Anyone else had enough of this 4-team (SEC) playoff?

[YakiCoug]

It's worked out exactly as I suspected it would. Alabama, with its patsy non-conference schedule, would be included even if it didn't win its conference title. Clemson, Alabama... blah, blah, blah. The down year in the Pac-12 aside, this is the way it shall be ad infinitum, Especially Since Powerful Nitwits run the show.
Give us an 8-team playoff now! (I'd prefer 16, however).

 

[CougPatrol]

What’s silly to me as that the NCAA almost had it right with the old BCS format. They had 8 teams and it maintained the traditional bowl agreements. The only thing they needed to do was playoff the winners of those games.

The current format has completely erased what little intrigue there is with the bowl season. Kids sit out to protect their draft status, games are played at weird times and in odd locations, and as a result, the outcomes mean nothing to anyone but the most intense diehards. I don’t agree with Leach’s stance on the Apple Cup being just another game, but the Holiday, Alamo, Vegas, Foster Farms bowls are significantly less meaningful to me than regular season games.

The NCAA needs an 8, 12, or 16 team playoff. Maybe the NY6 games, where the P5 conferences get 2 teams in automatically, and 4 other spots are at-large bids. The top-4 seeds get BYEs to the quarterfinal round.

 

[random soul]

What’s silly to me as that the NCAA almost had it right with the old BCS format. They had 8 teams and it maintained the traditional bowl agreements. The only thing they needed to do was playoff the winners of those games.

The current format has completely erased what little intrigue there is with the bowl season. Kids sit out to protect their draft status, games are played at weird times and in odd locations, and as a result, the outcomes mean nothing to anyone but the most intense diehards. I don’t agree with Leach’s stance on the Apple Cup being just another game, but the Holiday, Alamo, Vegas, Foster Farms bowls are significantly less meaningful to me than regular season games.

The NCAA needs an 8, 12, or 16 team playoff. Maybe the NY6 games, where the P5 conferences get 2 teams in automatically, and 4 other spots are at-large bids. The top-4 seeds get BYEs to the quarterfinal round.

I agree that a 4 team post bowls playoff with the old tie-ins would've been the best way to do things, but under this current format 8 is the minimum to really make it work.

 

[ScottHood]

Talk of an 8-team playoff will heat up now that two SEC teams are meeting in the national championship game, just as playoff talk heated up after the Bama-LSU title game in 2011. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if we had an 8-team playoff within 3 years.

 

[YakiCoug]

Talk of an 8-team playoff will heat up now that two SEC teams are meeting in the national championship game, just as playoff talk heated up after the Bama-LSU title game in 2011. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if we had an 8-team playoff within 3 years.

I'd prefer one following the 2018 season, but that's wishful thinking. The logistics of setting this up probably will require two years.

 

[fingerdisco]

I liked the old bowls system and no playoff—the polls at the end of the year gave you something to talk about for months, and the bowls actually meant something in terms of final rankings. Hell, there’s arguments that go on decades later about voter-determined NC’s (eg, Colorado vs. Georgia tech) and the “rightful” champ. Who even remembers who played in the NC game 2 years ago?

 

[LoveJeffersonFanClub]

They have a de facto 8 team tournament right now if they did it right. Simply use the conference championship games as the round of 8/10 and vote the 4 winners in. You make it a 16 team tournament by taking the winners of the top 8 conference championship games. 2 weeks later play games in LA, Minnesota, Atlanta, and Dallas. Two weeks later play the semis in Phoenix and Orlando. An annual final in St. Louis following after. Set the tournament up regionally to get more fans at the games. For example the 1st round could have been Boise St vs USC in LA, Oklahoma-Ohio St in Minnesota, UCF vs Georgia in Atl, Memphis vs Clemson in Dallas. The next round could have been SC vs Oklahoma in Phoenix and Georgia and Clemson in Orlando. The final could have been Oklahoma vs Georgia in St. Louis.

I picked St. Louis because it's centrally located and they have a stadium that wouldn't be in use. It's an airline hub city as well. I imagine it's cold in January. This method uses a currently existing game, the conference title games, and eliminates the at large controversies. It also give the smaller schools a chance while simultaneously protecting the big conferences.

