8 Team Playoff

[deanvogs]

Ok, it is that time of year to complain about the College Football playoffs. Here is how I would take it to 8 teams:

1) Automatic bids for conference champions. I don't care if they have 3 losses, if they win the conference that gets you in.
2) During conference championship week the 6 best at large teams have a play in game. So I'll make a couple assumptions and say it ends like this for CCG:

B1G: Penn st vs Wisconsin
ACC: Clemson vs Virginia Tech
Pac12: Washington St. vs Colorado
SEC: Florida vs Bama
Big12: Oklahoma vs Okie St.

Play in games:
Ohio St. vs USC
Michigan vs Utah
Louisville vs Washington

4) Everyone has to "earn" their way into the 8 team playoffs, all playoff teams have to play a 13th game to do so. There is no way that it would be fair for Michigan, OSU, and Louisville to just get an at large bid when they didn't even win their conference and while Wisconsin, Penn St., Virginia Tech and Clemson have to win a game to get in.

5) First round of the playoffs to be 2 weeks after Conference Championship week, so this year on Dec. 17th. Final 4 games roughly 2 weeks after that on New Years day. Championship game about 7-10 days after that.

 

[DJL]

I agree. There is no perfect way, but if you have 8 teams who have to earn there way in, that would be the most fair way possible. I agree that it doesn't seem right that tOSU and Louisville can be in contention without winning their own conference. On the flip side, I want to see the best teams with a shot to win it all. The solution you proposed above solves this problem. Unfortunately, this year there will be plenty of controversy no matter what happens.

 

[deanvogs]

I agree. There is no perfect way, but if you have 8 teams who have to earn there way in, that would be the most fair way possible. I agree that it doesn't seem right that tOSU and Louisville can be in contention without winning their own conference. On the flip side, I want to see the best teams with a shot to win it all. The solution you proposed above solves this problem. Unfortunately, this year there will be plenty of controversy no matter what happens.

That is the problem with 4 teams. Is this a playoff for the "4 best teams"? Or is it a playoff for the "4 best seasons"? Plus with the weight that the committee puts on conference championship, lets just make it official.....if you win the conference you get an auto bid. Then there is also a path for at large teams as well to the playoffs. Instead of being "selected" they have to earn it on the field.

 

[deanvogs]

What a weekend this would be if we had a better system. Here COULD be the slate of games this week:

Conference championships with Automatic bids on the line:

Wisconsin vs Penn St.
Bama vs Florida
Clemson vs Virginia Tech
Oklahoma vs Okie St
Washington vs Colorado

Play in games:
OSU vs Auburn
Michigan vs Louisville
USC vs Florida St.

After the games, re seed and start the 8 team playoffs two weeks from Saturday with higher seed hosting. Then implement the 4 remaining after that into the Jan 1st bowl games just like now. Losing teams during Championship week are eligible for bowls as well.

What a novel idea, make them earn it on the field. Why should OSU have a auto bid locked up without having to play a 13th game? Why shouldn't Colorado be able to make the playoffs if they win the Pac12, heck for that matter why not OU if they win the Big12 (I know the conference sucks, but right now it is still a P5 conference).

The system we have now is rigged, and always will be for the blue bloods. No way OSU jumps Texas or OU two year ago to make the playoffs, but they did jump Baylor and TCU. No way a 2 loss Michigan goes over a 2 loss USC, but they will go over a 2 loss Colorado. It is rigged for blue bloods right now, lets make those sons a bitches actually earn it on the field instead of continuing to hand them everything.

 

[PCHawk]

I love the idea. The only problem is if an undefeated team loses its conference championship game. In that situation, one of the best teams wouldn't get in. But truth is, it's a 16 team playoff and they lost the first round.

 

[deanvogs]

I love the idea. The only problem is if an undefeated team loses its conference championship game. In that situation, one of the best teams wouldn't get in. But truth is, it's a 16 team playoff and they lost the first round.

Yep, call it 16 or call it 8 it is irrelevant. The point is the NC will be decided on the field.

The added bonus of this would be better non conference matchups. Now teams know the path to the playoffs (win your conference division), you could all schedule tougher matchups non conference since the wont kill you so much. Look at OU, non conference losses will keep them out, but not in a better system it wouldn't.