Started By
Message
CFB is in serious need of more variety
Posted on 1/13/21 at 12:44 pm
Posted on 1/13/21 at 12:44 pm
The sport is slowly dying nationally, heading the way of NASCAR unless something is done to create more parity and variety within the sport. When you look at the television ratings for the Championship Game over the past 23 years, its obvious that fans of the sport crave more variety.
Alabama has played in a Title Game 8 times since 2009.... the highest television rating of those games involving the Crimson Tide: the 2009 Championship Game against Texas, their very first time to play in it.
Clemson has played in a Title Game 4 times since 2015... the highest television rating of those games involving Clemson: the 2015 Championship game against Alabama, their very first time to play in it.
Since the Championship Game switched to ESPN with the 2010 season, the highest rated Title Games were these:
1) 2014 Championship: Ohio St. vs. Oregon
This was the first time Ohio State had played for the Title in 12 years. This is also the only time going all the way back to 2006 that no SEC teams played in the game.
2) 2017 Championship: Alabama vs. Georgia
This was the first time for Georgia to play in the Title Game
3) 2010 Championship: Auburn vs. Oregon
This was the first time for both Auburn and Oregon to play in the Title Game
4) 2013 Championship: Florida State vs. Auburn
This was the first time in 13 years that Florida State played in the Title Game.
5) 2012 Championship: Alabama vs. Notre Dame
This was the first time ever for Notre Dame to play in the Championship Game.
6) 2015 Championship: Alabama vs. Clemson
This was the first time ever for Clemson to play in the Championship
There is an obvious pattern here. In the past 11 years, the National Title Games in the top half for viewership all involved at least one team making their first appearance ever or at least the first in over a decade.
At this point, games between Alabama, Ohio State, and Clemson.... any combo of the three.... are just not going to draw any substantial audience outside their home states.
The last time there was this little parity in college football was back in the 1960s and 1970s, and through the form of scholarship limitations, the game achieved the most parity it had ever had in the history of the sport.
Between 1961 and 1979, there were 24 National Title Trophies awarded by either the AP or UPI... 21 of those 24 were won by the same six programs: Alabama (6), USC (5), Notre Dame (3), Texas (3), Nebraska (2), and Oklahoma (2).
After scholarship limitations began kicking in, the sport saw incredible parity develop. From 1980-1996, there were 19 AP or UPI trophies awarded to 14 different programs. Ten different programs won their very first major polling era title: Georgia (1980), Clemson (1981), Penn State (1982), Miami (1983), BYU (1984), Georgia Tech (1990), Colorado (1990), Washington (1991), Florida State (1993), and Florida (1996).
It might be time for college football to reinvent itself so that it shifts talent around so that the same programs are not always playing for the Title. If this lack of parity continues, its just going to drive people away from paying any attention.
Alabama has played in a Title Game 8 times since 2009.... the highest television rating of those games involving the Crimson Tide: the 2009 Championship Game against Texas, their very first time to play in it.
Clemson has played in a Title Game 4 times since 2015... the highest television rating of those games involving Clemson: the 2015 Championship game against Alabama, their very first time to play in it.
Since the Championship Game switched to ESPN with the 2010 season, the highest rated Title Games were these:
1) 2014 Championship: Ohio St. vs. Oregon
This was the first time Ohio State had played for the Title in 12 years. This is also the only time going all the way back to 2006 that no SEC teams played in the game.
2) 2017 Championship: Alabama vs. Georgia
This was the first time for Georgia to play in the Title Game
3) 2010 Championship: Auburn vs. Oregon
This was the first time for both Auburn and Oregon to play in the Title Game
4) 2013 Championship: Florida State vs. Auburn
This was the first time in 13 years that Florida State played in the Title Game.
5) 2012 Championship: Alabama vs. Notre Dame
This was the first time ever for Notre Dame to play in the Championship Game.
6) 2015 Championship: Alabama vs. Clemson
This was the first time ever for Clemson to play in the Championship
There is an obvious pattern here. In the past 11 years, the National Title Games in the top half for viewership all involved at least one team making their first appearance ever or at least the first in over a decade.
At this point, games between Alabama, Ohio State, and Clemson.... any combo of the three.... are just not going to draw any substantial audience outside their home states.
