How About This For An 8 Team CFP?

Fryowa

Fryowa

Administrator
The argument for a 5+3 CFP has always been, how do you determine the 3 at large spots?

FCS already has a big playoff system. Right now it is the 11 conference champs plus a whole bunch of at large teams.

How about this (I know it'll never happen)...

An 11 team FCS conference champ bracket would result in 3 teams left after 2 rounds with one team receiving a first round bye. Add in the P5 champs and you have your 8 teams. The rest of the FCS could do whatever it wants for their playoff. Sure, it'd throw the FCS system into chaos, but they don't have the money or TV support to stop it. It isn't like many people watch those games anyway other than alumni or local fans. It wouldn't create extra games either because to win the FCS tournament you have to win either 4 or 5 games depending on first round byes.

Are there going to be some really good teams left out? Sure. But there's no way to argue if you know the criteria going in. You want to play in the CFP? Win your conference. An Alabama or Clemson bitching because they're better than NDSU but they came in second in their conference? Too bad...they had a way in and didn't make it.

What if a Notre Dame or BYU finished ranked #3 and played really good FBS teams? I bet they join a conference real quick.

I know there are tons of money-driven reasons why it'd never happen, but I think this would be the best way to handle it. Everyone knows what they need to do before the season starts and the task is laid out before them. If you don't get in, that's football.
 
Too complicated, too many extra games. The 3 at large could be determined with a computerized SOS model. If you're #9, you have nothing to bitch about. Win your games
 
hawkdrummer1 said:
Too complicated, too many extra games. The 3 at large could be determined with a computerized SOS model. If you're #9, you have nothing to bitch about. Win your games
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You'd potentially have less games and never more than what you have now. The playoff games would be assigned to the various bowlss, and as far as the FCS schools they play either 4 or 5 games to win their existing playoffs, which would be the same as what I listed in the OP.

The computerized models would end up making no sense like the BCS did. That garbage computer system couldn't even determine the 4 best teams let alone number 8 or 9.
 
Yeah I doubt your suggestion would fly either. But I'm totally down with an 8 team playoff... arguing over the 3 at larges is better than the way they currently have it where a power 5 is always getting left out and theoretically 2 could if a Notre Dame gets in (I suspect it'll take that scenario happening for whichever conferences on the outside bitching enough to get it done) To me 8 was always the right size and I figured it was just a matter of time till they got to it. I figured they would have already by now but I'm not giving up hope yet.
 
I am ok with a committee making the at large selections.

I would also make the automatic selections somewhat conditional, something like the P5 conference champs must be ranked at least in the top 16 in order to make an 8-team playoff.

Seeding should be based on overall rank with some built in flexibility to avoid rematches in the first round.
 
Hawkfnntn said:
Yeah I doubt your suggestion would fly either. But I'm totally down with an 8 team playoff... arguing over the 3 at larges is better than the way they currently have it where a power 5 is always getting left out and theoretically 2 could if a Notre Dame gets in (I suspect it'll take that scenario happening for whichever conferences on the outside bitching enough to get it done) To me 8 was always the right size and I figured it was just a matter of time till they got to it. I figured they would have already by now but I'm not giving up hope yet.
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Its not just Notre Dame getting in that leaves conference champs out of the playoffs. The last 2 years, 2 conference champs were left out both years in favor of one at-large team getting in both years.
 
Just make the current bowl schedule a playoff and rotate the final four locations. Could also be done with the top few seeds even hosting a game depending on the final team number. This could add a little more interest to the regular season or championship games when they involve seeding.

If people feel there are too many games for safety or class schedule then cancel one of the garbage out of conference games add a by week and eliminate all the dead time at the end of the regular season. This would satisfy the money grabbers and make a better playoff experience. If Beef O Brady still wants to invite two teams to play a game who cares let them, even though some of the games may not be sexy or with big power schools more college football is going to be better than none .


Bottom line is there is always going to be someone disappointed they didn't make it but in fairness I think it can be stated that the current system can be improved upon, and with not a lot of extra effort if people are willing to get creative
 
guffus said:
Its not just Notre Dame getting in that leaves conference champs out of the playoffs. The last 2 years, 2 conference champs were left out both years in favor of one at-large team getting in both years.
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That scenario was always going to be in play too with the SEC and BIG sometimes having the possibility of 2 'deserving' teams along with independent ones. I just hate that it can so easily be rectified and they are dragging their feet. All 5 get an automatic bid. 3 at larges so the debate starts there. With the # 6 7 and 8 teams getting in it'll be a lot less contested than say the 5th team that's always on the outside looking in now. Hell it even leaves room for a Cinderella to crash the party like say a UCF perhaps... The big boys wouldn't like that either but damn it they can't have everything.
 
guffus said:
I am ok with a committee making the at large selections.

