Thoughts on an 8 team playoff in college football

[Hank Johnson]

"I'm gonna throw my weight around a little." -Obama

this of course is his words when the subject of a college football playoff was brought up. i know he's mentioned it before.

i am pretty much converted to the positive side of a playoff. it is time unfortunately in this era of football.

is the guy honestly gonna "thow his weight around a little" and make this happen? And, with what is going on around us, is getting involved with the NCAA really that high of a priority?

 

[MC KAos]

i want a playoff, if he does that at least ill be happy with him as long as he doesnt completely destroy the country

 

[theogt]

Wrong zone. But good for him if he's able to accomplish it. It needs to happen.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

8 teams is way to small IMO. No way would they allow it either they wouldn't make any money from it. I think if they want to do a tournament/play off thing then atleast 32 teams is going to have to play.

 

[Hank Johnson]

8 teams is way to small IMO. No way would they allow it either they wouldn't make any money from it. I think if they want to do a tournament/play off thing then atleast 32 teams is going to have to play.

i actually think 8 teams is too much.

i would prefer to see a final four at most.

 

[Tusan_Homichi]

I'm sure he's joking, but still, I like the idea of an 8 team playoff. That seems like a good number of teams and not too many rounds to play through.

 

[joseephuss]

8 teams is way to small IMO. No way would they allow it either they wouldn't make any money from it. I think if they want to do a tournament/play off thing then atleast 32 teams is going to have to play.

Why would they not make money from it? They make money from the current format. They could incorporate the major bowls into a playoff format. Not that they truly care about the bowls like they say they do. If they did they would not have added this silly plus one system that they currently use. Instead they could have added another bowl as the championship game.

A playoff system with 8 to 12 teams would be the way to do it. A 32 team format would take 5 weeks to complete and I don't think there are truly 32 teams deserving of competing for a title by the time the end of the regular season arrives. Even at the beginning of the season you can probably narrow down the true contenders down to 16 teams. Once the games are played they get whittled down to 8 easily. Look at the past couple of seasons. Once you get past 8 or 10 in the rankings you know those lower ranked teams aren't really championship caliber teams.

 

[kev8822]

It will never happen because of the bowls.

8 teams is too many.

Go with 4. Seeds #1, and #2 host home games. Winners play in the BCS championship, losers still go to a BCS bowl.

Still get to keep the bowl system that the college presidents want to keep so badly, and the top 4 teams get a extra pay day.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

i actually think 8 teams is too much.

i would prefer to see a final four at most.

Then that would make the entire top 25 useless.

Why would they not make money from it? They make money from the current format. They could incorporate the major bowls into a playoff format. Not that they truly care about the bowls like they say they do. If they did they would not have added this silly plus one system that they currently use. Instead they could have added another bowl as the championship game.

A playoff system with 8 to 12 teams would be the way to do it. A 32 team format would take 5 weeks to complete and I don't think there are truly 32 teams deserving of competing for a title by the time the end of the regular season arrives. Even at the beginning of the season you can probably narrow down the true contenders down to 16 teams. Once the games are played they get whittled down to 8 easily. Look at the past couple of seasons. Once you get past 8 or 10 in the rankings you know those lower ranked teams aren't really championship caliber teams.

I think it would be like March Madness. If you want to do a playoff then you should expand it get rid of all the bowl games. Make the top 25 relevant and give small schools a shoot. Like the non BCS schools you know what I'm saying?

 

[peplaw06]

32 teams is 5 rounds of playoffs. That's a ridiculous number. You'd have to limit the regular season to 8-9 games to pull that off.

The Top 25 would still be used... but just like it is now. It's just a benchmark for your team and a way to signify how tough a team's schedule is.

 

[Hank Johnson]

Then that would make the entire top 25 useless.

No it wouldn't.


keep the regular bowls, and the top 4 teams play one another for a championship bcs tourney. #1 plays 4. #2 plays 3.

the rose bowl, sugar bowl, orange bowl, and the fiesta should always be in rotation for the tourney.

to be honest, i'd just be happy with a +1 so we could preserve the tradition but have a more clear cut champion. oh and that +1 would have to be on an if necessary basis. there was no need for a tourney, +1, or any dang thing when TEXAS knocked off usc.

unfortunately it's not quite that clear cut year in year out.

 

[kristie]

i think a playoff would be great. i'm sick of the BCS.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

32 teams is 5 rounds of playoffs. That's a ridiculous number. You'd have to limit the regular season to 8-9 games to pull that off.

The Top 25 would still be used... but just like it is now. It's just a benchmark for your team and a way to signify how tough a team's schedule is.

no you wouldn't they have a month off from bowl games and the last game of the year. In that time the play offs could start and the championship could be had during January.