The last time there was this little parity in college football was back in the 1960s and 1970s, and through the form of scholarship limitations, the game achieved the most parity it had ever had in the history of the sport.
Between 1961 and 1979, there were 24 National Title Trophies awarded by either the AP or UPI... 21 of those 24 were won by the same six programs: Alabama (6), USC (5), Notre Dame (3), Texas (3), Nebraska (2), and Oklahoma (2).
After scholarship limitations began kicking in, the sport saw incredible parity develop. From 1980-1996, there were 19 AP or UPI trophies awarded to 14 different programs. Ten different programs won their very first major polling era title: Georgia (1980), Clemson (1981), Penn State (1982), Miami (1983), BYU (1984), Georgia Tech (1990), Colorado (1990), Washington (1991), Florida State (1993), and Florida (1996).
It might be time for college football to reinvent itself so that it shifts talent around so that the same programs are not always playing for the Title. If this lack of parity continues, its just going to drive people away from paying any attention.
27
Posted on 1/13/21 at 12:46 pm to BHMKyle
Sounds like the rest of you dolts need to pick up the pace.
ETA: I'm curious, what would you propose be done to fix this "issue?"
ETA: I'm curious, what would you propose be done to fix this "issue?"
This post was edited on 1/13/21 at 12:48 pm
Posted on 1/13/21 at 12:46 pm to BHMKyle
quote:
After scholarship limitations began kicking in, the sport saw incredible parity develop. From 1980-1996, there were 19 AP or UPI trophies awarded to 14 different programs. Ten different programs won their very first major polling era title: Georgia (1980), Clemson (1981), Penn State (1982), Miami (1983), BYU (1984), Georgia Tech (1990), Colorado (1990), Washington (1991), Florida State (1993), and Florida (1996).
Half those teams would not have won national titles (or even been in the title game) if we put the Top 4 teams in a semi-final style playoff like we do today.
We could always go back to the old bowl system and just have conference champs play other conference champs in the same bowls each year and then end up giving the title to whoever lost 0 games. Would lead to more variety, but would also lead to teams like 1990 Georgia Tech winning national titles when they clearly weren't the best or most achieving team.
This post was edited on 1/13/21 at 12:49 pm
Posted on 1/13/21 at 12:47 pm to BHMKyle
Posted on 1/13/21 at 12:48 pm to BHMKyle
College football has never had more "variety". It's always been cyclical between programs with the occasional teams like Clemson having brief stints at the top.
The problem is the young people seem to think only the playoffs are important. Your post pretty much highlights that fact, because it's the only thing you cared about. And they and you are wrong.
The problem is the young people seem to think only the playoffs are important. Your post pretty much highlights that fact, because it's the only thing you cared about. And they and you are wrong.
This post was edited on 1/13/21 at 12:49 pm
Posted on 1/13/21 at 12:50 pm to BHMKyle
Try winning a NC every 40 years for starters.
Posted on 1/13/21 at 12:51 pm to BHMKyle
Those early championship games were on network TV.
Alabama is still on average the most-watched team every year.
All sports (NFL, NBA, MLB) ratings declined Viewership this year but CFB declined the least. And those sports have more parity.
Alabama is still on average the most-watched team every year.
All sports (NFL, NBA, MLB) ratings declined Viewership this year but CFB declined the least. And those sports have more parity.
quote:
The three CFP games rank as easily the most-watched non-NFL sporting events
This post was edited on 1/13/21 at 12:52 pm
Posted on 1/13/21 at 12:51 pm to BHMKyle
It's ok. Not everybody likes college football anyways. Outside of the South not many people get into it. NFL is king in the North and out West.
I'm ok with whichever direction college football decides to go. Widen the field? Bama is more guaranteed to get in and probably win it even in a down season.
You can't make kids go to a school they don't want to go to.
I'm ok with whichever direction college football decides to go. Widen the field? Bama is more guaranteed to get in and probably win it even in a down season.
You can't make kids go to a school they don't want to go to.
Posted on 1/13/21 at 12:52 pm to BHMKyle
What a bunch of nonsense.
Other teams need to get better. Not tear down the ones that are out working everyone else.
