College presidents approve new four team playoff format

[jojo]

The average November temp in auburn is about ten degrees warmer than Columbus ( mid-60s vs mid 50s). That's different for sure but it's not like it's sleet/snow versus aloha different.

Calling New Orleans a neutral venue for LSU is stretching credibility but the weather angle is probably exaggerated.

[Sea Ray]

It can't go to 16 teams and still unhold the value of the regular season. I don't want to see more re-matches like we saw last yr. I like that the regular season means something in college football.

Sure New Orleans is a home field advantage for LSU but that's something we have to live with. Chances are slim that LSU would be in the champiobship game that yr. The NFL takes the same risk as they generally plan their Super Bowls at a home city for one of their 32 teams.

You really don't want snow determining a national champion. Let's not let the weather decide

[IslandRed]

Originally Posted by bucksfan2

Being an OSU grad I think one of the unfair things about the bowl system is the northern teams are at a disadvantage due to the locations of the bowl games. When you build a team to compete in northen climate in November your at a disadvantage playing a game in 75 degree weather.

A couple of comments, one serious, one tongue in cheek:

1. Are northern teams really that different anymore in terms of style of play? Everyone in the country throws the ball and all the players are majoring in pre-NFL. If anything, Alabama and LSU were playing a very traditional Big Ten style last year based on power running and defense.

2. There's no rule against northern cities hosting bowl games, it's just that no one wants to go play in them.

[gonelong]

Originally Posted by improbus

Also, when was the last time OSU played in snow? I went through game lists back to 2008, but they stopped listing the weather. Any OSU fan remember the last game in snow? I even saw a Penn State game that was 75 degrees in mid November.

The OSU/Mich game in either 2010 or 2008 was pretty cold. Rain/sleet type weather. My wife could describe it in much more intricate detail. She still hasn't warmed up.

GL

[Assembly Hall]

Originally Posted by improbus

If there is a selection committee that will benefit ND, because they won't need the automatic qualifier to get in. Also, their strength of schedule is usually very good, especially with MSU improving. But ND needs to worry more about winning games than getting access.

That last sentence there is what is the most interesting. If ND continues with 8-4 type seasons they would be in danger of losing the NBC contract. If that happens then they would go looking for their piece of the pie within a conference. Of course this is all speculation on my part.

Another thing about ND is that I think they very well might be in danger of losing quite a few of those B1G schools on their schedule. I say this because of the recent scheduling agreement between the B1G and the Pac-12. If I was Michigan I wouldnt want to play ND and USC in the same season and then go through a rigorous conference schedule.

Either way, I am curious to see how ND looks at possible conference alignment.

[jojo]

Originally Posted by gonelong

The OSU/Mich game in either 2010 or 2008 was pretty cold. Rain/sleet type weather. My wife could describe it in much more intricate detail. She still hasn't warmed up.

GL

The 2010 Iron Bowl (Nov 27th) was wet with temps dropping into the upper 30's by the 4th quarter.

In 2008, I just remember thunderstorms most of the day and maybe upper 50's or low 60's.

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by Assembly Hall

That last sentence there is what is the most interesting. If ND continues with 8-4 type seasons they would be in danger of losing the NBC contract. If that happens then they would go looking for their piece of the pie within a conference. Of course this is all speculation on my part.

I doubt that. NBC is so desperate for shows that people actually watch that a mediocre ND team is gold for them.

Another thing about ND is that I think they very well might be in danger of losing quite a few of those B1G schools on their schedule. I say this because of the recent scheduling agreement between the B1G and the Pac-12. If I was Michigan I wouldnt want to play ND and USC in the same season and then go through a rigorous conference schedule.

Either way, I am curious to see how ND looks at possible conference alignment.

That's a very good point about the scheduling. I'm not going to worry about ND until they get good enough to actually be considered for this playoff.

[Assembly Hall]

Chip, I think the NBC contract and ND's schedule can go hand in hand. NBC will put up with a mediocre Irish team as long as they are playing top notch competition. But if Purdue, MSU, and UM disconnect and the Golden Domers fill that void with with more South Floridas and Tulsas then I see a potential problem.

I think the ND faithful are elitest. They dont think their rivalrys are in jeopardy. But I think they are. Adding two more teams to the championship picture is gonna change schools like USC and Michigan's way of thinking as well. Both play in conferences with steep competition.

[bucksfan2]

Originally Posted by Newport Red

I used to think this way, but when is the last time OSU has played in the snow?

Couldn't tell you. I know during my time at OSU I froze in the stands a number of times later on in the year. A couple of UM games come to mind. Anytime you get into October you can get games where the starting temperature is around freezing.

The weather is also a little bit different rain wise in the North as it is in the South. There have been numerous big time games where OSU has had to play a ball control offense because of the weather conditions. Two that come to mind are the 06 game against PSU as well as the Beanie Wells led OSU against Michigan back in 09 (?).

[MWM]

I think the weather thing is overblown, but I do think there's at least something to it. I think the bigger issue is the warm weather provides unfair home field to those in the south or west. I think this is something that will eventually change as well. They didn't want to try to take on everything as nothing would have gotten passed. Once the playoff is off and running, which has been the biggest debate perhaps in sports for the better part of 20 years, they will have an opportunity to optimize it.

[WMR]

It's about money and bowls in warm weather equals more money than bowls in cold weather. Don't see it changing anytime. Further, they will not do the home field advantage thing because then you've got 80,000 plus who will be sleeping in their own beds and not pumping money into a host city's economy. I do see the field expanding sooner rather than later.

[improbus]

Originally Posted by WMR

It's about money and bowls in warm weather equals more money than bowls in cold weather. Don't see it changing anytime. Further, they will not do the home field advantage thing because then you've got 80,000 plus who will be sleeping in their own beds and not pumping money into a host city's economy. I do see the field expanding sooner rather than later.

Bingo. Warm weather attracts fans. If the fans would spend the same amount of money in Chicago or State College, they would hold the games here.

[bucksfan2]

Originally Posted by WMR

It's about money and bowls in warm weather equals more money than bowls in cold weather. Don't see it changing anytime. Further, they will not do the home field advantage thing because then you've got 80,000 plus who will be sleeping in their own beds and not pumping money into a host city's economy. I do see the field expanding sooner rather than later.

If you have a home game in Columbus most of the hotels around campus as well as downtown are pretty full. I brought up Columbus because it is one of the larger cities with a college football power.

Clemson, SC has a population of 13905 while their football stadium holds 81500. The same could probably be said about most major programs that aren't located in a major city. It may not be a massive influx of bodies into their city but it is quite an economic boom for those home football games.

[Redsfaithful]

Originally Posted by jojo

The average November temp in auburn is about ten degrees warmer than Columbus ( mid-60s vs mid 50s). That's different for sure but it's not like it's sleet/snow versus aloha different.

Calling New Orleans a neutral venue for LSU is stretching credibility but the weather angle is probably exaggerated.

These semi-final games will be in January though, no?

[jojo]

Originally Posted by Redsfaithful

These semi-final games will be in January though, no?

But no college program makes recruitment decisions based upon playing conditions in January though. In other words, the style of play in the Big Ten is not geared toward playing in snow and below freezing temperatures.