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Thoughts on a 16 team playoff scenario (hear it out)
Posted on 12/5/17 at 1:34 pm
Posted on 12/5/17 at 1:34 pm
I'm normally totally against anything over 8. It waters things down and makes the regular season a bit stupid.
However, my idea is this (and I'm sure it's not the first of these)
- 10 game regular season starting Labor Day and ending Thanksgiving Weekend. 3 bye weekends spread out during the season to minimize injury and fatigue. You then have a 2 week break between the 2nd round and the Final Four for Christmas/fatigue/etc.
- All FBS conference champions + 6 at-large teams. This does 2 things : (1) Allows smaller schools a legitimate (if only theoretical) path to the National Title while (2) Not eliminating worthwhile teams.
- By only playing 10 games and starting the playoff the week of Conference Championship week On-Campus, the first 2 rounds of the playoff are almost more like a regular season conclusion before getting to a Final Four that is set up exactly like it is now.
- Keeps the integrity of CFB and winning every game. Finishing in the Top 4 means playing FAU/Troy/Toledo at home in the first round and Penn State/USC at home in Round 2. Losing 2 games means getting in but having to win at Ohio State in December and then win at another very good P5 team before you even get to the Final 4. That is a nearly impossible road. Like the NFL, you will fight tooth and nail to get 2 home playoff games instead of 2 difficult road games.
- Holy shite the high stakes matchups in on-campus stadiums in December. Alabama hosting Ohio State to go to a Final Four game. Oklahoma hosting Auburn. Clemson hosting USC. UCF getting their shot at Ohio State. USC going to Penn State.
Playoffs schedule :
Round of 16 : 12/9 (on campus)
Round of 8 : 12/16 (on campus)
Final Four : 1/1 (bowl games)
Championship : 1/8 (site specific)
However, my idea is this (and I'm sure it's not the first of these)
- 10 game regular season starting Labor Day and ending Thanksgiving Weekend. 3 bye weekends spread out during the season to minimize injury and fatigue. You then have a 2 week break between the 2nd round and the Final Four for Christmas/fatigue/etc.
- All FBS conference champions + 6 at-large teams. This does 2 things : (1) Allows smaller schools a legitimate (if only theoretical) path to the National Title while (2) Not eliminating worthwhile teams.
- By only playing 10 games and starting the playoff the week of Conference Championship week On-Campus, the first 2 rounds of the playoff are almost more like a regular season conclusion before getting to a Final Four that is set up exactly like it is now.
- Keeps the integrity of CFB and winning every game. Finishing in the Top 4 means playing FAU/Troy/Toledo at home in the first round and Penn State/USC at home in Round 2. Losing 2 games means getting in but having to win at Ohio State in December and then win at another very good P5 team before you even get to the Final 4. That is a nearly impossible road. Like the NFL, you will fight tooth and nail to get 2 home playoff games instead of 2 difficult road games.
- Holy shite the high stakes matchups in on-campus stadiums in December. Alabama hosting Ohio State to go to a Final Four game. Oklahoma hosting Auburn. Clemson hosting USC. UCF getting their shot at Ohio State. USC going to Penn State.
Playoffs schedule :
Round of 16 : 12/9 (on campus)
Round of 8 : 12/16 (on campus)
Final Four : 1/1 (bowl games)
Championship : 1/8 (site specific)
This post was edited on 12/5/17 at 1:37 pm
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Posted on 12/5/17 at 1:39 pm to SummerOfGeorge
No more than 8.
Posted on 12/5/17 at 1:43 pm to pvilleguru
quote:
No more than 8.
Yea, I get that, but I don't even really truly look at this as 16. It's giving you better games in which some teams are very heavily rewarded for finishing high to determine who gets to the final 3 rounds.
Clemson plays Troy. Oklahoma plays Boise. Alabama plays FAU. Those teams aren't losing and they are at home and get to be at home the next week. Teams that have made mistakes still have a shot, but they have to prove it for 4 straight games against elite teams away from home.
Doesn't matter, won't ever happen. Would be fun to watch, though.
Posted on 12/5/17 at 1:46 pm to SummerOfGeorge
I was happy with 2. I can live with 4. I'll probably still watch with 6. After that, I'm going to start getting really pissed. What a watered-down shitshow of nondeserving ineptitude. What season have you ever watched where the number 8, or god forbid, the number 16 team deserved to be the national champion?
Posted on 12/5/17 at 1:47 pm to SummerOfGeorge
Could the money generated replace the lost income from 3 less home games?
