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Pat Dye Field => War Damn Eagle => Topic started by: AUChizad on May 07, 2012, 09:55:44 AM

Title: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: AUChizad on May 07, 2012, 09:55:44 AM
I've held back on talking about this, since every time I get my hopes up, the subject dies on the vine. However, this time it appears that we really and truly are about to finally get the +1 game. It's definitely as good a start as any to a true playoff.

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/05/college_football_landscape_cha.html

Quote
College football landscape changing before our eyes (Hicks)
Published: Monday, May 07, 2012, 7:24 AM
Tommy Hicks, Press-Register By Tommy Hicks, Press-Register

In two years, the race for this trophy will be considerably different, but it's not the only thing changing.

MOBILE, Alabama - It seems the stage is set for a four-team college football playoff in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Every college football fan who has looked forward to such a day should thank the SEC. The league's six consecutive national titles has contributed to other leagues finally joining the discussion for a playoff.

The fact two SEC teams played for the BCS national championship last season and, perhaps more importantly, that the non-league champion came away with the crystal football (at least until it was accidentally shattered), settled the matter.

Yes, there were leanings toward this for a while, but Alabama can be credited not only with pushing the possibility forward, but doing so in a brisk fashion. No one knows yet what the four-team playoff will look like, how it will play out, where it will be played and how (or who) will determine the four teams that get the opportunity to play for the national championship, but we know the game is going to be different.

The toughest decisions are yet to be decided. Those decisions won't come easily or quickly.

In two years, the championship race will be considerably different, but it's not the only thing changing.

Conferences continue to shuffle the membership deck. The rosters for the so-called mid-major leagues are going to look drastically different, forced that way by the domino effect that has become conference realignment.

Just last week, Conference USA added five teams -- to fill the void left by losing four schools to the Big East. The Sun Belt Conference lost two members to C-USA and added two new members in Georgia State and Texas State. It could add more. It could lose more.

The Western Athletic Conference lost its commissioner to the Sun Belt and may indeed cease to exist much longer as its membership continues to dwindle. There also will likely be teams left standing out in the cold when the music stops and all the available chairs are filled.

After all, realignment is about football. Plain and simple. Other sports are considerations, but football makes the sale.

That's why the Big East isn't just in the East anymore, and why its members will have baseball, soccer, volleyball, tennis, golf and other sports teams traveling across the country for regular-season games in the future. It's why Missouri is now in the SEC. It's why FIU started football and why it's leaving the Sun Belt and heading for C-USA.

So soak up all you can from the upcoming football season, regardless of your stance as to playoffs vs. BCS, bowls and conference affiliation. After the next season, a big change is coming to the game. Time will tell if it's going to be for the better.

Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: Snaggletiger on May 07, 2012, 10:15:14 AM
I'm happy to see a playoff coming, even though it will wind up looking nothing like I envisioned.  4 teams or +1 are better than nothing but I still think 8 is the number.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: AUChizad on May 07, 2012, 10:20:26 AM
I'm happy to see a playoff coming, even though it will wind up looking nothing like I envisioned.  4 teams or +1 are better than nothing but I still think 8 is the number.
I agree, but 4 is so much better than 2. Who shouldn't be left out will always be nitpicked, no matter what number you go with. The more teams, the more exponentially fair it is. Four is a good starting place, for them to "experiment" with. Last year, for example, having Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma State, and Stanford would have made for a much more interesting final game, even if it ended up being LSU & Bama again. At least it would have felt more like they earned it instead of just being placed there by ESPN.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: Townhallsavoy on May 07, 2012, 10:21:20 AM
I'm not happy about a 4 team playoff. 

It doesn't solve much.  It may solve seasons that end like 2004 or 2011, but college football - with 120 teams and a dozen conferences - is not set up to crown a true national champion.  When human voters are controlling the end of the season, it's inadequate. 

There will always be arguments and the championship trophy will represent something more mythical than tangible. 

I'd prefer they forget about the national championship race and concentrate on pageantry, rivalries, and school spirit.   
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: Snaggletiger on May 07, 2012, 10:25:41 AM
I agree, but 4 is so much better than 2. Who shouldn't be left out will always be nitpicked, no matter what number you go with. The more teams, the more exponentially fair it is. Four is a good starting place, for them to "experiment" with. Last year, for example, having Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma State, and Stanford would have made for a much more interesting final game, even if it ended up being LSU & Bama again. At least it would have felt more like they earned it instead of just being placed there by ESPN.

