re: Big Ten is in early stages of discussing a 28-team playoff in CFB

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The B1G doesn’t want 28 teams, they want auto bids and a 16 team CFP. The 28 is their “Liberation Day” ridiculous rhetoric so people will now be relieved when it’s only 16

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The Art of the Deal

Damn!!! just Damn...

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28 teams is dumb though, Making the playoff should be a big deal.

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Should never be more than 8. Else, it's not really a playoff. Just a big invitational tournament.

Well TCU did beat that Michigan team in the playoff who won it all the next season with most of the same players.

The best system is a 16-team college football playoff with three major conferences (SEC, Big Ten, merged Big 12/ACC), nine conference games, in-conference playoffs, and a wild-card bracket. It rewards conference performance while allowing standout teams a shot via the wild-card.

Here’s how it plays out for 2024, using actual stats and match-up results, addressing why a 28-team playoff is excessive.

Proposed Structure
Three Conferences: SEC, Big Ten, Big 12/ACC. Each plays nine conference games.
In-Conference Playoffs: Top four teams by conference record compete in semifinals for the conference title.
Wild-Card Bracket: Four at-large teams (committee-selected) vie for the fourth national semifinal spot.
Playoff Rounds: Round 1: Conference semifinals (three conferences, four teams each) and wild-card semifinals.
Round 2: Conference championships and wild-card final.
Round 3: National semifinals (three champions + wild-card winner).
Round 4: National championship.

Assumptions: 2024 results and head-to-head matchups unchanged.
2024 conference alignments (e.g., Texas/Oklahoma in SEC, Oregon/USC in Big Ten, Arizona/Colorado in Big 12, SMU/California in ACC).
Big 12/ACC is a hypothetical merger of 2024 Big 12 (16 teams) and ACC (17 teams).
G5 teams compete for wild-card, not guaranteed a spot.
At-large selections based on 2024 CFP criteria (record, SOS, notable wins).

Step 1: 2024 Conference Alignments
Top four teams by conference record, ties resolved by head-to-head or SOS. SEC (16 teams): Texas: 7-1 (13-3, 528 PF, 245 PA)
Georgia: 6-2 (11-3, 441 PF, 288 PA)
Tennessee: 6-2 (10-3, 464 PF, 209 PA)
Alabama: 5-3 (9-4, 439 PF, 226 PA)
Tiebreaker: Tennessee over Georgia (31-17, Nov. 16, 2024).
SEC Semifinals (Round 1): Texas vs. Alabama, Georgia vs. Tennessee

Big Ten (18 teams): Oregon: 9-0 (13-1, 488 PF, 272 PA)
Penn State: 8-1 (13-3, 530 PF, 264 PA)
Indiana: 8-1 (11-2, 537 PF, 203 PA)
Ohio State: 7-2 (14-2, 571 PF, 206 PA)
Big Ten Semifinals (Round 1): Oregon vs. Ohio State, Penn State vs. Indiana

Big 12/ACC (Merged):
Assuming a single conference with nine mixed Big 12/ACC games, top four by conference record: SMU (ACC): 8-0 (11-3, 511 PF, 309 PA)
Arizona State (Big 12): 7-2 (11-3, 461 PF, 316 PA)
BYU (Big 12): 7-2 (11-2, 405 PF, 255 PA)
Clemson (ACC): 7-1 (10-4, 486 PF, 328 PA)
Big 12/ACC Semifinals (Round 1): SMU vs. Clemson, Arizona State vs. BYU

Wild-Card Bracket:
Committee picks four at-large teams (strong records, SOS, no conference champs): Miami (ACC): 6-2, 10-3, 571 PF, 329 PA
LSU (SEC): 5-3, 9-4, 396 PF, 316 PA
South Carolina (SEC): 5-3, 9-4, 396 PF, 235 PA
Iowa State (Big 12): 7-2, 11-3, 435 PF, 321 PA
Wild-Card Semifinals (Round 1): Miami vs. Iowa State, LSU vs. South Carolina

Step 2: Round 1 Results
Using 2024 head-to-head results or stats (points, yards, SOS) for new matchups.

SEC Semifinals: Texas vs. Alabama: Texas won 31-12 (Sep. 7, 2024). Texas advances.
Georgia vs. Tennessee: Tennessee won 31-17 (Nov. 16, 2024). Tennessee advances.

