UCF Revisted

[DvilleJacket]

I was pleasantly surprised vs TN. Couldn't believe my eyes actually.

ESPN pregame made it sound like it was a Tenn home game.

 

[a5ehren]

I think 8 teams with automatic bids for the P5 champs. Gives 3 at large. Take one regular season game away. Take those cream puffs out.

Any expansion past 4 will have to have an auto-bid for the best G5 team or there will be lawsuits. They'll almost always be the 8/12 seed (16 teams is too many even for me).

UCF @ Clemson would have been a pretty fun game this year.

8 teams this year would have looked like this:
Clemson (ACC Champ)
OK (B12 Champ)
UGA (SEC Champ)
UA (At-large 1)
OSU (B1G Champ)
Wisc (At-large 2)
USC (P12 Champ)
UCF (G5 Rep)

 

[Techster]

Any expansion past 4 will have to have an auto-bid for the best G5 team or there will be lawsuits. They'll almost always be the 8/12 seed (16 teams is too many even for me).

Agreed. 8 teams. Highest ranking non-P5 team gets an automatic bid. P5 conference champions get an automatic bid. 3 "at large" births.

 

[a5ehren]

Agreed. 8 teams. Highest ranking non-P5 team gets an automatic bid. P5 conference champions get an automatic bid. 3 "at large" births.

Only 2 at-larges due to the G5 auto-bid, but I still think that catches anyone with a legit claim to a title chance.

 

[GTJake]

Any expansion past 4 will have to have an auto-bid for the best G5 team or there will be lawsuits. They'll almost always be the 8/12 seed (16 teams is too many even for me).

UCF @ Clemson would have been a pretty fun game this year.

8 teams this year would have looked like this:
Clemson (ACC Champ)
OK (B12 Champ)
UGA (SEC Champ)
UA (At-large 1)
OSU (B1G Champ)
Wisc (At-large 2)
USC (P12 Champ)
UCF (G5 Rep)

100% agree !!

 

[stech81]

Agreed. 8 teams. Highest ranking non-P5 team gets an automatic bid. P5 conference champions get an automatic bid. 3 "at large" births.

Conference champions are fine with one loss two I would need to think about 3 no way don't care which conference.

 

[pelliott]

Ignoring the fact that ACC already has 14 teams, how would y'all feel about having UCF join the ACC during a conference re-alignment? Great football program on the rise, and I know the Big 12 has shown interest in adding them, because screw geography. ACC already has two Florida teams, which might present a problem. Personally, I would much rather have UCF than Pitt and Syracuse, or hell even Boston college. Hypothetical situation, just wanted to hear some thoughts. Also, UCF has the largest undergrad of any University, so I'm assuming they have an extensive alumni network with several wealthy boosters who could support a Power 5 football upgrade.

 

[a5ehren]

I would say "But Academics!" but the office already showed they don't care about that by adding Louisville.

I'd rather add WVU to get the Backyard Brawl back (and they're a better basketball team), but I don't really care who ACC Member 16 is as long as they adopt a sane scheduling system (aka pods).

 

[Deleted member 2897]

As an illustration, here is who the top ranked G5 team would have been over the last several years who would get into the 8 team playoff (this is the ranking prior to a bowl game):
2017: UCF (#12)
2016: Western Michigan (#15)
2015: Houston (#18)
2014: Boise State (#22)
2013: Northern Illinois (#14)
2012: Northern Illinois (#15)
2011: Boise State (#7)
2010: Boise State (#10)

As you can see here, only once in the last several years has a G5 team actually finished in the top 8. So based on this, a G5 team would be getting a significant handout to be given a slot in the final 8. However, and I don't know if my hunch is right here, but I think these rankings may have been a little suppressed as voters didn't want a G5 team to end up sliding into the final 4 conversation. For example, if 8 teams got bids instead of 4, and a G5 got an automatic slot, would UCF really have been ranked all the way down at #12? My gut tells me each of these teams is probably giving up 3-8 spots due to the disrespect factor that would go away in such a process.

 

[Deleted member 2897]

Ignoring the fact that ACC already has 14 teams, how would y'all feel about having UCF join the ACC during a conference re-alignment? Great football program on the rise, and I know the Big 12 has shown interest in adding them, because screw geography. ACC already has two Florida teams, which might present a problem. Personally, I would much rather have UCF than Pitt and Syracuse, or hell even Boston college. Hypothetical situation, just wanted to hear some thoughts. Also, UCF has the largest undergrad of any University, so I'm assuming they have an extensive alumni network with several wealthy boosters who could support a Power 5 football upgrade.

Well UCF showed they were scared of Georgia Tech this year, so based on that alone they would fit in just fine with the rest of them.

 

[FredJacket]

Agreed. 8 teams. Highest ranking non-P5 team gets an automatic bid. P5 conference champions get an automatic bid. 3 "at large" births.

Only 2 at-larges due to the G5 auto-bid, but I still think that catches anyone with a legit claim to a title chance.

Assuming you 2 are saying the same thing... 8 team playoff using 5 x P5 Champions, plus 2 at-large, plus highest ranking G5 (or is it non-P5?... because there is a difference, I think). How do you account for the FBS independents: ND, Army, UMass, BYU. Are they only in play for the 2 at-large? ...or can they 'replace' the highest ranked G5?

 

[GTJason]

Well UCF showed they were scared of Georgia Tech this year, so based on that alone they would fit in just fine with the rest of them.