I heard one caller last week present a scenario that makes sense for the 4 team.  Put 1 against 4 and 2 against 3.  Play the game at the higher seed's field and have the initial games the week following the season's end.  The two winners obviously meet later on in the Championship but the 2 losing teams go on to play in a bowl as usual.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: Shug Dye on May 07, 2012, 10:51:32 AM
Ok I need some clarification....would this mean that our SEC representative would have played 12 games + the SECCG and then go off to play at least one more game, or best case scenario, two more games?

15 games? That's a professional schedule.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: AUChizad on May 07, 2012, 10:53:24 AM
Ok I need some clarification....would this mean that our SEC representative would have played 12 games + the SECCG and them go off to play at least one more game, or best case scenario, two more games?

15 games? That's a professional schedule.
I don't think anything has been officially decided on, but yes, that's the idea. I mean, it's one more game. They were talking about adding that into the regular season anyway. Would much rather see it only be played at the end of the season by the four best teams in college football, then drag everyone through it for no real gain.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: JR4AU on May 07, 2012, 10:54:21 AM
I'm not happy about a 4 team playoff. 

It doesn't solve much.  It may solve seasons that end like 2004 or 2011, but college football - with 120 teams and a dozen conferences - is not set up to crown a true national champion.  When human voters are controlling the end of the season, it's inadequate. 

There will always be arguments and the championship trophy will represent something more mythical than tangible. 

I'd prefer they forget about the national championship race and concentrate on pageantry, rivalries, and school spirit.   

I used to be a supporter of the playoff system.  I'm not now, for the reasons you stated.  We should either reassign teams to divisions and cut off the top division, ie D1/FBS at about 60 teams.  Make it just like the NFL in terms of season, and playoffs.  Let the "mid majors" have their own division, and championship just like D2/FCS and D3.  And, for the reasons you state about pageantry and rivalries, which I think would be lost, I think we need to simply go back to the old Bowl/Poll system.  Hell, let their be 3 or 4 MNCs if it works out that way.  Quit trying to half ass a playoff.  Either college football is unique, or it's not.  There is no best of both worlds that I can see.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: Saniflush on May 07, 2012, 10:56:58 AM
Ok I need some clarification....would this mean that our SEC representative would have played 12 games + the SECCG and them go off to play at least one more game, or best case scenario, two more games?

15 games? That's a professional schedule.


I think you are gonna see the SEC either drop the title game or one regular season game.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: Townhallsavoy on May 07, 2012, 11:00:16 AM
I used to be a supporter of the playoff system.  I'm not now, for the reasons you stated.  We should either reassign teams to divisions and cut off the top division, ie D1/FBS at about 60 teams.  Make it just like the NFL in terms of season, and playoffs.  Let the "mid majors" have their own division, and championship just like D2/FCS and D3.  And, for the reasons you state about pageantry and rivalries, which I think would be lost, I think we need to simply go back to the old Bowl/Poll system.  Hell, let their be 3 or 4 MNCs if it works out that way.  Quit trying to half ass a playoff.  Either college football is unique, or it's not.  There is no best of both worlds that I can see.

Exactly.  I think there's a long post somewhere in the archives where I typed out the ideal professional college football landscape.

6 conferences.  10 teams each.  6 conference champs go to the playoffs.  2 wildcards make it an 8 team tournament.  Forget rivalries, conference pride, and pageantry.  Forget football lore, Heisman winners, and tradition.  And pay the players.  And don't make them go to class. 
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: Townhallsavoy on May 07, 2012, 11:00:56 AM

I think you are gonna see the SEC either drop the title game or one regular season game.

Too much money in the SEC title game to see it disappear. 

I for sure could do without one regular season game.  Lord knows I don't need to see Auburn play Furman. 
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: Shug Dye on May 07, 2012, 11:11:55 AM
Too much money in the SEC title game to see it disappear. 

I for sure could do without one regular season game.  Lord knows I don't need to see Auburn play Furman.

Agreed, but when all our games are against big boys...it makes for a long, injury ridden season and hardly any wiggle room for letting the second stringers get any experience.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: Snaggletiger on May 07, 2012, 11:16:30 AM
Too much money in the SEC title game to see it disappear. 