This is his is un-American.
Alabama's time at the top will end. As did UCLA's. As did the bulls.
Other teams need to get better. Not tear down the ones that are out working everyone else.
This is his is un-American.
Alabama's time at the top will end. As did UCLA's. As did the bulls.
Posted on 1/13/21 at 12:52 pm to BHMKyle
If teams want it they have to earn it. No one's going to just hand it to them. Bear had a similar run with Alabama in the 60s and 70s, but Alabama fell for a while and other programs rose. Miami, FSU, UF, Nebraska, etc were all dominant programs for quite a while in the 80s and 90s. If we would of had a CFP back then, those would have been the teams playing for the championship nearly every season. It is what it is. It's always been this way.
Posted on 1/13/21 at 12:56 pm to Nitro Express
I mean the biggest problem with the playoff is there are 3 leagues where the same damn team wins the league EVERY SINGLE YEAR, and more specifically 2 of them (ACC/B12) that don't ever have a suitable 2nd team (outside of the ACC this year, theoretically, with a poached Notre Dame that will gone again soon).
- Clemson has won 6 straight ACC Titles
- Oklahoma has won 6 straight BXII Titles
- Ohio State has won 4 straight B10 Titles (and 5 of 7)
The SEC at least has given the playoff some balance with Alabama, LSU and Georgia - along with Auburn, Florida and Texas A&M knocking on the door.
The issue is that the Pac XII sucks and the ACC, BXII and B1G are won by the exact same team every season.
- Clemson has won 6 straight ACC Titles
- Oklahoma has won 6 straight BXII Titles
- Ohio State has won 4 straight B10 Titles (and 5 of 7)
The SEC at least has given the playoff some balance with Alabama, LSU and Georgia - along with Auburn, Florida and Texas A&M knocking on the door.
The issue is that the Pac XII sucks and the ACC, BXII and B1G are won by the exact same team every season.
This post was edited on 1/13/21 at 1:07 pm
Posted on 1/13/21 at 1:00 pm to BHMKyle
guess we should just let everybody else be eligible for the playoffs and then the winner of that playoff can play bama for the real title.
Posted on 1/13/21 at 1:01 pm to SummerOfGeorge
Yeah, it's less that Alabama, Clemson, Okie, and Ohio State are the problem....
It's more that USC, Miami, FSU, Michigan, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Texas, Wisconsin, etc are sucking it up.
It's more that USC, Miami, FSU, Michigan, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Texas, Wisconsin, etc are sucking it up.
Posted on 1/13/21 at 1:02 pm to BHMKyle
quote:
Alabama has played in a Title Game 8 times since 2009
Stopped reading and fapped.
Posted on 1/13/21 at 1:05 pm to SummerOfGeorge
SoG.. well said.
Posted on 1/13/21 at 1:06 pm to SummerOfGeorge
quote:
I mean the biggest problem with the playoff is there are 3 leagues where the same damn team wins the league EVERY SINGLE YEAR
- Clemson has won 6 straight ACC Titles
- Oklahoma has won 6 straight BXII Titles
- Ohio State has won 4 straight B10 Titles (and 5 of 7)
The SEC at least has given the playoff some balance with Alabama, LSU and Georgia - along with Auburn, Florida and Texas A&M knocking on the door.
The issue is that the Pac XII sucks and the ACC, BXII and B1G are won by the exact same team every season.
Agreed. The problem is the SEC is the only competitive, legitimate conference. All the rest are one team leagues. The problem isn't on anyone but the conferences, and the schools in those conferences to step up their game.
Posted on 1/13/21 at 1:14 pm to Nitro Express
If you took the top 4 AP teams before bowls from 1984-1990 here is a list of how many Playoff Trips each team would have
1984-1990 CFP Trips
Miami - 6
Oklahoma - 4
Penn State - 2
Colorado - 2
FSU - 2
Notre Dame - 2
Michigan - 1
BYU - 1
Florida - 1
Georgia Tech - 1
Texas - 1
WVU - 1
Iowa - 1
Syracuse - 1
Washington - 1
2014-2020 CFP Trips
Alabama - 6
Clemson - 6
Ohio State - 4
Oklahoma - 4
Notre Dame - 2
LSU - 1
Oregon - 1
Georgia - 1
Michigan St - 1
FSU - 1
Washington - 1
The #2 and #3 teams (Ohio State/Oklahoma) were basically split between 5-6 teams (PSU, Colorado, FSU, ND), and then there were 6-7 teams that had 1 appearance each.
