College Football Playoff

[EPJr]

College Football Playoff

Beginning with the 2014-15 season, college football will enter a new era when a postseason playoff will begin. The format is simple: top four teams, two semifinals played in bowl games, and a national championship game played in a different city each year. Each semifinal will be played during the New Year's holiday with the national championship game in prime time on a Monday night at least a week later. It will be the best of all worlds, and the biggest innovation to the sport in decades.


http://www.collegefootballplayoff.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[SuperHornet]

Yet another way to keep the "little guys" out, much to RK's joy....

[dbackjon]

Four teams - not equal access - not a playoff.

[BlueHen86]

Four teams - not equal access - not a playoff.

It's only a matter of time that it is expanded to 8 teams. It may never be equal access, but it will get better.

[AZGrizFan]

FCS football just became even less relevant.

[JayJ79]

FCS football just became even less relevant.

as did "second tier" FBS football.

so in other words, the status quo was maintained.

[AZGrizFan]

FCS football just became even less relevant.

as did "second tier" FBS football.

so in other words, the status quo was maintained.

Hardly. We are no longer the big dog of playoff college football. THAT is a huge shift in the status quo. And pretty quickly, you're going to see the "second tier" develop their OWN playoff system, because as of right now, they're the ONLY level that doesn't have one. Then we'll be even LESS relevant.

[BlueHen86]

as did "second tier" FBS football.

so in other words, the status quo was maintained.

Hardly. We are no longer the big dog of playoff college football. THAT is a huge shift in the status quo. And pretty quickly, you're going to see the "second tier" develop their OWN playoff system, because as of right now, they're the ONLY level that doesn't have one. Then we'll be even LESS relevant.

Agreed. It also doesn't help that some premier FCS schools like Georgia Southern and ASU have decided to move up.

[89Hen]

It will be the best of all worlds...

Except it will only have four teams.

[AZGrizFan]

It will be the best of all worlds...

Except it will only have four teams.

The FCS (then D-1A) playoffs started with four teams. Did we not call it a "playoff" then because it only had four teams?

Now we have 24.

[ASUMountaineer]

Except it will only have four teams.

The FCS (then D-1A) playoffs started with four teams. Did we not call it a "playoff" then because it only had four teams?

Now we have 24.

Irrelevant...or something like that.

[89Hen]

Except it will only have four teams.

The FCS (then D-1A) playoffs started with four teams. Did we not call it a "playoff" then because it only had four teams?

Now we have 24.

I think you're mixing two responses here. I didn't say it wasn't a "playoff", I just said it wasn't the "best of all worlds". IMO the best would be an 8 or 16 team field.

[AZGrizFan]

The FCS (then D-1A) playoffs started with four teams. Did we not call it a "playoff" then because it only had four teams?

Now we have 24.

I think you're mixing two responses here. I didn't say it wasn't a "playoff", I just said it wasn't the "best of all worlds". IMO the best would be an 8 or 16 team field.

Which it will, fairly quickly.

[bluehenbillk]

I think you're mixing two responses here. I didn't say it wasn't a "playoff", I just said it wasn't the "best of all worlds". IMO the best would be an 8 or 16 team field.

Which it will, fairly quickly.

Well all depends on how you define fairly quickly. They locked into the 4-team concept through 2026.

[AZGrizFan]

Which it will, fairly quickly.

Well all depends on how you define fairly quickly. They locked into the 4-team concept through 2026.

My understanding there is that all they locked in was the 6-bowl rotation that was going to be part of the 4-team playoff through 2026. There's NOTHING that says they can't add another layer before that and go to 8, or 2 layers and go to 16, as long as those 6 bowls remain the rotation for the semis/finals.

[SDHornet]

I doubt it ever goes more than 8, even then what incentive is there for the playoff committee (or how ever they are selecting teams) to ever take "the best" teams from the MWC, SBC, MAC, CUSA (SBC part 2), and the AAC. Those teams will have zero appeal to anyone.

[89Hen]

I think you're mixing two responses here. I didn't say it wasn't a "playoff", I just said it wasn't the "best of all worlds". IMO the best would be an 8 or 16 team field.

Which it will, fairly quickly.