I for sure could do without one regular season game.  Lord knows I don't need to see Auburn play Furman.

Dropping one game from the schedule would be fine with me too.  Auburn and Alabama A&M???  Yeeesh!!!
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: Saniflush on May 07, 2012, 11:22:59 AM
Agreed, but when all our games are against big boys...it makes for a long, injury ridden season and hardly any wiggle room for letting the second stringers get any experience.


Roy Kramer was told by multiple coaches that the SEC would never win another national title once the SEC championship started.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: The Prowler on May 07, 2012, 02:05:38 PM
....And pay the players.  And don't make them go to class.
uat already does that.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: Pell City Tiger on May 07, 2012, 06:37:35 PM
Weeks ago, when this first came out, I laid out the best way to get a true champion. Let's take a look at the PCT cure for the college football monkey fuck.

We have 8 major conferences in D1. Scrape 1 cupcake off the regular season schedule, to reduce it down to 11 games. Have the champion from each of the major 8 entered into the championship pool. These teams play for it all and, by making it a requirement that a team be their conference champ, it removes ESPN's bias that produces the horseshit we have seen since the BCS's inception. In this scenario, only 2 teams will have to play a 15th game, but we will have a true national champion that is decided on the field. No bias, no bullshit, win your conference & you get a shot.

Everyone else (that qualifies) plays a bowl game.

Win, win ..... gimme my $50 million for being so damn brilliant.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: The Prowler on May 07, 2012, 06:40:27 PM
Weeks ago, when this first came out, I laid out the best way to get a true champion. Let's take a look at the PCT cure for the college football monkey fuck.

We have 8 major conferences in D1. Scrape 1 cupcake off the regular season schedule, to reduce it down to 11 games. Have the champion from each of the major 8 entered into the championship pool. These teams play for it all and, by making it a requirement that a team be their conference champ, it removes ESPN's bias that produces the horseshit we have seen since the BCS's inception. In this scenario, only 2 teams will have to play a 15th game, but we will have a true national champion that is decided on the field. No bias, no bullshit, win your conference & you get a shot.

Everyone else (that qualifies) plays a bowl game.

Win, win ..... gimme my $50 million for being so damn brilliant.
Nah, that sounds stupid.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: JR4AU on May 07, 2012, 10:09:20 PM
Nah, that sounds stupid.

No disrespect to PCT, but although it's not stupid, it's a one of a 100 similar variants I've heard.  Nothing new.  In fact, the fix (if you want to make CFB like the NFL) is incredibly simple, and there are many ways to do it.  But until EVERYBODY in D1 has a legit shot at winning it, it will never be completely fixed by any stretch of the imagination.  And, as I said, I've decided I don't want it "fixed" I want the old way back. 
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: Pell City Tiger on May 08, 2012, 07:58:56 AM
Nah, that sounds stupid.
Shouldn't your skreets be telling you that George Lindsay is about to die?
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: Saniflush on May 08, 2012, 08:05:46 AM
Shouldn't your skreets be telling you that George Lindsay is about to die?

 :haha:
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: GH2001 on May 08, 2012, 09:28:19 AM
No disrespect to PCT, but although it's not stupid, it's a one of a 100 similar variants I've heard.  Nothing new.  In fact, the fix (if you want to make CFB like the NFL) is incredibly simple, and there are many ways to do it.  But until EVERYBODY in D1 has a legit shot at winning it, it will never be completely fixed by any stretch of the imagination.  And, as I said, I've decided I don't want it "fixed" I want the old way back.

I don't like the Conf Champions playing for it all. Reason why is because we all know good and well that the 5th best team in the SEC is probably still better than the Big East champ. Its the same bullshit today in how they get an Auto BCS bid knowing that there are probably 15 teams more deserving and better. Just take the top 8 teams in the standings at year end regardless of conference and slap em in a 3 round playoff....PERIOD. I want the best 4/8 teams in the country squaring off, not the conference champs because the best 8 may not necessarily be all of the conf champs (Big Least, ACC).
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: AUChizad on May 08, 2012, 09:34:33 AM
I don't like the Conf Champions playing for it all. Reason why is because we all know good and well that the 5th best team in the SEC is probably still better than the Big East champ. Its the same bullshit today in how they get an Auto BCS bid knowing that there are probably 15 teams more deserving and better. Just take the top 8 teams in the standings at year end regardless of conference and slap em in a 3 round playoff....PERIOD. I want the best 4/8 teams in the country squaring off, not the conference champs because the best 8 may not necessarily be all of the conf champs (Big Least, ACC).
True, but if they made it to conference champs, the best team in the conference almost certainly beat the 2nd best team in that conference already on the field (definitely if everyone adapted the SEC's format). This would make it more of a true play off, and more of a true way of crowning a champion. The bullshit that happened last year should never happen again.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: AUChizad on May 08, 2012, 09:37:47 AM
And by the way? I'm disagree with what seems to be the majority here that there just shouldn't be a champion. What's the point in playing the game if you don't have a goal to prove you're the best in the country, like every other sport at every other level? I don't want regression.

