So. I had an idea.

Will read it sometime later today

That bracket is not good (I didn't want to call it terrible) and doesn't make sense.

quote:

---

That bracket is not good (I didn't want to call it terrible) and doesn't make sense.

---

By the way, that upvote was me. I appreciate the feedback. I know it's convoluted. I was trying to create a bracket that juggled a few concepts, and I know the execution isn't flawless.

One, I wanted it to reward the best conferences within the power 5, but not punish a dominate team from outside those two conferences. Rewarding the two best conferences and at large seed I felt was best accomplished by creating the top 3 overall seeds the way they were, and then seeds 4-6 in line after that. No matter what, a representative from a top 4 conference, as well as two at large teams, would be represented.

Two, I didn't want to crowd the field with Group of 5 teams, but I wanted them to be included, as I felt increased competition and incentive was the overall goal of the bracket. This way, if the Group of 5 teams truly were terrible, they were just going to be matched up with a power 5 team for what essentially is a a play in game to the round of 16.





Turns in to:



The ACC Champ, The SEC Champ, and the next highest ranked team, all get one of the top 3 spots, ranked by their standings in the final college football poll.... the yellow spots.

The B1G and the Pac 12 Champ, and the next highest ranked team, gets the pink spots.

The Big 12 Champ and the AAC Champ, and the next 4 at large bids gets the green slots, but since the Big 12 Champ was already selected, it goes to the next at large bid.

And finally, in the blue slots, are the bottom four conference champs, and the remaining 4 at large bids.




Again. I know, it's confusing, and I appreciate the feedback.

quote:

---

Oh this is your baby. I didn't mean to sound harsh. I just think it'll be a complicated process to educate the average college football fan. The average SEC IQ has be be double digits.

---

I totally agree.

quote:

---

I think you could do something similar with a more practical bracket. I you want to do 20 teams then I think you need to do a 16 team bracket with 4 play in games.

---

Also considered, and I've tried to develop that, but I can't come up with a solution that rewards conferences the same way.

This has potential. Very interested.

Will study it over lunch

quote:

---

I like that you are passionate about college football and I do agree with you that fewer people are attending games and the times ahead will be a defining one for the sport.

---

I truly think that if the status quo continues, then what we will see is the playoff expand to 8, the rest of the bowls start to really suffer, and revenues decline across the board. Maybe not for the power programs at first, but the bowl system is broken.

quote:

---

I don't like the playoff idea as it's just flat out too many games. You need a 12 game schedule to get through conference and OOC play and with your playoff bracket you are asking teams to play up to an additional 6 games (assuming they're a low seed and make a run to the final). It's just too much, I personally don't want to see them have a playoff with more than 8 teams (and hope they stay at 4 actually), 12 games is more than enough to determine who should have a shot at the title in the playoffs.

---

Well, at most it would be 5 games, but the additional games is an issue, but I think it's something that has to happen for the success of the sport.

quote:

---

Your article about declining attendence and viewership is spot on but I don't think it's an issue with the sport itself, more just about how people view and use media these days, and it's just a newer generation. I don't understand the interest people have in watching someone else play video games but even I have heard of the pewdiepie guy who makes a living doing it.

This younger generation just isn't as interested in college football and it's a damn shame. I don't think adding more games and a bigger playoff system is going to help it.

---

You and I may watch every Aggie Football game because it's what we know and love, but making even a game against Ball State mean something would increase interest to some degree, and honestly, it's long past due. We are sheep to a bad system because we don't know any different. It might not be enough, but in the sports world, college football is the only sport that really suffers from insignificant games comprising almost 35-40% of the experience. And while the younger generation is consumed with their phones, I do think that something like college football is an authentic enough experience that they would want to be a part of it, if it was significant enough. I just think that for a lot of students, it really isn't.

I bring up the American Athletic Conference in that post, which is essentially the same undergraduate size per school as the Big 12, yet the experience of being a student between those two conference is VASTLY different. Why? An antiquated bowl system that essentially only exists for Vegas at this point, and a game of musical chairs that started over a hundred years ago.

As far as adding games, an expansion like this increases only increases the total inventory of the post season by 10 games. If the 7 play-in games were held on college campuses, the bowl inventory would only increase by 3 games.

I like this plan.

quote:

---

Gravity is pulling towards 4 power conferences with an eight team playoff. The first playoff game would be the CCGs.

---

This would be a mistake, and I also don't believe it will happen.

quote:

---

The fun part will be watching Big XII and ACC machinations to be the fourth player. Right now, my money is on the ACC. If Big XII is the loser, then there will be a scramble by UTa and OU to find a home. Perhaps OSU and TT also get to come along but as far as major conference football is concerned, no one much gives a damn about the others.

---

Meh, while I would love the Big 12 rotting, I don't think this will be the case.

quote:

---

The SEC is the best conference, and they need to reinforce it, year after year.

---

I agree. Perception is reality, and there's no better way to bolster it than by OOC exposure.

How about this. 8 teans. All auto bid.

One side of the bracket has:
Pac Champ
Big 10 Champ
ACC Champ
Big 12 Champ

On side of the bracket has:
SEC W Champ
SEC E Champ
SEC W Runner Up
SEC E Runner Up