Then that would be the best. The current format on queue is not.

[BlueHen86]

I doubt it ever goes more than 8, even then what incentive is there for the playoff committee (or how ever they are selecting teams) to ever take "the best" teams from the MWC, SBC, MAC, CUSA (SBC part 2), and the AAC. Those teams will have zero appeal to anyone.

I think it will eventually get to 16. Once it gets to 8 there will be 7 meaningful playoff games and whatever is left of the bowls. There are currently about 30 bowl games. The bowls will be to the playoffs what the NIT is to the NCAA basketball tourney, the meaningless bowls will be clamoring to be part of a playoff, and the money will be there. If you expand to 16 teams then you have 15 meaningful games. I would not be shocked to see them expand beyond 16 at some point.

[UNI88]

I doubt it ever goes more than 8, even then what incentive is there for the playoff committee (or how ever they are selecting teams) to ever take "the best" teams from the MWC, SBC, MAC, CUSA (SBC part 2), and the AAC. Those teams will have zero appeal to anyone.

I think it will eventually get to 16. Once it gets to 8 there will be 7 meaningful playoff games and whatever is left of the bowls. There are currently about 30 bowl games. The bowls will be to the playoffs what the NIT is to the NCAA basketball tourney, the meaningless bowls will be clamoring to be part of a playoff, and the money will be there. If you expand to 16 teams then you have 15 meaningful games. I would not be shocked to see them expand beyond 16 at some point.

I wonder about the attendance at the preliminary round games if there are 8 or 16 teams. Alabama, Ohio St, etc. fans are pretty passionate but are they going to be able to travel to 3-4 playoff/bowl games if their teams makes it to the NC? Will the bowls relax their attendance requirements in order to get in on the game? Will the decision makers have the early round games at the home stadium of the favored team in order to increase attendance? Lots of questions.

[BlueHen86]

I think it will eventually get to 16. Once it gets to 8 there will be 7 meaningful playoff games and whatever is left of the bowls. There are currently about 30 bowl games. The bowls will be to the playoffs what the NIT is to the NCAA basketball tourney, the meaningless bowls will be clamoring to be part of a playoff, and the money will be there. If you expand to 16 teams then you have 15 meaningful games. I would not be shocked to see them expand beyond 16 at some point.

I wonder about the attendance at the preliminary round games if there are 8 or 16 teams. Alabama, Ohio St, etc. fans are pretty passionate but are they going to be able to travel to 3-4 playoff/bowl games if their teams makes it to the NC? Will the bowls relax their attendance requirements in order to get in on the game? Will the decision makers have the early round games at the home stadium of the favored team in order to increase attendance? Lots of questions.

Not sure about attendance, but the TV money will be there; just like it is for the BBall tourney.

Attendance is overrated, for good or bad, TV rules.

[89Hen]

Attendance is overrated, for good or bad, TV rules.

[rkwittem]

Yet another way to keep the "little guys" out, much to RK's joy....

Ok, I'll bite. I don't quite think SH quite realizes just how big of an elitist snob I am about this as it pertains to college football.
If we know who the two best teams are based on a season's worth of sample size, why invite two more teams other than for money? Since I'm only speaking on the competitive merits of it, I'm leaving the obvious "because 3 games are better than 1" rhetoric out of it. I prefer an exclusive playoff...the more exclusive, the better. Hockey's and basketball's playoffs are fun to watch partially because they last so long and they're on every night, but way too big. 16/30 teams shouldn't be eligible, and that's with relatively balanced schedule.

In the hot mess that is college football schedules, 8 teams is way too many. There will be simply too many comparisons and arguments about "quality" of losses. And with the media's predilection towards SEC teams, there will probably be more than a few common losses between the top 8 if it goes there. That creates the obvious "Well, Team A lost at Team B's place by X number of points, which means their loss is better than Team C's loss to Team B at home by >X number of points" arguments that are so tiresome.

4 is fine (and the highest I can tolerate) if they are from different conferences and meet schedule requirements. Off the top of my head, any team that wants in should have played at least 1 non-conference road/neutral site game, no FCS teams and should have absolutely no fewer than one loss. You lose more than once, regardless of who it was to, you're out. You didn't bring your A-game enough during the season.