I want to look
(http://www.theblaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Obama-Forward-620x332.jpg)

 ;)
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: GH2001 on May 08, 2012, 09:50:23 AM
True, but if they made it to conference champs, the best team in the conference almost certainly beat the 2nd best team in that conference already on the field (definitely if everyone adapted the SEC's format). This would make it more of a true play off, and more of a true way of crowning a champion. The bullshit that happened last year should never happen again.

In an 8 team format, I would be ok with it, because it wouldn't necessarily be a rematch. The NCAA BB Tourney really doesn't consider if you've already played and it doesn't seem to affect the success of it in crowning a champ. I think Kentucky and Indiana got re matched in the either the final 4 or elite 8 this year, but it all turned out ok.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: JR4AU on May 08, 2012, 10:51:44 AM
And by the way? I'm disagree with what seems to be the majority here that there just shouldn't be a champion. What's the point in playing the game if you don't have a goal to prove you're the best in the country, like every other sport at every other level? I don't want regression.

I want to look
(http://www.theblaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Obama-Forward-620x332.jpg)

 ;)

There will never be a true "champion" until they take the fodder out of the mix like the Mtn West, MAC, WAC, etc.  They'd also need to make 6 or 8 super conferences out of about 60 teams, and everybody would need to play at least 3 non-conf. games to get a feel for strength of conference and schedule for seeding post season play.  If you really, and I mean really want a "true champion" then it will take a complete dismantling of CFB as we know it, and a complete rebuild.  Otherwise it's just a variant of a human picked 2, 4, or 6 teams to play for it all out of 120, and that's what we have now, and it's what caused 2004 and 2011 to happen.  If you model it like GH said and predetermine who sucks and who is worthy by their conference affiliation before the first game is played you'd get a shitload more 2011 type deals. 
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: AUChizad on May 08, 2012, 10:51:57 AM
In an 8 team format, I would be ok with it, because it wouldn't necessarily be a rematch. The NCAA BB Tourney really doesn't consider if you've already played and it doesn't seem to affect the success of it in crowning a champ. I think Kentucky and Indiana got re matched in the either the final 4 or elite 8 this year, but it all turned out ok.
I think there's an important distinction between what PCT said, which is that winning your conference is a prerequisite to making the tournament, and having winning your conference be an automatic bid, because of exactly what you said with the Big East Champions not necessarily being deserving every year. It's already a problem with the BCS format as it is.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: JR4AU on May 08, 2012, 11:07:06 AM
BTDub, after the defections of WVU, Pitt, and Syracuse (although Syracuse could stay and not make it stronger) the Big East will have become one of the "mid major" conferences that should be relegated to a lower tier than D1/FBS in a true championship format.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: GH2001 on May 08, 2012, 11:10:54 AM
There will never be a true "champion" until they take the fodder out of the mix like the Mtn West, MAC, WAC, etc.  They'd also need to make 6 or 8 super conferences out of about 60 teams, and everybody would need to play at least 3 non-conf. games to get a feel for strength of conference and schedule for seeding post season play.  If you really, and I mean really want a "true champion" then it will take a complete dismantling of CFB as we know it, and a complete rebuild.  Otherwise it's just a variant of a human picked 2, 4, or 6 teams to play for it all out of 120, and that's what we have now, and it's what caused 2004 and 2011 to happen.  If you model it like GH said and predetermine who sucks and who is worthy by their conference affiliation before the first game is played you'd get a shitload more 2011 type deals.

