12 team playoff--my concern

[AUwent 3,778]

So, on one hand I love how the 12 team playoff will "tier" teams, creating incentive in the regular season. But I am very concerned about the amount of travel that will ultimately be required, assuming the quarterfinals will be the non-semifinal NY6 games. The semifinals and championship in this case could look like 2020.

It would make things easier on fans to have the quarters on campus too, but that of course creates a whole new slate of problems, what the heck would be done with the non-semi NY6 games? I can't imagine they'd be too happy to take teams outside the top 12 or the quarter/semi losers.

Basically, some part of me is coming around to those who dislike bowl games. They make CFB uniquely difficult to have a playoff for.

I would be very interested to hear y'all's opinions on this matter.

Edited December 17, 2022 by AUwent

[CAReeves2010 627]

I think all NY6 bowls will be used on a rotating schedule from what I've read. Four NY6 bowls for the quarters and the other two for the semis. You may be overthinking this

[gabo4au 228]

I'd like to go back to the days when there were only bowl games, no playoffs. I think having multiple champions voted by different organizations was better! Lots more intrigue, discussions about who was best, and general fun. The way the sport is, with upsets and no ability to do things like "series" like in baseball/basketball, the winner and national champion isn't necessarily the best team. But they get all the bragging rights and everyone else is chopped liver. But in reality they might not be any better than other teams. I liked the old way where we could all celebrate our team after the bowl games.

 

But since I'm probably the only person in the country with that opinion, I'm ok with it. I just want AU to be in the top 12 at the end of the season, or for now the top 25! Eventually it would be nice to win the SEC, that would automatically take care of being in the top whatever is required.

[AUwent 3,778]

26 minutes ago, CAReeves2010 said:

I think all NY6 bowls will be used on a rotating schedule from what I've read. Four NY6 bowls for the quarters and the other two for the semis. You may be overthinking this

That's my point. You'd have to travel to either a conference championship or a first round game, then a quarterfinal, then a semifinal, then the championship! I don't see how the championship game will be more than 50% full, if that.

For reference we would've hosted Miami in 2017 with the winner playing Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl. Then the winner of that would've gone on to the Rose (because Clemson was #1 and I'm guessing they would've picked Sugar for their field). Then the winner of that would've gone to the CFC.

Edited December 17, 2022 by AUwent

[Gowebb11 9,424]

9 minutes ago, gabo4au said:

I'd like to go back to the days when there were only bowl games, no playoffs. I think having multiple champions voted by different organizations was better! Lots more intrigue, discussions about who was best, and general fun. The way the sport is, with upsets and no ability to do things like "series" like in baseball/basketball, the winner and national champion isn't necessarily the best team. But they get all the bragging rights and everyone else is chopped liver. But in reality they might not be any better than other teams. I liked the old way where we could all celebrate our team after the bowl games.

 

But since I'm probably the only person in the country with that opinion, I'm ok with it. I just want AU to be in the top 12 at the end of the season, or for now the top 25! Eventually it would be nice to win the SEC, that would automatically take care of being in the top whatever is required.

I share your opinion. CFB was doing fine with the old system. Unfortunately it’s not about the game, it’s about network profits. That said, we are here now and I support the 12 team format. 

[CAReeves2010 627]

9 minutes ago, AUwent said:

That's my point. You'd have to travel to either a conference championship or a first round game, then a quarterfinal, then a semifinal, then the championship! I don't see how the championship game will be more than 50% full, if that.

For reference we would've hosted Miami in 2017 with the winner playing Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl.

I agree

[81spacetiger 157]

Hey, lets start storming the field and start demanding a 16 team playoff - no bye's for the top teams. 

We all know, for now, the top 4 teams are likely to be the same top 4 we usually get.  If the top 4 get a bye, they get the easiest path to the championship.  I say, noone get a bye and everyone has to play the same number of games.  Things like injuries equal out because we all play the same number of games.

Edited May 20, 2023 by 81spacetiger

[miscram6 134]

There used to be talk from many places about how the season was getting too long.That was back when you might only play 11 games plus a bowl game. I guess in this world of NIL, we no longer care to believe these are student athletes. We now play 12 regular games, possibly a conference championship game, and possibly 4 playoff games -- a 17 game season!

I'd also support a full 16 team playoff, where every game but the championship is played at the higher ranked team's home stadium. Ditch all bowl games, but also ditch the conference championship games, which don't really matter any longer. Finally, consider going back to 11 or even 10 regular season games.

