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Thread: College Football Playoff Expansion

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    Member adkindo's Avatar
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    College Football Playoff Expansion

    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?
    “The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”
    ― Marcus Aurelius


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    Re: College Football Playoff Expansion

    There should be one auto G6 but no limit on G6 when you have 16 teams. If there are two G6 teams among the top 16 teams, so be it. Otherwise, while I don't love all of it, it's unquestionably better than our current terrible system, which is better than our former terrible system (BCS), which is better than the previous terrible system (no real championship).

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    Re: College Football Playoff Expansion

    I appreciate the effort, good work. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it. I just think 16 teams waters down the regular season a bit too much. I see what you’re saying that it makes it more inclusive and holds more fan bases attention longer, which is good. I also liked that you focused a bit on the regular season, which IMO needs more fixing than the post season.

    I’m still a fan of 8 teams, with 5 automatic bids and 3 at large bids. I think the automatic bids are a must because it puts intense focus on winning your conference which used to be what college football was all about and doesn’t really matter that much anymore. I also like the idea of the non conference games being like a Big 10/ACC challenge in basketball type thing. The conferences are aligned and the games are just set year to year on a rotating basis. This would be easier if the conference’s were the same size but not totally required.

    I’m also very much for the first round of the playoffs being at home stadiums. College football in NFL stadiums just isn’t the same.

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    Re: College Football Playoff Expansion

    I think it's the G5, unless something has changed.

    AAC
    MAC
    Sun Belt
    Mountain West
    CUSA
    Last edited by Z-Fly; 05-10-2021 at 03:18 PM.
    WHEN DOES IT STOP!?!?

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    Re: College Football Playoff Expansion

    There's WAC football again starting next year (2022). With such fantastic programs as Abilene Christian, Eastern Kentucky, Dixie State and Tarleton State. Get ready for some WAC-tion!

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    15 game winner Danny Serafini's Avatar
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    Re: College Football Playoff Expansion

    That'll be at the FCS level though

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    Re: College Football Playoff Expansion

    Quote Originally Posted by Danny Serafini View Post
    That'll be at the FCS level though
    Nope. Not for long at least.

    Sorry, I have this low level college football minutia jumbled up a bit. It's actually the A-Sun that plans to get to FBS quickly. Some of the A-Sun's schools are just going to play in the WAC for a year.
    Last edited by Boston Red; 05-10-2021 at 11:59 AM.

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    Goober GAC's Avatar
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    Re: College Football Playoff Expansion

    Quote Originally Posted by BuckeyeRed27 View Post
    I appreciate the effort, good work. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it. I just think 16 teams waters down the regular season a bit too much. I see what you’re saying that it makes it more inclusive and holds more fan bases attention longer, which is good. I also liked that you focused a bit on the regular season, which IMO needs more fixing than the post season.

    I’m still a fan of 8 teams, with 5 automatic bids and 3 at large bids. I think the automatic bids are a must because it puts intense focus on winning your conference which used to be what college football was all about and doesn’t really matter that much anymore. I also like the idea of the non conference games being like a Big 10/ACC challenge in basketball type thing. The conferences are aligned and the games are just set year to year on a rotating basis. This would be easier if the conference’s were the same size but not totally required.

    I’m also very much for the first round of the playoffs being at home stadiums. College football in NFL stadiums just isn’t the same.
    I like this. I'm tired of this "we need to be more inclusive". I can understand that from the aspect of giving smaller programs a shot. But other then that, it dilutes the steam too much IMO.

    Making the play-offs/post-season should be tough, and still considered special, showcase of the elite that particular year. It's not the NBA(lol).
    "In my day you had musicians who experimented with drugs. Now it's druggies experimenting with music" - Alfred G Clark (circa 1972)

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    Re: College Football Playoff Expansion

    Anybody out there miss how it used to be? I loved being tuned in on NY's Day watching meaningful bowl games and scenarios playing out for a mythical national championship.