Let's say in 2014, there is a lovely debate about who the four teams ought to be. For the sake of this post, I'm going to guess that based on who's on the rosters right now and that team's stability, history, and track record, that the Top 8 will consist of some combination of Alabama, LSU, Florida, Ohio State, Oregon, Stanford, Oklahoma, Florida State, Georgia, and maybe a few others, like Michigan, USC, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Texas A&M and Notre Dame. I think we can agree that most of those teams will be ranked in 2014, based on their recent recruiting and likelihood that their coaching staffs will stay mostly intact. And we can also agree that someone else will likely come along and blow this whole thing up and stick their nose in this.

Most of the 2014 schedules are solidified...or we have a general idea of who's playing who. If we follow my guidelines (1 road non-conference game, no FCS teams on the schedule, and 1 loss or fewer), we can safely include the following teams:

• Florida- road game at Florida State, no FCS teams....yet (see the next section for why I threw the word "yet" in there)
• Ohio State- neutral site game in Baltimore against Navy, no FCS teams
• Notre Dame- They don't have a conference and have never played a FCS team. (I think the only other FBS teams that haven't played against a FCS team are UCLA and USC, if I'm not mistaken.)
• Oklahoma- road game at Tulsa, no scheduled FCS games yet
• Stanford- road game at Notre Dame, no FCS teams
• USC- road game at Boston College, no FCS teams (assuming Lane Kiffin gets fired or learns how to coach in the next 24 months.)

There are plenty of other teams that could make the cut, I just don't have the time to figure out who they are. If you're curious, go to http://www.fbschedules.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and figure it out for yourself.

These teams would get the boot automatically:

• Alabama (Western Carolina)
• Florida State (The Citadel)
• Georgia (Charleston Southern)
• South Carolina (Furman)
• Virginia Tech (William and Mary)
• Texas A&M (Lamar)

Again, the lesson as always- don't schedule cupcakes if you want legitimate respect. Past performance only carries you so far in my affections. This is more of a PSA for those cowardly SEC teams that schedule truly abysmal FCS teams in late November to hide from more serious out-of-conference threats. Plenty of teams would schedule them if they called. I know Boise State still has an open invite for anyone to play them. Other, more flexible-scheduling teams, like Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, and a plethora of ACC teams would schedule them.
There is no excuse for the big, bad, and mighty SEC to keep pussing out other than pure, unbridled cowardice as far as I'm concerned. I'm sick of the SEC getting a free pass in this regard just because they have a handful of elite teams on top and polish the rest of their turds with teams like Kentucky, Tennessee, and those aforementioned FCS teams they play every damn year. The media doesn't help, either. Are any of you aware that Georgia dropped a home-and-home with Ohio State that would have taken place within the next decade? I'm sure there are other examples, but that's my best one. No one has even bothered to call out UGA other than a few bloggers and some writers from Ohio.

(Just call me Bob Stoops, Jr.)

Unknown:

• LSU's 2014 schedule isn't complete yet. They haven't exactly done great in that regard, either. Home games vs. New Mexico State and ULM don't impress anyone. Also, they have Georgia Southern on the schedule. I don't know if they'll be considered FBS at that time
• Oregon, like LSU, their schedule isn't complete yet. No road games scheduled yet.
• Michigan- season opener against Appalachian State. Will they be FBS then? If so, Michigan would make the cut. Road game at Notre Dame.

Equal access is overrated. College football teams are not equal and the playoff should reflect that...in my opinion.

[SuperHornet]

If they're really all that good, rk, they should be able to beat those other teams. That's why they play the games. To arbitrarily define some teams out makes for a meaningless championship.

Of course, we've rehashed all this before....

[EPJr]

Report:
Playoff selection committee to include current P5 ADs


The College Football Playoff selection committee is beginning to take shape.

According to a report from the Sporting News, the committee will include current athletic directors, former coaches and players and possibly former media members. While the total number of members isn't know, it's reported that one athletic director from each of the five power conferences -- ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC -- will be represented (The Big East split will leave the remnants outside of the P5).

As for conflicts of interest, if an athletic director's school is being considered for the playoff, that athletic director will leave the room while the other members vote on that team.

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