Edited December 18, 2022 by miscram6

[81spacetiger 157]

38 minutes ago, miscram6 said:

There used to be talk from many places about how the season was getting too long.That was back when you might only play 11 games plus a bowl game. I guess in this world of NIL, we no longer care to believe these are student athletes. We now play 12 regular games, possibly a conference championship game, and possibly 4 playoff games -- a 17 game season!

I'd also support a full 16 team playoff, where every game but the championship is played at the higher ranked team's home stadium. Ditch all bowl games, but also ditch the conference championship games, which don't really matter any longer. Finally, consider going back to 11 or even 10 regular season games.

11 regular season and no conference champion (use the regular season to determine conference champion + tie breakers).  There should be enough time.   

[Mikey 16,777]

A 12 team playoff is nothing but a money grab. 4 has been very good. If they had to expand 8 should have been the maximum.

Look at this year. Who deserves to be in the playoff and was left out? Nobody. A case could be made that the only reason Ohio State is in there is because somebody had to fill the extra vacancy. 12 teams with some getting a bye is nothing but a mess. At least with 8 there wouldn't be any byes.

[AUwent 3,778]

3 hours ago, miscram6 said:

There used to be talk from many places about how the season was getting too long.That was back when you might only play 11 games plus a bowl game. I guess in this world of NIL, we no longer care to believe these are student athletes. We now play 12 regular games, possibly a conference championship game, and possibly 4 playoff games -- a 17 game season!

I'd also support a full 16 team playoff, where every game but the championship is played at the higher ranked team's home stadium. Ditch all bowl games, but also ditch the conference championship games, which don't really matter any longer. Finally, consider going back to 11 or even 10 regular season games.

I agree with everything besides 16...I like the tiering system proposed. 

2 hours ago, 81spacetiger said:

11 regular season and no conference champion (use the regular season to determine conference champion + tie breakers).  There should be enough time.   

This will never happen, but here's how it should be:

 

-Make the conferences like below, everyone plays each other round robin style.

(I did not make these up myself, can't remember where I found this proposal):

• ACC--Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, Virginia, Wake Forest
• Big East--Boston College, Central Florida, Miami, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, West Virginia
• Big Eight--BYU, Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Utah
• Big Ten--Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin
• Pac 10--Arizona, Arizona State, UC-Berkeley, UCLA, Oregon, Oregon State, USC, Stanford, Washington, Washington State
• SEC--Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
• SWC--Arkansas, Baylor, Cincinnati, Houston, Louisville, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M, TCU, Texas Tech

 

-Drop conference championships.

-Go back to 11 regular season games for EVERYONE.

-8 team playoff

• Use four of the NY6 games as quarterfinals, the other two rotate as at-large games (in case a conference champion clearly doesn't belong in the playoffs)
• Top four conference champions guaranteed a spot in quarterfinals
• Semifinals and NC are played at same venue a day and then five days apart (Friday, Saturday, Thursday).

Edited December 18, 2022 by AUwent

[AUwent 3,778]

21 minutes ago, Mikey said:

A 12 team playoff is nothing but a money grab. 4 has been very good. If they had to expand 8 should have been the maximum.

Look at this year. Who deserves to be in the playoff and was left out? Nobody. A case could be made that the only reason Ohio State is in there is because somebody had to fill the extra vacancy. 12 teams with some getting a bye is nothing but a mess. At least with 8 there wouldn't be any byes.

I'm tempted to agree with you but depending on how the cookie crumbles with permanent opponents, 12 teams may be our only hope in getting to the playoffs. I know I advocate for 8 above but that's only in a hypothetical perfect system where everyone in the league plays a darn near equal schedule every year.

Edited December 18, 2022 by AUwent

[aucanucktiger 1,805]

Fundamental flaw now that will expand in 12 team playoff is odd assumption that simply winning a conference title means a team is top tier. We all know some minnow conferences are competitive some years and jokes in others yet the Committee currently and the new playoff arrangement going forward makes the bizarre, formulaic assumption that some minnow kings get into the playoff every. Single. Year. While an SEC (e.g.) title game loser w/ 3 losses - all squeekers to top 10 teams - is out.

[EagleEye67 1,945]

One thing is certain,  if the NCAA sets it up, it will be a disaster

[WarTiger 3,928]

I agree with gabo4au, I would much rather go back the way it was BEFORE the BCS and let the polls do it, than to have a 12 team playoff.  I do not like the playoff at all, but if they insist on doing it, it should be no more than 4 teams. 