 

[OrangeGravy]

What’s silly to me as that the NCAA almost had it right with the old BCS format. They had 8 teams and it maintained the traditional bowl agreements. The only thing they needed to do was playoff the winners of those games.

The current format has completely erased what little intrigue there is with the bowl season. Kids sit out to protect their draft status, games are played at weird times and in odd locations, and as a result, the outcomes mean nothing to anyone but the most intense diehards. I don’t agree with Leach’s stance on the Apple Cup being just another game, but the Holiday, Alamo, Vegas, Foster Farms bowls are significantly less meaningful to me than regular season games.

The NCAA needs an 8, 12, or 16 team playoff. Maybe the NY6 games, where the P5 conferences get 2 teams in automatically, and 4 other spots are at-large bids. The top-4 seeds get BYEs to the quarterfinal round.

The NCAA doesn't control anything related to FBS football other than general NCAA amateur rules compliance. It's truly a cartel run by conference commissioners and a handful of powerful U presidents and outside money interests (ESPN).

 

[OrangeGravy]

I liked the old bowls system and no playoff—the polls at the end of the year gave you something to talk about for months, and the bowls actually meant something in terms of final rankings. Hell, there’s arguments that go on decades later about voter-determined NC’s (eg, Colorado vs. Georgia tech) and the “rightful” champ. Who even remembers who played in the NC game 2 years ago?

I'm with you disco. Things were much better when every teams preseason goal was to win your conference and make it their big bowl game against the expected other conference champ. The debate was so much funner. Once the BCS came to be, the game changed. The SEC figured it out (because they were major players in getting it changed) first. The new game was configuring your conference to look the best year in and year out. Add enough teams to keep the good teams from having to play each other every year or even every other year. Stay with a minimum number of conference games (8 conf + 4 non-conf) and schedule 1 game at most non conference that might be dangerous and that game is always either at home or a "neutral" site. The last time Florida played a non conference game out of the state of Florida was 1991 and they lost!!!!!!! The last time they won a non con game out of the state was 1989. It's insane. The SEC and ACC i believe are the only conferences now not playing 9 conference games. The whole system is a sham. I mentioned it before, but I think USC kicking everyone's ass for years caused all of this. They couldn't handle it in the south and changed the system. It all would make a great 30 for 30 except ESPN would have to expose their hand in it all, so sadly it will never be.

Sorry for the long post, but this transition is probably the thing that I hate most in sports so far in my lifetime. You are supposed to root against your conference opponents, now you have to because perception dominates everything. It's all upside down and backwards.

 

[Glad Cougar]

I liked the old bowls system and no playoff—the polls at the end of the year gave you something to talk about for months, and the bowls actually meant something in terms of final rankings. Hell, there’s arguments that go on decades later about voter-determined NC’s (eg, Colorado vs. Georgia tech) and the “rightful” champ. Who even remembers who played in the NC game 2 years ago?

Totally agree. Turn the clock back to a limited # of bowl games but no playoff. Make sure conference champions get into the traditionally best bowls. I have no problem with the old AP writer's poll system to determine the NC. For the record, I also don't like the 3-point shot or shot clock in basketball, never really liked the DH in baseball, and liked the old black and white TV shows of the late 50s and early 60s.

Well, it's time for me to go back into my cave.

Glad "T. Rex" Cougar

 

[cr8zyncalif]

Non-negotiable: All P5 teams should have to play the same number of league games. I would prefer 9 but could live with 8. 9 makes more sense, to be sure that you really do play the other half of your league regularly. But if you are using record as a part of playoff selection, the number of league games has to be the same across the board. And, minimum one non-league game has to be played at the other team's stadium. Not neutral site.

I suspect that you could get all of these requirements agreed to in exchange for a playoff system. And each would improve the result.

 

[froropmkr72]

Totally agree. Turn the clock back to a limited # of bowl games but no playoff. Make sure conference champions get into the traditionally best bowls. I have no problem with the old AP writer's poll system to determine the NC. For the record, I also don't like the 3-point shot or shot clock in basketball, never really liked the DH in baseball, and liked the old black and white TV shows of the late 50s and early 60s.

Well, it's time for me to go back into my cave.

Glad "T. Rex" Cougar

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