Not predetermining who sucks, just pointing out a scenario. Saying that 8 conf champs will play no matter what before the season starts, regardless of who the best teams actually are in the standings - is more predetermining to me. The Big East champ COULD have an 8-4 record with West Virginia being that team (who may have also lost to Cincy and Louisville and is ranked 25th). Do I want to automatically commit to a team (Big East champ) that may or may not be very good? Why would the 25th ranked team deserve a spot at the table of the final 8? If you just take the top 8 teams regardless of ANYTHING else, you will get a clear winner.

The NCAA BB Tourney takes what they think are the Top 64 teams regardless and it has worked well. Of course you have the whining about the bubble teams at 65-70 in the RPI ratings that got "left out", but has any 65th rated RPI team on the bubble ever been a threat to go the distance? The crying over who didn't get that last spot is a minor thing to me. No one was saying this year after Kentucky won it all that "if Seton Hall had just gotten an invite instead of going to the NIT, things would have ended up different".

End of Regular Season Top 8
LSU
Bama
Oklahoma State
Stanford
Oregon
Arkansas
Boise
Kansas State

Conference Winners of 8 Biggest Conferences
Clemson
Wisconsin
Southern Miss
Oregon
LSU
Oklahoma State
West Virginia
TCU

I know which group that I think is more representative of what the Playoff of 8 should be.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: Townhallsavoy on May 08, 2012, 11:15:11 AM
No sport has a system that crowns the actual best team in the league.  Take the 2007 Patriots for example.

But sports aren't necessarily about crowning the best team.  It's about playing the game and succeeding in the system written for the sport. 

In the NFL for example, they play 16 games in order to determine who gets into the playoffs.  It doesn't matter what team is better than the other.  What matters is that you've won more games the other teams so that you get into the playoffs.  Once the playoffs start, it all pretty much starts over.  Whoever wins the tournament is crowned champion.  Is it the best system imaginable?  Maybe not.  But it at least has tangible goals that each team is striving to achieve. 

College football?  Nothing is tangible.  And as some have already said, it will never be tangible when you have 120 teams being voted on by humans.  The fact that there are preseason polls should disqualify any team from being considered a true champion. 
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: GH2001 on May 08, 2012, 11:19:28 AM
No sport has a system that crowns the actual best team in the league.  Take the 2007 Patriots for example.

But sports aren't necessarily about crowning the best team.  It's about playing the game and succeeding in the system written for the sport. 

In the NFL for example, they play 16 games in order to determine who gets into the playoffs.  It doesn't matter what team is better than the other.  What matters is that you've won more games the other teams so that you get into the playoffs.  Once the playoffs start, it all pretty much starts over.  Whoever wins the tournament is crowned champion.  Is it the best system imaginable?  Maybe not.  But it at least has tangible goals that each team is striving to achieve. 

College football?  Nothing is tangible.  And as some have already said, it will never be tangible when you have 120 teams being voted on by humans.  The fact that there are preseason polls should disqualify any team from being considered a true champion.

CFB won't crown a true champion until they go to a College Basketball Tourney style playoff. Its one of the most exciting sporting events, gets crazy ratings and money, and people rarely dispute the outcome.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: JR4AU on May 08, 2012, 11:59:57 AM
Not predetermining who sucks, just pointing out a scenario. Saying that 8 conf champs will play no matter what before the season starts, regardless of who the best teams actually are in the standings - is more predetermining to me. The Big East champ COULD have an 8-4 record with West Virginia being that team (who may have also lost to Cincy and Louisville and is ranked 25th). Do I want to automatically commit to a team (Big East champ) that may or may not be very good? Why would the 25th ranked team deserve a spot at the table of the final 8? If you just take the top 8 teams regardless of ANYTHING else, you will get a clear winner.

The NCAA BB Tourney takes what they think are the Top 64 teams regardless and it has worked well. Of course you have the whining about the bubble teams at 65-70 in the RPI ratings that got "left out", but has any 65th rated RPI team on the bubble ever been a threat to go the distance? The crying over who didn't get that last spot is a minor thing to me. No one was saying this year after Kentucky won it all that "if Seton Hall had just gotten an invite instead of going to the NIT, things would have ended up different".

End of Regular Season Top 8
LSU
Bama
Oklahoma State
Stanford
Oregon
Arkansas
Boise
Kansas State

Conference Winners of 8 Biggest Conferences
Clemson
Wisconsin
Southern Miss
Oregon
LSU
Oklahoma State
West Virginia
TCU

I know which group that I think is more representative of what the Playoff of 8 should be.

