Breaking down the College Football Playoffs

[jterrell]

16 really does need to be the cap. Even that's a bit much. 4 more weeks of games vs top competition for these kids would be physically brutal.
Maybe if they removed conf champ games, reduced the regular season back to 11 games, and seeded all 16 teams, then maybe a 4 week playoff would make sense.

I saw someone trying to compare baseball and basketball to football.
They may want to take into account you can't play anywhere from 2-4 football games in one week.

My ideal number is 12 but 16 gets all the major Bowls essentially covered.
Definitely not more than 16.

I really like 12 because it rewards the regular season with 4 BYEs and limits tourney length to 1-3 games for just about everyone.

The weeks isn't an issue IMHO.
Regular seasons end basically end of November and final games are til second week of January.

Could utilize a Wednesday/Saturday type calendar.(Avoid NFL dates)

Something like:
Game 1: 5 vs 12 Wednesday December 17th. 6PM
Game 2: 8 vs 9 Wednesday December 17th . Immediately after. 8:30 PM
Game 3: 7 vs 10 Saturday Dec 20th 3 PM
Game 4: 6 vs 11 Saturday Dec 20th 7 PM

Game 5: G1 W vs 4 seed Wed December 24th 3 PM
Game 6: G2 W versus 1 seed Wed Dec 24th 7 PM
Game 7: G3 W versus 2 seed Sat Dec 27th 3 PM
Game 8: G4 W versus 3 seed Sat Dec 27th 7 PM

Semi 1: Winner Game 5 vs Winner G6 Saturday Jan 3 7 PM
Semi 2: Winner G7 vs Winner G8 Wed Jan 7th 7 PM

CFB CG Semi W1 vs Semi W2 Wed Jan 14th 7 PM

 

[jterrell]

that schedule leaves a ton of dates for other Bowls to occur and is basically a mint for new money.

 

[viman96]

I saw someone trying to compare baseball and basketball to football.
They may want to take into account you can't play anywhere from 2-4 football games in one week.

Assuming it was my post which is just two about yours. Read my post again. It was calling BS on using education as a reason for not having more teams in the playoffs which is 100% a lie. There is already college football playoffs for lower level schools. Their education not as important? Baseball and Basketball were brought up as another example of college students playing a postseason playoff for a college championship. My statement did not have anything to do with playing 2-4 games per week.

 

[DFWJC]

Assuming it was my post which is just two about yours. Read my post again. It was calling BS on using education as a reason for not having more teams in the playoffs which is 100% a lie. There is already college football playoffs for lower level schools. Their education not as important? Baseball and Basketball were brought up as another example of college students playing a postseason playoff for a college championship. My statement did not have anything to do with playing 2-4 games per week.

Yeah, the education excuse was silly.
They started saying that way back when there were 10 games. Now some teams play 14.

 

[Rogah]

absolutely its money..... especially from the bowl side. There's like 35 bowl games... that's a lot of sponsors that become less relevant as the playoff expands.. not to mention the tv and university profits.

I don't really see how. Why does Boston College versus Iowa on December 21 become any less relevant than it already is?

 

[jterrell]

I don't really see how. Why does Boston College versus Iowa on December 21 become any less relevant than it already is?

It doesn't
It is about money.
Not the amount of money but who gets chunks of it.

There are a lot of people in place on bowl "committees" that for lack of a better word get paid and pay people off.
Look up the story on the Fiesta Bowl and all the free swag and money that a few people were getting.
http://www.businessinsider.com/fiesta-bowl-john-junker-purchases-2011-3?op=1

Essentially the Bowls operate non profits and act as huge sources of funds and then that money is used for expenses or gifts.
Lots of people want to keep that system wholly in tact.

 

[Rogah]

It doesn't
It is about money.
Not the amount of money but who gets chunks of it.

There are a lot of people in place on bowl "committees" that for lack of a better word get paid and pay people off.
Look up the story on the Fiesta Bowl and all the free swag and money that a few people were getting.
http://www.businessinsider.com/fiesta-bowl-john-junker-purchases-2011-3?op=1

Essentially the Bowls operate non profits and act as huge sources of funds and then that money is used for expenses or gifts.
Lots of people want to keep that system wholly in tact.

I read that article when it came out. Yes it's about money. We all know that. No one is denying that.

So ya it's about money. What you haven't done is explain why there will be less money in an expanded playoff situation. Certain bowls may rise and fall depending on their place in the rotation but in the general, the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl will be just as irrelevant as before.

 

[jterrell]

I read that article when it came out. Yes it's about money. We all know that. No one is denying that.

So ya it's about money. What you haven't done is explain why there will be less money in an expanded playoff situation. Certain bowls may rise and fall depending on their place in the rotation but in the general, the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl will be just as irrelevant as before.

ummm, did you bother reading what I wrote?
The CFB Playoffs generate money through TV and that money is controlled by committee and handed to schools fairly directly.
That is VERY unlike the Bowl system that had autonomy for the most part.
Those bowl select their own match up and handle their own advertising, management, staffing and various other pay outs that total millions per bowl.