Big Ten Semifinals: Oregon vs. Ohio State: Oregon won 32-31 (Oct. 12, 2024), but Ohio State won 41-21 in Rose Bowl. Ohio State’s 14-2 record and 571 PF edge Oregon. Ohio State advances.
Penn State vs. Indiana: No head-to-head. Penn State (13-3, 530 PF) edges Indiana (11-2, 537 PF) via SOS. Penn State advances.

Big 12/ACC Semifinals: SMU vs. Clemson: Clemson’s 34-31 win over SMU in the 2024 ACC Championship (Dec. 7, 2024). Clemson advances over SMU.


Arizona State vs. BYU: No head-to-head. Arizona State (11-3, 429.4 Yds/G) edges BYU (11-2, 392.3 Yds/G). Arizona State advances.

Wild-Card Semifinals: Miami vs. Iowa State: Iowa State won 42-41 (Dec. 28, 2024). Iowa State advances.
LSU vs. South Carolina: LSU won 36-33 (Sep. 14, 2024). LSU advances.

Step 3: Round 2 (Championships & Wild-Card Final)
SEC Championship: Texas vs. Tennessee. Texas’s defense (245 PA) and offense (423.7 Yds/G) overpower Tennessee (31-17 loss to Georgia). Texas wins.
Big Ten Championship: Ohio State vs. Penn State. Ohio State won 20-13 (2024). Ohio State’s 571 PF, 206 PA dominate. Ohio State wins.
Big 12/ACC Championship: Clemson vs. Arizona State. Since no head-to-head exists, Clemson’s 10-4 record and stronger SOS (bolstered by their ACC Championship win) give them the edge over Arizona State’s 11-3, advancing Clemson to the national semifinals.


Wild-Card Final: Iowa State vs. LSU. No head-to-head. LSU’s 419.7 Yds/G and SEC SOS edge Iowa State’s 416.2 Yds/G. LSU advances. Step 4: Round 3 (National Semifinals) Texas vs. LSU: Texas won 38-24 (2024 bowl). Texas’s 245 PA and 6779 Yds prevail. Texas advances.
Ohio State vs. Clemson: No head-to-head in 2024; Ohio State’s superior record (14-2), offensive output (571 PF), and defense (206 PA) outweigh Clemson’s 10-4, 486 PF, advancing Ohio State.



Step 5: Round 4 (National Championship)
Texas vs. Ohio State: Ohio State won 28-14 (2024 bowl). Ohio State’s 206 PA, 35.7 PPG secure the title. Ohio State wins. Final Outcome:
Ohio State is the 2024 champion, matching the actual CFP result. Why It Works:
A 28-team playoff dilutes prestige, but this 16-team format ensures merit. In-conference playoffs eliminate committee bias for three spots. The wild-card allows teams like South Carolina (9-4) or G5’s Boise State (12-2) a shot, but they earn it. Merit-Based: Conference semifinals reward top performers.
Inclusivity: Wild-card includes hot teams, but they must win play-ins.
Simplicity: Three conferences, 16 teams avoid bloat.
Integrity: 2024 stats yield a credible champion (Ohio State).

Critiques:
Realignment: SEC/Big Ten might invite elite Big 12/ACC teams (e.g., Clemson, Miami, Oklahoma State). Left-out teams (e.g., Wake Forest, Kansas) face reduced prestige in a weaker Big 12/ACC. Some may avoid SEC/Big Ten, fearing consistent 5-4 records won’t crack the top four, limiting playoff chances.


G5 Access: No guaranteed G5 spot risks excluding teams like Boise State.
Committee Bias: Wild-card picks need clear criteria (record, SOS).

This system delivers a fair, competitive playoff, making every spot a big deal.

Sorry, forgot to include pictures so the Auburn fans could follow along.

Having a set number of teams from each conference is nothing but vaginal bleeding and as pathetic as it gets. Conference winners, the rest at large.

Hell no. Way too many teams. That’s a shite ton of non-competitive games.

It's not about what's fair or makes the game better. It's all about revenue. They figure that a huge playoff would bring in more money. Simple as that.

I think an 8 team playoff is all we need. I am fine with 12, but it shouldn't go beyond that.