No way Alabama will schedule any road games with only 10 games except for SEC games
No way Alabama will schedule any road games with only 10 games except for SEC games
Posted on 12/5/17 at 1:48 pm to SummerOfGeorge
Dan wetzel discussed a playoff possibility on the finebaum show In which the first games would be home games for the higher seed. It's probably unrealistic because of the bowls. But damn that sounds amazing. Imagine us going to Clemson, or UGA going to OU. It would be so fun to watch.
Posted on 12/5/17 at 1:49 pm to phaz
quote:
Could the money generated replace the lost income from 3 less home games? No way Alabama will schedule any road games with only 10 games except for SEC games
Yea, clearly the money would be a huge talking point. Both from all teams and specifically from those who know they won't be in much. The solution would clearly have to be based on them getting a ton more money for the new playoff and it being distributed.
Of course, they could keep the schedule at 11-12 games and still have 1 bye. I just don't think that is feasible or fair to the players. Saban has said as much.
Posted on 12/5/17 at 1:51 pm to Teague
quote:
What a watered-down shitshow of nondeserving ineptitude. What season have you ever watched where the number 8, or god forbid, the number 16 team deserved to be the national champion?
Yea, but the #16 seed is not going to win. Neither is the the #14 seed. And, in all likelihood, the #9 seed isn't going to win. This is really the Top 10 plus non-P5 conference winners.
And, let's just take the scenario above. The #9 seed is 10-2 Penn State. They had a pretty good season, losing by 1 at Ohio State and by 3 at Michigan State (both Top 20 teams). To win the national title they will have won these football games..........
vs #8 Southern Cal
@ #1 Clemson
vs #4 Alabama (N)
vs #2 Oklahoma (N)
If a team goes 12-2 with those wins I think you have to conclude that they are a legitimate National Title winner.
The WORST P5 team on this list (rankings wise) is Washington, and they went 10-2. Their road would be even crazier.......
@ #6 Wisconsin
@ #3 Georgia
vs #2 Oklahoma (N)
vs #1 Clemson (N)
Again, if they went 12-2 with those 4 wins in 4 weeks? Hard for me to conclude they aren't a legitimately great football team.
This post was edited on 12/5/17 at 1:54 pm
Posted on 12/5/17 at 1:55 pm to SummerOfGeorge
Meh I mean this is the best described way to do it at 16, but you still end up with meaningful games being when it's miserable outside. I'm not going to trade a win or go home fall Saturday game for a December game against FAU. Most years students would finish school the week of the first game too, so they wouldn't be on campus for the second game. That's pretty lame.
As far as the G5 schools getting a shot goes, I would've put UCF in this year over us, but I don't feel sorry for them. If they want to play for a "national championship," then they should drop to FCS. What they really want is dollars.
As far as the G5 schools getting a shot goes, I would've put UCF in this year over us, but I don't feel sorry for them. If they want to play for a "national championship," then they should drop to FCS. What they really want is dollars.
Posted on 12/5/17 at 1:57 pm to TomRollTideRitter
quote:
As far as the G5 schools getting a shot goes, I would've put UCF in this year over us, but I don't feel sorry for them. If they want to play for a "national championship," then they should drop to FCS. What they really want is dollars.
Yea - I don't feel sorry for them - I think this is a way to "include them" while completing a bigger goal, which is to give the Top 5-6 teams a large incentive to be in the Top 5-6.
It's all an exercise in theory anyway. There are too many moving parts for this to ever happen (especially money, #1 money).
Posted on 12/5/17 at 2:02 pm to SummerOfGeorge
quote:
Yea, but the #16 seed is not going to win. Neither is the the #14 seed. And, in all likelihood, the #9 seed isn't going to win.
So why are we playing the game?
Something that a lot of people don't consider, is with playoffs, the best team doesn't always win. And the more games that are in a playoff, the more often the best team doesn't win.
As a fan of a team that usually is one of, if not the best team in the country, why would I want to up the chances of being upset by some team that just has a good night?
Posted on 12/5/17 at 2:04 pm to Teague
quote:
o why are we playing the game?
To legitimately give a UCF team that won 12 games and is ranked in the Top 10 by most analytical metrics but would never get a shot at the national title a legitimate seat at the table..........while also offering a helluva incentive to win all your games and be ranked in the Top 5 to play UCF instead of Penn State. I think it is both a better incentive to the Top 4 as well as better overall to have 12-0 UCF in at #14 instead of 9-3 Michigan State. I think there is a chance Penn State could possibly be one of the best teams in the country. Same with USC. I don't think there is any chance LSU, Michigan State, Mississippi State or Oklahoma State are.
quote:
Something that a lot of people don't consider, is with playoffs, the best team doesn't always win. And the more games that are in a playoff, the more often the best team doesn't win. As a fan of a team that usually is one of, if not the best team in the country, why would I want to up the chances of being upset by some team that just has a good night?
