big 12
All this SEC talk the Pac 12 is the most competitive league in CFB.

 

[Animal02]

In the current format if you don't win your conference there should be no way in hell you should get a shot in a playoff.

Have mixed feeling on it.....lets say the other 4 of the group of five all beat each other up, and the conference championship matches teams with 3-4 losses. Meanwhile Tech and FSU run the table meet undefeated in the ACC title game, it goes to overtime and the winner is determined by a missed extra point. Do you eliminate the loser from the playoff and give a spot to a 8-4 team?

 

[Northeast Stinger]

To have 3 teams from the SEC in, you would have one team that didn't even win their Division.....if that happened, it would dismantle this stupid playoff system. (which would be a good thing.)

Not sure the best place to put this in the thread but here it goes. I wanted a six team playoff for exactly these reasons. You would have two divisions in the playoff with a top seed in each. The top seed in each has to have won a Conference Championship. The number two seed in each division also has to be a Conference Champion but they have to play against a "play-in" team that is highly ranked team that did not win a Conference Championship. So it might look like this (for illustration purposes only):

Bye teams 1. FSU 1. Auburn

Play-in Teams 2. Michigan State 2. Baylor
3. Notre Dame 3. Ole Miss

If you are a number one seed in your division you have to play one game to get to the championship. If you are less than number one seed you would play two games to get to the championship. If an impartial panel cannot determine the six best teams in the nation including 4 Conference Champions then we should scrap the whole thing and just go back to playing bowl games and letting everyone argue afterwards about who was really number. one.

 

[Treb1982]

This thing has all kind of potential to be a cluster you know what. Due to scheduling. Only 5 of the 9 power conference teams that are currently undefeated can remain that way in December.

1) TCU/Baylor winner
2) One of the three SEC west teams currently undefeated.
3) Arizona
4) FSU/ND winner
5)/GT

 

[Animal02]

This thing has all kind of potential to be a cluster you know what.

It already was a cluster from the day it was hatched from the clustered remnants of the BCS.
There will be a slow death of bowl games........all for the sake of naming a NC, which really comes down to a selection committee giving 4 teams the chance.

Kill all the bowls
Make it a true "play off" Take the 10 conference champs and two wild cards. 12 teams, top 4 by ranking get a bye week.
Or split the FBS and have three championships.

 

[jeffgt14]

Let’s just be happy we have a playoff system period.

 

[WreckinGT]

I think most people are just wanting a reason to hate ESPN right now. This article isn't claiming that these teams will be in at the end of the year, it's saying these are the top 4 most deserving teams in the nation right now. An argument could be made for TCU or Baylor being in the top 4 right now, but I can't say that many teams have had more impressive seasons than Auburn, Mississippi St., or Ole Miss. Auburn has a solid away win at Kansas State and a dismantling of LSU. Mississippi State's wins against A&M and LSU away were equally as good. Ole Miss beat Boise (not that great, but credit for playing someone of note) and obviously Bama. Those are seriously impressive wins at this point in the year.

I'm not saying ESPN doesn't have serious biases, but getting mad that this is their top 4 at this point in the season is a little unreasonable in my opinion.

It is cleverly designed this way by ESPN though. Instead of having their analysts make projections on who they think will make the playoffs, which would make a lot more sense, they have them just basically rank their own top 4 which promotes the SEC better.

 

[dhbartlett12]

First, let me just stop y'all from saying there shouldn't be any rankings until week X. There are no rankings. Not until Condoleezza Rice and her friends say so. The AP and coaches rankings don't have any power and only the meaning they have is the meaning you give them.

Second, the point of football, the playoff, and sports is not to crown the best team, but the winner. If it was to crown the best team, you could crown Alabama or Auburn right now. You could kick the Kansas City Royals out of the Playoffs, and mark us down with a L against uga.
The play offs should be the 4 best conference champs. Doesn't matter if Indiana is 7-6, if they win the B1G, they're in. Having 3 at large teams simply allows the best teams that lose another chance.
Picking those 4 teams or Notre Dame is hard, and thats what the committee is needed for.

 

[Ggee87]

I think once they can expand... they will. 4 teams isnt enough when you have 5 power conferences. You inevitably end up leaving a very good team, maybe 2 out of the playoffs. It should have been 8 teams from the get go. We have SO MANY FBS teams to pick from... It only makes sense. If the NFL has that many teams make the playoffs... college ball shouldnt have less when theres 5X as many teams total. Conference champs and 3 wild cards. Give the top seeds a bye week. End of discussion... this is how it should be.

 

[DTGT]

First, let me just stop y'all from saying there shouldn't be any rankings until week X. There are no rankings. Not until Condoleezza Rice and her friends say so. The AP and coaches rankings don't have any power and only the meaning they have is the meaning you give them.

Second, the point of football, the playoff, and sports is not to crown the best team, but the winner. If it was to crown the best team, you could crown Alabama or Auburn right now. You could kick the Kansas City Royals out of the Playoffs, and mark us down with a L against uga.
The play offs should be the 4 best conference champs. Doesn't matter if Indiana is 7-6, if they win the B1G, they're in. Having 3 at large teams simply allows the best teams that lose another chance.
Picking those 4 teams or Notre Dame is hard, and thats what the committee is needed for.

Are you suggesting that the playoff committee has sequestered themselves and are not being and will not be influenced by the AP and coaches rankings? I guarantee that they will take those rankings into consideration, even if it is only subconsciously. Hence, those ranking have meaning BEYOND what we the fans give them.

Pre-season rankings influence in-season rankings which influence pre-bowl rankings which influence where teams go bowling or to the playoffs. To pretend otherwise is to bury your head in the sand.

Second, the purpose of the playoff is to make money. There is no conference champs clause because this is about money. It isn't supposed to be fair and non-factory schools are not intended to participate in the playoffs. The only thing that will change that is massive public outrage. Until then, we have people in the media stating that a 2 or 3 loss SEC team that did not win its division should get into the playoffs over a 13-0 Tech.