I think the same thing. No one knew we were going to be bad this year especially after the performance in the first game. They made seemingly zero effort to reschedule one of their P5 games. They probably would have beat us but I'd be a lot more sympathetic to their cause if they had played the game. Our administration was public about trying to find a way to play the game, theirs was not so I can only conclude they were scared

 

[Deleted member 2897]

I think the same thing. No one knew we were going to be bad this year especially after the performance in the first game. They made seemingly zero effort to reschedule one of their P5 games. They probably would have beat us but I'd be a lot more sympathetic to their cause if they had played the game. Our administration was public about trying to find a way to play the game, theirs was not so I can only conclude they were scared

Their Athletic Director did a radio interview around that time and said they over reacted to the storm and sent a bunch of kids home and then decided they had screwed themselves and wouldn't have enough time to prepare for us. Campus was open all week long and the other sports were there, practicing and playing. Multiple other teams in central florida (like USF and Florida A&M) also played that weekend.

I left listening to that radio interview that it wasn't anything intentional or underhanded, they just thought the storm was going to hit Orlando as a Category 4 and be the end of the world. They made literally no plans at all on what if the storm weakened or missed them. And once they realized that happened, they were way behind the 8 ball and worried they'd get run off the field. As it turns out, they probably would have had a great chance to beat us, but like everyone else they are extremely scared to play us. So rather than play us in less than ideal circumstances, they took advantage of the storm recovery as an excuse. No team in their right mind would demand a forfeit or else they'd look like a-holes.

 

[MountainBuzzMan]

Conference champions are fine with one loss two I would need to think about 3 no way don't care which conference.

Not one to argue with the great bud light beer connoisseur, but that is what makes college basketball so exciting. Maybe things were not so good at the beginning of the season, but the team really came together at the end. They should be placed accordingly in the bracket with 3 losses. Should the #1 team then loose to them then so be it.

 

[GTJoeBrew]

I am of the thinking that if UCF would have played and beat us, they would have been in the playoff or at least on the cusp.

 

[FightWinDrink]

I am of the thinking that if UCF would have played and beat us, they would have been in the playoff or at least on the cusp.

idk it seems like the only way a G5 is ever going to make the 4 team playoff is going to be a multi year process. UCF was still all the way down at like 12 after winning their conference. Do you think beating a 5-7 GT would have jumped them from 12 to 4? probably not

the only G5 that had a chance at the playoffs imo was Houston last year. That was because they had their 13-1 top 10 finish the year before winning the bowl game over FSU. Then they got to start the next season ranked and got lucky enough to schedule Oklahoma and Louisville years in advance and have them both be solid teams. If Houston had gone undefeated last year after starting ranked with wins over ranked Oklahoma and Louisville they might have just edged their way in at 4.

 

[stech81]

Look at their ( UFC) schedule again, understand that last year they were 6-7 and the year before 0-12. Who would have pick them to be in the playoffs ? I'm not sure even with 8 team they would have been in the playoff.

 

[Deleted member 2897]

idk it seems like the only way a G5 is ever going to make the 4 team playoff is going to be a multi year process. UCF was still all the way down at like 12 after winning their conference. Do you think beating a 5-7 GT would have jumped them from 12 to 4? probably not

the only G5 that had a chance at the playoffs imo was Houston last year. That was because they had their 13-1 top 10 finish the year before winning the bowl game over FSU. Then they got to start the next season ranked and got lucky enough to schedule Oklahoma and Louisville years in advance and have them both be solid teams. If Houston had gone undefeated last year after starting ranked with wins over ranked Oklahoma and Louisville they might have just edged their way in at 4.

I agree with this sentiment. I don't think they DESERVED to be ranked in the top 4. If UCF played Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Clemson, don't we think they would go 0-4? I do. UCF went 12-0 in the regular season/conference championship. But they only beat 4 teams who won 8 games. (We beat 3 teams who won 8 games.) The thing about playing in the P5 is that you usually play at least 2 top 10-15 teams no matter who you are. UCFs only win as of Week 15 against a ranked team was #20 Memphis. As long as you're playing such a weak schedule, its really really hard to break into the top 4.

 

[MikeJackets1967]

Look at their ( UFC) schedule again, understand that last year they were 6-7 and the year before 0-12. Who would have pick them to be in the playoffs ? I'm not sure even with 8 team they would have been in the playoff.

That's why I think 16 teams should be in the Playoffs

 

[a5ehren]

Assuming you 2 are saying the same thing... 8 team playoff using 5 x P5 Champions, plus 2 at-large, plus highest ranking G5 (or is it non-P5?... because there is a difference, I think). How do you account for the FBS independents: ND, Army, UMass, BYU. Are they only in play for the 2 at-large? ...or can they 'replace' the highest ranked G5?

ND would count as an at-large in my system, though they should join a P5 conference. The others would be allowed to use the G5 slot if they qualified.

As an illustration, here is who the top ranked G5 team would have been over the last several years who would get into the 8 team playoff (this is the ranking prior to a bowl game):
2017: UCF (#12)
2016: Western Michigan (#15)
2015: Houston (#18)
2014: Boise State (#22)
2013: Northern Illinois (#14)
2012: Northern Illinois (#15)
2011: Boise State (#7)
2010: Boise State (#10)

As you can see here, only once in the last several years has a G5 team actually finished in the top 8. So based on this, a G5 team would be getting a significant handout to be given a slot in the final 8. However, and I don't know if my hunch is right here, but I think these rankings may have been a little suppressed as voters didn't want a G5 team to end up sliding into the final 4 conversation. For example, if 8 teams got bids instead of 4, and a G5 got an automatic slot, would UCF really have been ranked all the way down at #12? My gut tells me each of these teams is probably giving up 3-8 spots due to the disrespect factor that would go away in such a process.

Giving a handout to a mid-teens team is far cheaper than fighting an antitrust lawsuit, though.

I'm starting to suspect we will see a "CFB Champions League" breakaway at the tip-top level within 15-20 years if things don't change though. Something like 4 10-team leagues (9-game conf schedule, no title game) where the top 2 from each go to a seeded playoff.