I would also make the automatic selections somewhat conditional, something like the P5 conference champs must be ranked at least in the top 16 in order to make an 8-team playoff.

Seeding should be based on overall rank with some built in flexibility to avoid rematches in the first round.
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A ranking which is based on opinion. That's what they need to avoid. The whole point is taking the opinion out of it. If you want to get in then win your conference.

The NFL doesn't exclude weaker divisions from the playoffs. What would be the point of that? They worked hard to win their division. Imagine the uproar if the Lions won the NFC North and the NFL told them, sorry, we're taking the runner up from the AFC East because they're better than you. What's the significance of winning your conference at that point?

Under your top 16 premise, what would happen if say FSU won the ACC but was ranked 17? Think about the uproar when the polls come out the week before and they missed it by one spot. It'd be worse than what we have now with people in the polls being accused of influencing it.
 
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Fryowa said:
You'd potentially have less games and never more than what you have now. The playoff games would be assigned to the various bowlss, and as far as the FCS schools they play either 4 or 5 games to win their existing playoffs, which would be the same as what I listed in the OP.

The computerized models would end up making no sense like the BCS did. That garbage computer system couldn't even determine the 4 best teams let alone number 8 or 9.
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The biggest obstacle to an expanded playoff is the current bowl system. Personally, I think there are way too many bowls... (a .500 team should never play a bowl game) but a lot of cities/venues wouldn't want to give theirs up.

Cut the season back to 11 games, go with a 16 team playoff. 15 Bowls including the NC is plenty. Problem is, there are plenty of teams that would rarely, if ever see a bowl game. RIght now, more than half the Big Ten goes bowling every year...suddenly you're down to 1 or 2 teams, maybe 3 on a good year. Teams like Purdue (for example) wouldn't have a lot of incentive.

As for computer rankings picking the 3 at large teams in a Power 5 Champs + 3 model...again, if you're not in the TOP 5 you're getting a freebie anyway. NC teams shouldn't have 2 losses and below #7 or 8...that's usually what you have. So a team ranked #9 or 10 really doesn't have a complaint...do it on the field and remove the doubt.
 
Fryowa said:
A ranking which is based on opinion. That's what they need to avoid. The whole point is taking the opinion out of it. If you want to get in then win your conference.

The NFL doesn't exclude weaker divisions from the playoffs. What would be the point of that? They worked hard to win their division. Imagine the uproar if the Lions won the NFC North and the NFL told them, sorry, we're taking the runner up from the AFC East because they're better than you. What's the significance of winning your conference at that point?

Under your top 16 premise, what would happen if say FSU won the ACC but was ranked 17? Think about the uproar when the polls come out the week before and they missed it by one spot. It'd be worse than what we have now with people in the polls being accused of influencing it.
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Unfortunately that'll never happen because...well, 1 loss Alabama.
 
hawkdrummer1 said:
The biggest obstacle to an expanded playoff is the current bowl system. Personally, I think there are way too many bowls... (a .500 team should never play a bowl game) but a lot of cities/venues wouldn't want to give theirs up.

Cut the season back to 11 games, go with a 16 team playoff. 15 Bowls including the NC is plenty. Problem is, there are plenty of teams that would rarely, if ever see a bowl game. RIght now, more than half the Big Ten goes bowling every year...suddenly you're down to 1 or 2 teams, maybe 3 on a good year. Teams like Purdue (for example) wouldn't have a lot of incentive.

As for computer rankings picking the 3 at large teams in a Power 5 Champs + 3 model...again, if you're not in the TOP 5 you're getting a freebie anyway. NC teams shouldn't have 2 losses and below #7 or 8...that's usually what you have. So a team ranked #9 or 10 really doesn't have a complaint...do it on the field and remove the doubt.
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I can get on board with that. I'd even compromise and keep some "non-playoff" bowls for the 6-5 teams of the world.
 
hawkeyes87 said:
Why are you including FCS?

Makes no sense to include them and exclude the Group of 5 schools.
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Are you responding to me?

I wasn't excluding P5 schools.

My scenario was to give all P5 champs automatic bids, and decide the 3 at large by way of a playoff between the 11 FCS conference champs. That would be a 2 round playoff and those three teams would make up the other 3 spots.

So...five P5 schools and 3 at large from FCS.
 
guffus said:
I am ok with a committee making the at large selections.

I would also make the automatic selections somewhat conditional, something like the P5 conference champs must be ranked at least in the top 16 in order to make an 8-team playoff.

Seeding should be based on overall rank with some built in flexibility to avoid rematches in the first round.
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The idea is to get away from as much 'conditional, subjective' crap as possible.

If you win your P5 league you would be in and then let a combination of polls/and humans pick and computers pick the last 3 in.

As others have said the P5 Champ games are like the quarterfinals anyway. I am not sure if I want to go to an 8 team playoff but it would be more fair than current 4 team.
 
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