Well, we are right now, but in 10 years we might be a really good team that isn't always the best team
Honestly, part of me just wants to find a way to get good teams to play eachother more and play eachother on campus. But that's really just an Alabama thing, as most of these teams play eachother H/H in some capacity.
This post was edited on 12/5/17 at 2:06 pm
Posted on 12/5/17 at 2:05 pm to SummerOfGeorge
I hate this four team playoff. I really wasn't even a fan of the BCS either.
Posted on 12/5/17 at 2:05 pm to Teague
I like seeing the best teams play for it all. 4 is perfect for my tastes.
March Madness is awesome ... but mainly in rounds 1 and 2, and a lot of the time the actual games in the elite 8 and final 4 suffer because of Cinderella runs.
Even in the NFL - i like the playoffs but the years those giants teams went on a run and won the SB were why I personally would like a smaller field in the playoffs.
March Madness is awesome ... but mainly in rounds 1 and 2, and a lot of the time the actual games in the elite 8 and final 4 suffer because of Cinderella runs.
Even in the NFL - i like the playoffs but the years those giants teams went on a run and won the SB were why I personally would like a smaller field in the playoffs.
This post was edited on 12/5/17 at 2:08 pm
Posted on 12/5/17 at 2:07 pm to Sneaky__Sally
quote:
March Madness is awesome ... but mainly in rounds 1 and 2, and a lot of the time the actual games in the elite 8 and final 4 suffer because of Cinderella runs.
I agree with that - though I don't think you'd see much of it here.
The biggest argument against it (outside of money never allowing it) is what Teague said - the "best" teams could certainly lose in the 2nd round, and your Final Four could be a really good but not maybe the "best" team that got hot for a few weeks. I could easily see Penn State, USC, Auburn doing that. But, then again, maybe that proves they actually are the best team.
I don't think you'd have many/any Cinderella runs like in basketball. And, my biggest point is, if UCF wins @ Ohio State and @ Alabama in back to back weeks??????????? That's not Cinderella, they are legitimate a very very good team. It's difficult to luck into 2 straight wins over great teams in football. Nearly impossible.
This post was edited on 12/5/17 at 2:09 pm
Posted on 12/5/17 at 2:08 pm to pvilleguru
quote:
No more than 8.
You're even more generous than me, I think no more than 6, if ever expanded. We have to keep it small and elite, putting emphasis on every win and loss being significant.
Posted on 12/5/17 at 2:09 pm to SummerOfGeorge
I also like giving the teams a chance to heal up and get healthy at the end of the year.
Posted on 12/5/17 at 2:10 pm to TomRollTideRitter
take 5
Have a play in game at #4's home field. Would have been Bama - Ohio State in Tuscaloosa. PLay it the week after the conference championships.
Have a play in game at #4's home field. Would have been Bama - Ohio State in Tuscaloosa. PLay it the week after the conference championships.
Posted on 12/5/17 at 2:13 pm to SummerOfGeorge
What has been great about college football throughout time, is that it tries, even if you don't always agree with the outcome, to choose the best team that had the best year as its champion.
Playoffs and tournaments, on the other hand, pick winners of playoffs and tournaments. I think 4 teams is about as good as it can get. It's rare that anyone thinks the best team is outside the top 4.
Playoffs and tournaments, on the other hand, pick winners of playoffs and tournaments. I think 4 teams is about as good as it can get. It's rare that anyone thinks the best team is outside the top 4.
Posted on 12/5/17 at 2:14 pm to Teague
quote:
I think 4 teams is about as good as it can get. It's rare that anyone thinks the best team is outside the top 4.
I don't disagree with you there. The fact that people are arguing about #4 and how they are "unworthy" just shows how this is a pretty solid system.
The system before would have you pick one of UGA/Clemson/Oklahoma to leave. That'd be unfair to someone. This year Ohio State got left out, but nobody with a 31 point loss to a 7-5 team can make a legitimate argument they are the best team (at this point in the season). On the flip side, if we'd gotten left out a team with 1 Top 10 game they lost by 12 can't make that argument either.
This post was edited on 12/5/17 at 2:16 pm
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