No it wouldn't.


keep the regular bowls, and the top 4 teams play one another for a championship bcs tourney. #1 plays 4. #2 plays 3.

the rose bowl, sugar bowl, orange bowl, and the fiesta should always be in rotation for the tourney.

to be honest, i'd just be happy with a +1 so we could preserve the tradition but have a more clear cut champion. oh and that +1 would have to be on an if necessary basis. there was no need for a tourney, +1, or any dang thing when TEXAS knocked off usc.

unfortunately it's not quite that clear cut year in year out

.

It's one or the other you can't do both.

 

[peplaw06]

no you wouldn't they have a month off from bowl games and the last game of the year. In that time the play offs could start and the championship could be had during January.

Yes you would. Otherwise with conf. champ games etc. you're looking at an 18 or 19 game season for some teams. That's as many as the NFL, and let's face it, these are still kids.

Do you really think that they're just going to 1) get rid of the bowl system altogether, and 2) force these kids to play straight through the holidays when they have finals and all that?

One of the main reasons they don't have playoffs now is because of "finals." You think they're just gong to add 5 more games on a whim, when they won't even do a 4 team playoff now? Yeah right.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

Yes you would. Otherwise with conf. champ games etc. you're looking at an 18 or 19 game season for some teams. That's as many as the NFL, and let's face it, these are still kids.

Do you really think that they're just going to 1) get rid of the bowl system altogether, and 2) force these kids to play straight through the holidays when they have finals and all that?

One of the main reasons they don't have playoffs now is because of "finals." You think they're just gong to add 5 more games on a whim, when they won't even do a 4 team playoff now? Yeah right.

pep, most don't care about their finals anyway, IT'S DIVISION 1 FOOTBALL, IT'S NOT INTRAMURALS

a playoff would be great but the argument would then become, ok, who decides which 8 get in? Do you have to win a conference? If so, then the domers will whine they are excluded because they are too afraid to join a conference.

 

[Hank Johnson]

no you wouldn't they have a month off from bowl games and the last game of the year. In that time the play offs could start and the championship could be had during January.

.

It's one or the other you can't do both.

And if I had to pick one, it'd be the bcs +1 system. i'm just saying that a final four playoff is as far as it should go.

 

[Rogah]

It will never happen because of the bowls.

8 teams is too many.

Go with 4. Seeds #1, and #2 host home games. Winners play in the BCS championship, losers still go to a BCS bowl.

Still get to keep the bowl system that the college presidents want to keep so badly, and the top 4 teams get a extra pay day.

I think this is the best idea. Send the top 4 teams to 2 BCS bowls (which would rotate yearly). I mean, how cool would it be to have a Football Final 4 on New Year's Day? Then take those winners to play the BCS Championship game the next week.

a playoff would be great but the argument would then become, ok, who decides which 8 get in? Do you have to win a conference? If so, then the domers will whine they are excluded because they are too afraid to join a conference.

If by "too afraid to join a conference" you mean "they don't want to lose millions of dollars when they don't have to" then I agree.

But Notre Dame isn't the problem. If Notre Dame ever fielded a championship caliber team that went undefeated (insert joke here) then they would be in the top-2 of the BCS polls. The problem is the non-BCS conferences. They are technically FBS schools but are really the ugly step-sisters of the FBS. They can have teams go undefeated but still not really be all that great (as Hawaii showed last year). I really think they should send the whole lot down to FCS. They aren't eligible for a championship so why pretend that they are?

 

[peplaw06]

pep, most don't care about their finals anyway, IT'S DIVISION 1 FOOTBALL, IT'S NOT INTRAMURALS

a playoff would be great but the argument would then become, ok, who decides which 8 get in? Do you have to win a conference? If so, then the domers will whine they are excluded because they are too afraid to join a conference.

Oh I'm not saying that finals are a good excuse.... it's just an excuse. but to expect them to use that excuse and all of a sudden jump into a five round playoff format right around finals is beyond ridiculous.

 

[joseephuss]

pep, most don't care about their finals anyway, IT'S DIVISION 1 FOOTBALL, IT'S NOT INTRAMURALS

a playoff would be great but the argument would then become, ok, who decides which 8 get in? Do you have to win a conference? If so, then the domers will whine they are excluded because they are too afraid to join a conference.

You could still used the current BCS rankings to determine the top 8 teams. Of course you will still get the #9 or #10 team arguing that they should be included. That is not nearly as bad as arguing who should be #1 or #2 in the current format.

You don't have to win a conference or division within your conference now in order to play for a national championship. Top 8 teams period based on BCS rankings. There are more than 8 conferences in D1 football.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

Yes you would. Otherwise with conf. champ games etc. you're looking at an 18 or 19 game season for some teams. That's as many as the NFL, and let's face it, these are still kids.

Do you really think that they're just going to 1) get rid of the bowl system altogether, and 2) force these kids to play straight through the holidays when they have finals and all that?

One of the main reasons they don't have playoffs now is because of "finals." You think they're just gong to add 5 more games on a whim, when they won't even do a 4 team playoff now? Yeah right.

they can handle it they're men.