As everyone expects, at some point the college football playoff will expand beyond 4 teams. The conversation exploded again in recent weeks when news was reported that different models are currently being discussed for consideration. Below, I created the "perfect system" but I admit that not everyone agrees with my vision of the perfect FBS College Football Playoff. It may seem radical compared to the current model, but I think we are eventually going to 16 teams....so I think we should put the model in place and leave it alone instead of tweaking it every few years.
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The issue at hand is we need to make the playoffs more inclusive to drive interest among more fan bases, while knowing that the playoff thus far has had a negative impact on bowl games and the relevance of the 2nd half of the season for most teams as the entire discussion has became about the playoffs. It is like trying to catch a double edged sword without getting cut. I think the first item to accept is the bowls as they once were is over. Bowl games being a huge deal is dead and something we will communicate to future generations....similar to how older generations now talk about how the World Series was once more popular than the Super Bowl. The goal should be to drive up interest in as many fan bases as possible each year and resolving as much as possible on the field of play.
Here we go....
- 16 Teams
- Big 12 will need to expand to at least 12. All P5 conferences required to have at least 12 teams and two divisions.
- Each team will play at least 8 conference games and 10 games in total during the regular season. For example, the Big 12 teams would play their 5 divisional opponents, 3 Big 12 cross divisional games and 2 non-conference games. The SEC teams would play their 6 divisional opponents, 2 SEC cross divisional games and 2 non-conference games.
- Five P5 Conferences will produce 10 Divisional Champions, and 10 Automatic Qualifiers.
- Each P5 Conference will play a championship game which will be very important because the 5 winners will be guaranteed a Top 8 Playoff Seed (Home Game Round 1), while the 5 losers will be guaranteed a Bottom 8 Playoff Seed (Away Game Round 1). Yes, there will be some at large teams that did not make their conference championship game, but will get a Top 8 Seed (Home Game Round 1). Some may find this "unfair" but it heightens the interest in the Championship Game where a team will know they are in, but will have consequences for losing.
- The committees responsibility will be to select the 5 at large selections and 1 G6 selection, and rank all 16 teams including the rules for the Ten P5 AQ's. The Top 8 Seeds will include the P5 Conference Championship game winners and 3 teams from the 6 teams selected by the committee, while the Bottom 8 Seeds will include the P5 Conference Championship game losers and 3 teams from the 6 teams selected by the committee.
- The 16 teams will be placed into a standard bracket similar to the NCAA Sweet 16, the first 2 rounds will be played on the higher seeds home team field. Once the final 4 teams are in place, the current format will be continued with a rotation of the major bowls to host the final 3 games.
- Last season, it may have looked something like this "if" only 1 G6 team was included. Bold team is home in Round 1. Also, this example is based on the Final CFP rankings post bowls, playoffs and national championship game, but the final regular season rankings (post conference championships) would be used if implemented.
1. Alabama (AQ - SEC West Champion - SEC Championship Game Winner)
16. Miami** (At Large Selection)
8. Georgia (At Large Selection)
9. Notre Dame (AQ - ACC Coastal Champion - ACC Championship Game Loser)
5. Oklahoma (AQ - Big12 South (?) Champion - Big12 Championship Game Winner)
12. Indiana (At Large Selection)
4. Texas A&M (At Large Selection)
13. Northwestern* (AQ - Big10 West Champion - Big10 Championship Game Loser)
6. Cincinnati (At Large Selection - Highest Ranked G6 Team)
11. Iowa State (AQ - Big12 North (?) Champion - Big12 Championship Game Loser)
3. Ohio State (AQ - Big10 East Champion - Big10 Championship Game Winner)
14. North Carolina (At Large Selection)
7. Oregon (AQ - PAC12 North Champion - PAC12 Championship Game Winner)
10. Florida (AQ - SEC East Champion - SEC Championship Game Loser)
2. Clemson (AQ - ACC Atlantic Champion - ACC Championship Game Winner)
15. USC (AQ - PAC12 South Champion - PAC12 Championship Game Loser)
*Northwestern was adjusted from rankings to avoid Big10 Championship Game rematch. No conference rematches in Round 1.
**If there were no limits on number of G6 teams included, Coastal Carolina would have been included as an At Large team and Miami would not have been included. Personally I would allow unlimited G6 teams, but I can imagine the P5 conferences will try to limit them to the single slot.
*** A National Champion that played in a conference championship game would play a total of 15 total games. A National Champion that did not play in a conference championship game would play a total of 14 games.
This format is optimal because it accomplishes both goals. It would exponentially increase the fan bases that hold interest late into the season as more teams being included significantly will increase the amount of teams that have a chance later into the season. Nearly every P5 fan base will have hope of their team reaching the playoff in the "near future" knowing they are guaranteed to get in by simply winning their conference division, while still including elite teams that happen to share a division with another elite team. Also, most of the teams included are decided on the field, while the human/analytic impact will be limited to the at large bids and ranking the teams...and even the rankings are impacted heavily by the results on the field.
It creates very "interesting" games that are made for television. The Fighting Irish coming to play between the hedges in Athens? The Oregon and Florida offenses lighting up the scoreboard in Eugene? UNC's high powered offense trying to upset the Buckeyes in the Horseshoe? USC having to venture into the South to play in Death Valley? Iowa State having to go on the road against a tough G6 team in Cincy? The U and all their swag traveling to Tuscaloosa? The rising Hoosiers measuring themselves in Sooner Country? Pat Fitzgerald leading his Wildcats to College Station to face Jimbo and 105K 12th Men? I just find them all interesting because they are matchups we never get unless it is in a meaningless bowl game. This would be very different by adding that level of win or go home excitement to each game. Play the first round on a Friday and Saturday, and I think the television ratings would be off the charts.
Thoughts? Good? Bad? I am a genius?