Miami would have been there every year, and in all likelihood would probably have like 4 more national titles.
1984-1990 CFP Trips
Miami - 6
Oklahoma - 4
Penn State - 2
Colorado - 2
FSU - 2
Notre Dame - 2
Michigan - 1
BYU - 1
Florida - 1
Georgia Tech - 1
Texas - 1
WVU - 1
Iowa - 1
Syracuse - 1
Washington - 1
2014-2020 CFP Trips
Alabama - 6
Clemson - 6
Ohio State - 4
Oklahoma - 4
Notre Dame - 2
LSU - 1
Oregon - 1
Georgia - 1
Michigan St - 1
FSU - 1
Washington - 1
The #2 and #3 teams (Ohio State/Oklahoma) were basically split between 5-6 teams (PSU, Colorado, FSU, ND), and then there were 6-7 teams that had 1 appearance each.
Miami would have been there every year, and in all likelihood would probably have like 4 more national titles.
This post was edited on 1/13/21 at 1:16 pm
Posted on 1/13/21 at 1:16 pm to SummerOfGeorge
quote:
Half those teams would not have won national titles (or even been in the title game) if we put the Top 4 teams in a semi-final style playoff like we do today.
Disagree. I mean just compare those first 7 years of the 1980s to the most 7 recent years in which we've had the Playoff Era.
From 2014-2020, there have been 11 programs to make the playoff. Clemson and Alabama have both made it 6 times. Ohio State and Oklahoma have both made it 4 times.
From 1980-1986, going by the Top 4 in the AP Poll headed into the Bowls, there were 16 programs that were in the Top 4 at the end of the regular season, and the most appearances for any one team was Penn State with just 4.
So there was obviously way more parity within your Top 4, which would have very likely translated in more parity for the National Champion had their been a playoff. And there were several seasons in which you can obviously tell that had one team not one it, another newby probably would. Had Miami not won the Title in 1983, it likely would have been Auburn for example. Had BYU not won it in 1984, it very likely would have been either Washington or Florida winning their very first.
quote:
We could always go back to the old bowl system and just have conference champs play other conference champs in the same bowls each year and then end up giving the title to whoever lost 0 games. Would lead to more variety, but would also lead to teams like 1990 Georgia Tech winning national titles when they clearly weren't the best or most achieving team.
It doesn't have to be this. The reason we keep getting the same National Champions is because we keep getting the same Playoff teams. When Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, and Oklahoma as a group account for 20 of the 28 (71%) total spots in the history of the Playoff, there's your problem. Oh and don't look now, but those same 4 teams are all in the Consensus Top 5 preseason rankings going into next season. Should be another thriller playoff in 12 months!
And as for GT in 1990, had they not won it, it likely would have been Colorado winning the title by themselves, so it still would have been a new team winning a trophy.
Posted on 1/13/21 at 1:17 pm to BHMKyle
Everything was fine until Alabama started dominating.
Posted on 1/13/21 at 1:18 pm to BHMKyle
quote:
It doesn't have to be this. The reason we keep getting the same National Champions is because we keep getting the same Playoff teams. When Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, and Oklahoma as a group account for 20 of the 28 (71%) total spots in the history of the Playoff, there's your problem. Oh and don't look now, but those same 4 teams are all in the Consensus Top 5 preseason rankings going into next season. Should be another thriller playoff in 12 months!
I mean I don't disagree with this, but I think the root of that problem is nobody challenges those teams in their conference.
It's hard to say "Clemson and Oklahoma shouldn't be in" when they go 11-1 and according to everything are 2 of the best 4 teams. If some other program in those leagues would step up and start battling them and win the league title every once in a while it would look a whole lot more like the 1980s.
Imagine FSU and UNC steal 2 of Clemson's spots and Texas steals 2 of Oklahomas. All of a sudden things look a whole lot different and a whole lot more like the 1980s.
Page 1 of 5
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News