Again, the Playoffs will generate more money but less money for select folks and those people fight tooth and nail to keep their benefits coming in.
The people that got all those benefits in the article for instance.
Or the hundreds of less egregious examples that exist with every bowl.

It isn't about the TOTAL of the money but the control of that money.

 

[viman96]

#3 Florida St barely holding on to beat Boston College. #8 Ole Miss getting blown out by unranked Arkansas.

 

[TheCoolFan]

Just go ahead and hand FSU the championship...they're unstoppable. Everything ALWAYS goes their way

 

[joseephuss]

Sorry but this complete crap. Why is not an issue for the lower level college football teams to play a 64 playoff tournament? Or Basketball teams to play 64 team tournaments? Baseball has the College World Series.

They need to admit is just about money and they have not come up with away they all can agree to.

Don't the lower levels play at 16 team tournament?

Extending the number of teams and games will make more money, so it will eventually happen. I think the number should be 8. In the vast majority of seasons the number 9 team isn't one I think of as being the best in the nation.

 

[viman96]

Wow Ole Miss shutout by an unranked team.

 

[hairic]

I think the Big 12 will get left out of this thing. When Minnesota didn't get knocked out of the top 25 it sort of revealed their intent (contrasted to OU falling 11+ spots out of the top 25 completely after getting thumped by Baylor the previous week, where they revealed the top 25 wins metric). It set up the situation where if Minnesota had lost this week, they would have still had a chance vs Wisconsin to climb back to the top 25 and be used as a resume builder. If they had fallen out of the top 25 and lost this week, they wouldn't be as likely to jump back in. After winning this week, they will now not fall out of the top 25 if they lose vs Wisconsin. Resume building goal completed for OSU.

If OSU gets the conference championship game win vs another ranked team, they'll complete the jump over the conference championshipless Baylor, TCU, and Miss State and end up #4.

FSU and OSU will then get blown out in the semis while Baylor and/or TCU blow out their bowl opponents, leading to controversy, and an 8 team playoff. Perfect season to do it, since it's only Baylor and TCU from the B12 screwed, not Texas/Oklahoma, so less cares get thrown around (plus, I don't think any B12 people are on the committee). That's just a dream scenario, though.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

This past week was pretty boring. The only significant thing that happened was Ole Miss blew any chance they would have had at making the playoffs (if they would have beaten Miss St and Bama would have lost to Auburn, Ole Miss would play Missouri or Georgia for the SEC title). But with 3 losses Ole Miss is now done.

These next two weeks will be big. The SEC West winner will be decided. Bama just has to win. Miss St needs to win and have Bama lose. Ole Miss has eliminated themselves from a shot at winning the SEC. Missouri represents the SEC East with a win against Arkansas. Georgia represents the SEC East with a win against Georgia Tech and a Missouri loss. The winner of the SEC will definitely be in the playoffs. Another team might make it too.

The ACC title game has been set: FSU vs Georgia Tech. The only way I see an ACC team making the playoffs is if it's an undefeated FSU. That means they'll have to beat Florida this upcoming week and then win the ACC.

There's no Big 12 title game so it'll come down to TCU and Baylor. TCU plays Texas this week and 2-8 Iowa State next. Baylor plays Texas Tech this week and Kansas State next. Although TCU is currently ahead in the polls, I think Baylor will jump them if they beat a 2-loss Kansas State the final game of the season and TCU beats a 2-win Iowa State. And don't forget, TCU's only loss this season was to Baylor. I see at least one Big 12 team finishing with one loss and possibly making the playoffs.

Ohio State has already won the Big Ten East. The West will be decided this week when Wisconsin plays Minnesota. The winner will meet Ohio State in the championship. If Ohio State wins out, I can see them in the playoffs. I don't see any other Big Ten team getting in.

Then there's the Pac 12. Oregon has already won the North. The South is down to three teams: Arizona State, UCLA and Arizona (all currently 6-2 in the Pac 12 and 9-2 overall). It'll be interesting to see how this one plays out. Arizona State and Arizona play against each other in this final game, while UCLA plays Stanford. UCLA just needs to win and they win the South since they have beaten both Arizona State and Arizona. On the other hand, if UCLA loses, then the winner of Arizona State and Arizona wins the South.

 

[big dog cowboy]

that schedule leaves a ton of dates for other Bowls to occur and is basically a mint for new money.

I've been saying this for years. Why it took this long to get a playoff system in place is really quite amazing.

 

[Rogah]

Just go ahead and hand FSU the championship...they're unstoppable. Everything ALWAYS goes their way

You have got to be kidding. They'd have 4 losses by now if they had neutral-conference referees.

 

[DFWJC]

#3 Florida St barely holding on to beat Boston College. #8 Ole Miss getting blown out by unranked Arkansas.

Arkansas is VERY good right now.

 

[MissouriCowboy]

Arkansas is VERY good right now.

Mizzou will take care of them,

 

[DFWJC]

Mizzou will take care of them,

So do they need that win to make it to the SEC Title game?
Is it at Mizzou?

 

[MissouriCowboy]

So do they need that win to make it to the SEC Title game?
Is it at Mizzou?

Ya it is at COMO.