Like THS said, its not always the best team.  Its the team that negotiates the obstacles and achieves the goals that are set out by the system in order to get to play for championship.  It's up to the ones that set up the system to make it so that every team has about the same opportunities and obstacles.  As long as you leave it up to humans to vote based on meeting the eye test it will never be a real champion.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: GH2001 on May 08, 2012, 12:07:27 PM
It's all subjective when you get down to it, but there will have to be some input by humans on who the cream of the crop is. At least on who gets to play. I think most people can agree who the best 4/8/16 teams are. Then, let them all control their destiny from that point on.....

If we were talking about the humans choosing the National Champion, just 1 team of all 120, I would be inclined to agree with you. But looking at wins, dominance, SOS, etc - it shouldn't be that big of a deal to choose X amount of teams to play for it all.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: Snaggletiger on May 08, 2012, 12:10:48 PM
I've long been a proponent of an 8 team field. Easily done and you can still use the bowls to play them off.  But I'm not on the committee so....

Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: JR4AU on May 08, 2012, 12:15:22 PM
It's all subjective when you get down to it, but there will have to be some input by humans on who the cream of the crop is. At least on who gets to play. I think most people can agree who the best 4/8/16 teams are. Then, let them all control their destiny from that point on.....

If we were talking about the humans choosing the National Champion, just 1 team of all 120, I would be inclined to agree with you. But looking at wins, dominance, SOS, etc - it shouldn't be that big of a deal to choose X amount of teams to play for it all.

The NFL has no human input to decide who plays for it all.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: Townhallsavoy on May 08, 2012, 12:17:42 PM
The NFL has no human input to decide who plays for it all.

Neither does the NBA, the MLB, or the NHL.  Or college baseball. 
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: JR4AU on May 08, 2012, 12:34:28 PM
Neither does the NBA, the MLB, or the NHL.  Or college baseball.

Those that want to just expand the same shitty system to a few more teams, want the same shitty system with a new look.  Like they cant totally let go of the traditional uniqeness of CFB, but also want to feel like the right team gets the crystal ball, but using a system they know is flawed.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: Snaggletiger on May 08, 2012, 01:01:27 PM
Question.  What is the reluctance of AD's and those in power about going to a real playoff system, whatever that may be?  College football has become a mega-giant at producing $$$ and will continue to do so.  And without a doubt, going to an expanded playoff system would generate untold amounts of money as well.  You could easily go to an 8 team playoff without putting undo burden on the players and fans and still keep the traditions and bowls etc. pretty much in tact. 

Personally, I don't care about the money generated because it's not going in my pocket...only coming out so I can enjoy the sport.  But why they wouldn't want to fill their own little piggy banks even fuller is beyond me. They could do that and I think the fans, for the most part, would feel a bit more satisfied that a more fair system is in place to decide a champion.  And...I constantly hear the argument...even from Mike Slive..that they don't want to mess with the integrity of the regular season..that it would somehow lose it's importance.  Balderdash!!!  You only make the regular season that much more exciting and important when you're coming down the stretch and about 20 teams are busting their asses to get in and hoping that things happen with the teams in front of them, as they do every year.   
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: Townhallsavoy on May 08, 2012, 01:22:52 PM
From what I've heard, a playoff would benefit all of college football much like the playoffs benefit the entire NFL. 

The BCS keeps the money centralized to select conferences and historically select teams.  It's hard to get presidents (with influence) to agree to a playoff if it means spreading the wealth. 

Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: GH2001 on May 08, 2012, 02:36:24 PM
The NFL has no human input to decide who plays for it all.

But they also have wild cards for those exceptions where a division is stacked and has more than 1 great team. I would be cool with that.

I hate to use the example of Bama here, but under the 8 conference champions format, Southern Miss would have made it over Bama. Objectively, I can say this probably isn't a good thing. BUT, add some wildcards in there and you can get a couple of teams in that didn't necessarily win the conference but may also still be one of the best 8 teams in the land (i.e. Bama). This happens all the time in the NFL, especially a division like the NFC East (Dallas, Wash, Philly, NY)  or the AFC North (Balt and Pitt). At least with that format someone who is deserving isn't getting left out just because they were in a stacked conference (SEC).
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: GH2001 on May 08, 2012, 02:39:40 PM
Or college baseball.