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    Re: College Football Playoff Expansion

    Quote Originally Posted by Assembly Hall View Post
    Anybody out there miss how it used to be? I loved being tuned in on NY's Day watching meaningful bowl games and scenarios playing out for a mythical national championship.
    I recognize that I enjoyed it more in some ways before the BCS, but I do not think it would be popular today. I can recall watching FSU during Deion's last season playing in their bowl game. They were ranked #4 in the country playing #7 Auburn in the Sugar Bowl. FSU won big, and they were talking about if #7 Nebraska could beat #2 Miami in the Orange Bowl and #3 WVU could win a close game against #1 Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl....maybe WVU and FSU would share the national championship!

    Looking back, that is just kind of silly. Notre Dame did beat WVU and claimed the National Championship, but it could have been a mess.
    “The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”
    ― Marcus Aurelius

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    Re: College Football Playoff Expansion

    Quote Originally Posted by Boston Red View Post
    There should be one auto G6 but no limit on G6 when you have 16 teams. If there are two G6 teams among the top 16 teams, so be it. Otherwise, while I don't love all of it, it's unquestionably better than our current terrible system, which is better than our former terrible system (BCS), which is better than the previous terrible system (no real championship).
    I agree, but I can see the P5 teams playing hardball in an attempt to ensure they keep more of the money.
    “The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”
    ― Marcus Aurelius

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    The pride is back. Assembly Hall's Avatar
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    Re: College Football Playoff Expansion

    Quote Originally Posted by adkindo View Post
    I recognize that I enjoyed it more in some ways before the BCS, but I do not think it would be popular today. I can recall watching FSU during Deion's last season playing in their bowl game. They were ranked #4 in the country playing #7 Auburn in the Sugar Bowl. FSU won big, and they were talking about if #7 Nebraska could beat #2 Miami in the Orange Bowl and #3 WVU could win a close game against #1 Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl....maybe WVU and FSU would share the national championship!

    Looking back, that is just kind of silly. Notre Dame did beat WVU and claimed the National Championship, but it could have been a mess.
    1977 was a banner year for chaos. Go Irish!

    And I am a fan of an 8 team play-off.

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    Re: College Football Playoff Expansion

    Quote Originally Posted by Assembly Hall View Post
    1977 was a banner year for chaos. Go Irish!

    And I am a fan of an 8 team play-off.
    I think 8 is where we are going next because college football changes happen at a snails pace. I expect once we go to 8, we will quickly realize that all of the problems created by the 4 team format will be exponentially worse. The only focus being on the playoffs, the same 10-12 teams in the discussion every year, and then even the NY6 bowls will become worthless. Personally I would be ok with a 24 team playoff and the Top 8 Seeds getting bye's....and totally doing away with bowl games.

    I can recall going to crappy 2nd and 3rd tier bowl games 20 years ago and the stadium was 3/4 full, the atmosphere was great. and the games felt meaningful. In recent years, Tier 3 bowl games are lucky to fill over 1/3 of the stadium, the atmosphere feels like a bad high school game, and nobody really wants to be there. The only reason these games are still alive is because television revenue still makes it profitable. I say just put them out of their misery, and transition into a full playoff. For most teams outside of a handful of elite teams, finishing the season ranked in the Top 25 is a solid season deserving of a reward. If you are a Missouri team that finishes #18, would the players and fanbase prefer going to a 2nd Tier Bowl to play #15 Penn State.....or would they rather travel to Happy Valley and play in a packed stadium for the chance to advance and play Georgia in the 2nd Round of a playoff? Which games would get higher television ratings? It seems clear to me that we are on a path to a full playoff and the bowls are dying....so why wait another decade to get where we are likely going anyway?
    “The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”
    ― Marcus Aurelius

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    Re: College Football Playoff Expansion

    What if a second tier post season tournament was created (like the NIT or the Europa League) and that replaced bowl games?

    So 8 team national championship tournament and then a 32 team December of Football tournament? Obviously it adds a lot of games potentially which adds safety issues and guys might just opt out, but it seems like a decent solution to balancing making the national championship hard to get into, the regular season meaningful and getting rid of meaningless bowl games but still having a post season.

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    Re: College Football Playoff Expansion

    Would having a 32 team or even a 16 team "play-off" force Notre Dame to join a conference?


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