[81spacetiger 157]

This is an old topic with so many logical solutions; many with emotional responses.  

I note:

 

So for all the ones saying my "16" is wrong and cite; "4 is good enough", "8 is the right answer", "24...."

    and say there are too many games....

    and its a money grab...

I say 16 is the right answer, no byes

 

[Mikey 16,777]

1 hour ago, 81spacetiger said:

So for all the ones saying my "16" is wrong and cite; "4 is good enough", "8 is the right answer", "24...."

    and say there are too many games....

    and its a money grab...

I say 16 is the right answer, no byes

Do you really think there are 16 teams who have a chance to win the thing? Are there 16 teams whose season record has earned them a spot in a playoff? Look at this year's top 25 and name 16, or even eight, who have a chance in hell of winning. They do not exist.

[aubcali 436]

[tightendoverthemiddle 102]

Should be 16 Team. 

** And for the moronic group that decided to match #14 with 6-6 in a Bowl Game.. Congratulations on a less than worthless, boring game. Don't care how many people sat out. 

[TXaubie 567]

5 hours ago, aucanucktiger said:

Fundamental flaw now that will expand in 12 team playoff is odd assumption that simply winning a conference title means a team is top tier. We all know some minnow conferences are competitive some years and jokes in others yet the Committee currently and the new playoff arrangement going forward makes the bizarre, formulaic assumption that some minnow kings get into the playoff every. Single. Year. While an SEC (e.g.) title game loser w/ 3 losses - all squeekers to top 10 teams - is out.

Exactly!!  Once I heard 12 teams I thought good. Then when they said conference champions get an automatic bid. I quickly got depressed. As much as I hoped it was. It is and never was about getting the 12 best teams. It is only about getting the most eyeballs on the tv. Which we all could assume was the case, but the way they set this up. Just proves it!!

Edited December 18, 2022 by TXaubie

[tightendoverthemiddle 102]

1 hour ago, Mikey said:

Do you really think there are 16 teams who have a chance to win the thing? Are there 16 teams whose season record has earned them a spot in a playoff? Look at this year's top 25 and name 16, or even eight, who have a chance in hell of winning. They do not exist.

Let's find out!! Great cross-sectional games (on paper). Let's find out if the rankings are correct. 

1 vs 16, 2 vs 15 and so on. Drop 1 of the cupcake games and start it a week earlier.

[AUwent 3,778]

26 minutes ago, tightendoverthemiddle said:

Should be 16 Team. 

** And for the moronic group that decided to match #14 with 6-6 in a Bowl Game.. Congratulations on a less than worthless, boring game. Don't care how many people sat out. 

There's only three non-NY6 bowls this year that match ranked teams, SMDH.

[wareagle7298 126]

None of this makes any sense. I am all for a playoff, but the existing regular season scheduling, conference championships, and bowl games have got to go. Just stop with the bowl games having anything to do with the playoffs. And if the SEC or Big 10 is just going to keep purging the best teams from other conferences..what is the point? Why not just have those 2 play for our own championship and let the other has beens play for theirs. 

[81spacetiger 157]

4 hours ago, Mikey said:

Do you really think there are 16 teams who have a chance to win the thing? Are there 16 teams whose season record has earned them a spot in a playoff? Look at this year's top 25 and name 16, or even eight, who have a chance in hell of winning. They do not exist.

Mikey,

I think you're missing the point.  You sound like the BCS era for Division 1/FBS thinking where somehow you find the best X teams and match them off. 

A "College Football Playoff" should be a playoff.  There are different ways to do the selection.  Do you really think there are 68 teams that could win a NCAA basketball championship? I don't.  Some games are duds and some are great watching.   And every once in a while a team comes out of nowhere to take down some giants. and sometime they go pretty far.   Saint Peter Peacocks were last years team.  I thought our run a few years ago was magical. I truly think we got HOT at the right time and were cable of winning it all.  That would not have happened if a selection committee picked the top 8 or 12 to play.

A true playoff allows a chance for many (16?).  If we keep doing it like we have its uga, bama, osu, ... the same old teams to pick from.  If you form a playoff system and give the same old teams a bye, then you are very likely to get the same old thing for the final games.

Lets see how this goes.

[AUwent 3,778]

After some thought, I would do eight teams--two of the NY6 games rotate as at-large bids. The semis and final are held in the same venue a week apart--Friday, Saturday, then the next Saturday.