College baseball tourney teams are selected by humans much like the College Basketball Tourney.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: Pell City Tiger on May 08, 2012, 06:19:30 PM
It's all subjective when you get down to it, but there will have to be some input by humans on who the cream of the crop is. At least on who gets to play. I think most people can agree who the best 4/8/16 teams are. Then, let them all control their destiny from that point on.....

If we were talking about the humans choosing the National Champion, just 1 team of all 120, I would be inclined to agree with you. But looking at wins, dominance, SOS, etc - it shouldn't be that big of a deal to choose X amount of teams to play for it all.
ESPN, the sports writers, and coaches do this now and always stack the deck against the non-traditional schools. How many times have we looked at the preseason poll and wondered "what the fuck?"; seeing Ohio State, Notre Dame, Texas, etc given the gift of a high ranking year after year based on nothing more than their name - the "safe bet" ballot, if you will. The human factor has failed us.

Adding 2 wildcards (1 to each side of the bracket) would be a good option, but would add another game to the equation, something the AD's and university president have been firmly against.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: The Prowler on May 09, 2012, 04:39:51 AM
Here's what I'd do...

We have 8 major conferences in D1. Scrape 1 cupcake off the regular season schedule, to reduce it down to 11 games. Have the champion from each of the major 8 entered into the championship pool. These teams play for it all and, by making it a requirement that a team be their conference champ, it removes ESPN's bias that produces the horseshit we have seen since the BCS's inception. In this scenario, only 2 teams will have to play a 15th game, but we will have a true national champion that is decided on the field. No bias, no bullshit, win your conference & you get a shot.

Everyone else (that qualifies) plays a bowl game.

Boom!
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: Godfather on May 09, 2012, 08:58:29 AM
Here's what I'd do...

We have 8 major conferences in D1. Scrape 1 cupcake off the regular season schedule, to reduce it down to 11 games. Have the champion from each of the major 8 entered into the championship pool. These teams play for it all and, by making it a requirement that a team be their conference champ, it removes ESPN's bias that produces the horseshit we have seen since the BCS's inception. In this scenario, only 2 teams will have to play a 15th game, but we will have a true national champion that is decided on the field. No bias, no bullshit, win your conference & you get a shot.

Everyone else (that qualifies) plays a bowl game.

Boom!

It's like PCT writes it and then you rewrite it several days later....deja-vu
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: GH2001 on May 09, 2012, 09:32:17 AM
ESPN, the sports writers, and coaches do this now and always stack the deck against the non-traditional schools. How many times have we looked at the preseason poll and wondered "what the fuck?"; seeing Ohio State, Notre Dame, Texas, etc given the gift of a high ranking year after year based on nothing more than their name - the "safe bet" ballot, if you will. The human factor has failed us.

Adding 2 wildcards (1 to each side of the bracket) would be a good option, but would add another game to the equation, something the AD's and university president have been firmly against.
They stack them at the beginning of the season but once Texas and Notre Dame lose their yearly 4-5 games, its impossible to keep them ranked high - no matter how much of a hard on the media has for them.  The 0 and 1 loss teams will rise to the top over them.  I would say as flawed as the human polls are, they get the top 10 pretty accurate more times than not. It's when you ask them to pick 1 team as the National Champion or 2 teams to play for it, that you get controversy. At least with 4/8/16, the selection field is being expanded, so that #3 or #4 can't bitch.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: JR4AU on May 09, 2012, 09:38:46 AM
It's like PCT writes it and then you rewrite it several days later....deja-vu

Fuck sakes, what's next?  Prowler reposting year old vid...wait what?
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: GH2001 on May 09, 2012, 09:43:04 AM
Fuck sakes, what's next?  Prowler reposting year old vid...wait what?

The guy - he amazes me.
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: Godfather on May 09, 2012, 10:12:10 AM
The guy - he amazes me.

His skreets have no boundaries   
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: Snaggletiger on May 09, 2012, 12:11:32 PM
His skreets have no boundaries

And no name either
Title: Re: Finally a Playoff?
Post by: Pell City Tiger on May 09, 2012, 12:51:32 PM
It's like PCT writes it and then you rewrite it several days later....deja-vu
I am the skreets!