College Football Playoff

[buzzer beater]

Well, since all we can do is dream and dream about a college football playoff, how would you want it to be set up? How many teams? How would you determine who played who? Could you imagine a BIG playoff with a lot of teams and upset after upset, the awesome games that could be played? How would you guys do it?

[bigblueinsanity]

Put the top 8 teams in the BCS

 

1 vs 8

4 vs 5

3 vs 6

2 vs 7

 

Make it last 3 weeks

[mobaar]

12 teams. Top 4 get a buy. Use the BCS rankings to choose. 3 teams from a conference max.

[The Red Rambler]

I say take the top 12 from the BCS, top 4 get byes. Use the Bowl games as neutral fields for the playoffs. What kills me about this is people say it's all about the $$$, but you can't tell me the Citrus Bowl being converted into a do or die first round playoff game for the national championship would not rake in more bank than the plain old Citrus Bowl between the SEC East runner-up and a midcard ACC team? I find it hard to believe.

[mobaar]

Here's my example from the current standings:

 

#1 OSU vs winner of

#8 Arizona State vs #9 West Virginia

 

#2 USF vs winner of

#7 Kentucky vs #10 Oregon

 

#3 BC vs winner of

#6 South Carolina vs #11 Virginia Tech

 

#4 LSU vs winner of

#5 Oklahoma vs #12 Cal

 

Tell me those games don't bring in some $$

[MountainThunder]

Put the top 8 teams in the BCS

 

1 vs 8

4 vs 5

3 vs 6

2 vs 7

 

Make it last 3 weeks

 

That works for me. But ANY playoff system would be better than what we have now. This year will give the BCS fits. Maybe it will give more evidence that a playoff system is needed NOW!!!

[bugatti]

+1 Format (4 teams). The argument for any team ever left out of the title game has never exceeded one team since the BCS became what it is today. The regular season can narrow it down to this point, imo.

[MountainThunder]

+1 Format (4 teams).

 

That would be a very good start.

[The Red Rambler]

Here's my example from the current standings:

 

#1 OSU vs winner of

#8 Arizona State vs #9 West Virginia (Sun Bowl)

 

#2 USF vs winner of

#7 Kentucky vs #10 Oregon (Peach Bowl)

 

#3 BC vs winner of

#6 South Carolina vs #11 Virginia Tech (Gator Bowl)

 

#4 LSU vs winner of

#5 Oklahoma vs #12 Cal (Holiday Bowl)

 

Tell me those games don't bring in some $$

 

I'm with you. I added some of the more pretigious bowl games for the first rounf. The second round (four games) would go to the Citrus Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, Liberty Bowl, and the fourth to a rotation of the Rose/Orange/Sugar/Fiesta. The remainging 3 games (semis and finals) would be on the Rose/Orange/Sugar/Fiesta rotation. I chose this specific set of bowls because it gives the playoffs a wider spread of geography. For example Oklahoma and Cal can play in San Diego at the Holiday Bowl, ASU as a result of being the higher seed goes to the Sun Bowl and WVU, the lower seed has to travel.

 

It's certainly not perfect but if you are the running the Sun Bowl and suddenly your bowl gets Arizona State and WVU, in the playoffs, and the winner goes on your game has about 15 times the meaning it had before and probably double or triple the audience! It's a win-win. So, to me anyway, I always think the money argument is a cop out.

[bugatti]

I'm with you. I added some of the more pretigious bowl games for the first rounf. The second round (four games) would go to the Citrus Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, Liberty Bowl, and the fourth to a rotation of the Rose/Orange/Sugar/Fiesta. The remainging 3 games (semis and finals) would be on the Rose/Orange/Sugar/Fiesta rotation. I chose this specific set of bowls because it gives the playoffs a wider spread of geography. For example Oklahoma and Cal can play in San Diego at the Holiday Bowl, ASU as a result of being the higher seed goes to the Sun Bowl and WVU, the lower seed has to travel.

 

It's certainly not perfect but if you are the running the Sun Bowl and suddenly your bowl gets Arizona State and WVU, in the playoffs, and the winner goes on your game has about 15 times the meaning it had before and probably double or triple the audience! It's a win-win. So, to me anyway, I always think the money argument is a cop out.

 

IMO, it is not. If the college football higher ups were not maximizing, they would not be doing what they are. The BCS has created more controversy and interest than ever in college football, which is why the popularity is at an all time high.

[pigman]

Again use all 32 bowls, with the lesser ones being your first round games. Knock a week of the regular season as this would take six weeks to play out. Better than sitting anywhere from two to five weeks after your season is over to play. Then you have a real champion.

[mobaar]

+1 Format (4 teams). The argument for any team ever left out of the title game has never exceeded one team since the BCS became what it is today. The regular season can narrow it down to this point, imo.

 

So last year you have (per BCS):

Ohio State (12-1), Florida (13-1), Michigan (11-2), LSU (11-2)

 

These teams don't have an argument?

Boise St (13-0), Louisville (12-1), Wisconsin (12-1), USC (11-2), Auburn (11-2), West Virginia (11-2), Rutgers (11-2)

 

We're gonna take two 11-2 teams, but leave out a 13-0 team and two 12-1 teams?

[bugatti]

So last year you have (per BCS):

Ohio State (12-1), Florida (13-1), Michigan (11-2), LSU (11-2)

 

These teams don't have an argument?

Boise St (13-0), Louisville (12-1), Wisconsin (12-1), USC (11-2), Auburn (11-2), West Virginia (11-2), Rutgers (11-2)

 

We're gonna take two 11-2 teams, but leave out a 13-0 team and two 12-1 teams?

 

There is always going to be an argument for a cutoff in any sport - that is just the facts of it. (i.e. #66 in the NCAA basketball tourny, #17 in I-AA, etc.)

 

After the final week of the 2006 regular season, the only teams that had a legit argument to be in the title game were Florida, Ohio State, and Michigan.

[mobaar]

There is always going to be an argument for a cutoff in any sport - that is just the facts of it. (i.e. #66 in the NCAA basketball tourny, #17 in I-AA, etc.)

 

I agree, but I think 4 teams leaves a LOT of teams with legit gripes (Wisconsin, BSU and Louisville especially in this case).

 

Going to 8 or 12 really eliminates most of the arguments.

[HT721]

I would also go with 12. Every major conference champion gets an automatic bid, and then reserve 2 spots for mid major conference teams that leaves us with four at large spots that you could use the BCS points system for.