College football

[Vrede too]

I'm not disagreeing with you, but an AAC team still never gets into the 4-team playoff no matter which non-conference teams it plays.

Fwiw, FSU's non-conference games this year:
http://scores.nbcsports.com/cfb/teamsta ... &team=0003

Alabama
Louisiana-Monroe, lame
Delaware State, FCS
Florida

[billy.pilgrim]

I'm not disagreeing with you, but an AAC team still never gets into the 4-team playoff no matter which non-conference teams it plays.

Fwiw, FSU's non-conference games this year:
http://scores.nbcsports.com/cfb/teamsta ... &team=0003

Alabama
Louisiana-Monroe, lame
Delaware State, FCS
Florida

But a non-confrence team can, if they play a decent schedule
UCF didn't
Bosie didn't

But they both sure whinned a lot

[Vrede too]

... an AAC team still never gets into the 4-team playoff no matter which non-conference teams it plays....

But a non-confrence team can, if they play a decent schedule ...

Only in theory. 4 years, 16 teams, only Power 5 teams allowed in.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_F ... Semifinals
Maaaybe Notre Dame will get in some year, but that will be about it.

Anyhow, my point is more about how inadequate a 4-team playoff is, not arguing that UCF should have been selected. In hindsight, maybe UCF was good enough after beating Auburn, but it was never gonna happen so I'm not tweaking about it. Boise State's really good years, 2006-10, predated the playoffs and I'll bet it wouldn't have gotten into them.

[billy.pilgrim]

... an AAC team still never gets into the 4-team playoff no matter which non-conference teams it plays....

But a non-confrence team can, if they play a decent schedule ...

Only in theory. 4 years, 16 teams, only Power 5 teams allowed in.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_F ... Semifinals
Maaaybe Notre Dame will get in some year, but that will be about it.

Anyhow, my point is more about how inadequate a 4-team playoff is, not arguing that UCF should have been selected. In hindsight, maybe UCF was good enough after beating Auburn, but it was never gonna happen so I'm not tweaking about it. Boise State's really good years, 2006-10, predated the playoffs and I'll bet it wouldn't have gotten into them.

evidentially there is a conspiracy among the more susceptible types at auburn (alabama) that geo intentionally lost the first game so they would be ready for the sec championship.

Far fetched and silly talk, but it has made me rethink my long-held belief that a 16-team playoff would solve all our college ranking problems.

Would there be strategy to just keep your team in above 16 and healthy? Would a coach game the rules?

Keep in mind that Auburn probably had the best team in the country until near the end of the first half in our last regular season game and were at the top of the polls at the end. Had we lost the bama game, we probably wouldn’t have made #16, but what if we had been undefeated and bama had one loss?

what if two undefeated teams meet in a any big rivalry game at the end of the season? Playing a lot of people and a lot of safe plays loses the game, but losing doesn’t knock you out of 16, keeps your players healthy, gives you another week to practice and double bonus, you don’t have to play in the tough conference championship.


Would a coach game the rules?


Maybe we should just go back to lots of different polls

[Vrede too]

Could be, but I think most teams would play for advantageous seeding, not just to get in the playoffs. Not sure there will ever be an expansion, but a 12-team playoff with a 1st round bye for 4 of the teams would be a huge incentive to try to be 1 of the 4.

[billy.pilgrim]

Could be, but I think most teams would play for advantageous seeding, not just to get in the playoffs. Not sure there will ever be an expansion, but a 12-team playoff with a 1st round bye for 4 of the teams would be a huge incentive to try to be 1 of the 4.

does make more sense this time I look at 12

[Vrede too]

I think a 16-team playoff would be great. I just mean that 8 and 12 would be better than the status quo.

The FCS has a 24-team format with 8 first-round byes. It's occasionally expanded since 1978.

[O Really]

So with practically every other sport in the world able to conduct a championship series (including lower level football), why does the NCAA keep thinking it's so impossible for Div 1? Oh yeah, there's the bowl money, isn't there.

[billy.pilgrim]

So with practically every other sport in the world able to conduct a championship series (including lower level football), why does the NCAA keep thinking it's so impossible for Div 1? Oh yeah, there's the bowl money, isn't there.

Not sure why you say that. Easy to include the same bowls in a playoff, plus all the additional mid December games.

[O Really]

So with practically every other sport in the world able to conduct a championship series (including lower level football), why does the NCAA keep thinking it's so impossible for Div 1? Oh yeah, there's the bowl money, isn't there.

Not sure why you say that. Easy to include the same bowls in a playoff, plus all the additional mid December games.

I could be wrong. But other than bowl money, I couldn't think of any reason why it couldn't be done. When some organization keeps doing something without good reason and that is against what their fans/supporters/customers want, there's probably some money affecting the decision somewhere.

[Vrede too]

The money:
The Bowls are tied to particular cities and stadiums. Playoffs might be at the homes of participating teams.
Crappy Bowls have the illusion of being meaningful, whereas early round playoff games may not.
A 24-team playoff is 23 total games. That's less than the current 39 Bowls.
A team might play in 5 games in a 24-team playoff, more likely 4. That's 4 or 3 games that another team won't make money off of.

I think the Bowls are goofy, but I understand the money inertia preventing change. I would be happy with an 8 or 12 team playoff so that we know we've really found the champ, but I don't see playoffs ever replacing all Bowls.

[O Really]

They could have a NIT, or some other invitational tournament for the also-rans. They're already letting 6-6 teams into bowls - how could it get worse?

[Vrede too]

... They're already letting 6-6 teams into bowls - how could it get worse?

That's how it worked out this year, 5-6 and 5-7 teams are Bowl eligible.

[billy.pilgrim]

So with practically every other sport in the world able to conduct a championship series (including lower level football), why does the NCAA keep thinking it's so impossible for Div 1? Oh yeah, there's the bowl money, isn't there.

Not sure why you say that. Easy to include the same bowls in a playoff, plus all the additional mid December games.

I could be wrong. But other than bowl money, I couldn't think of any reason why it couldn't be done. When some organization keeps doing something without good reason and that is against what their fans/supporters/customers want, there's probably some money affecting the decision somewhere.

Classes
Exams
Injuries

Football ain't baseball, or basketball

[billy.pilgrim]

They could have a NIT, or some other invitational tournament for the also-rans. They're already letting 6-6 teams into bowls - how could it get worse?

I see it as a money maker for everyone - but the kids

If you do have this 16 game playoff

16 teams play in mid December
Winners move up and losers still play their bowls


The more I think about it, the more I think we should eliminate the playoffs and go back to the polls

[Vrede too]

Classes
Exams
Injuries

Football ain't baseball, or basketball

Doesn't seem to be a problem for the FCS.

[billy.pilgrim]

Classes
Exams
Injuries

Football ain't baseball, or basketball

Doesn't seem to be a problem for the FCS.

Seriously?

Maybe we should just do away with grade requirements, then players who can't make the grades to go to Penn state, Alabama or FSU won't have to play for the Rattlers.

[Vrede too]

I don't understand your point. The Ivy League is FCS.

[O Really]

Maybe we should just do away with grade requirements, ...

Seems we may have, generally. (old article, but still...) https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/ ... sat-scores

[billy.pilgrim]

I don't understand your point. The Ivy League is FCS.

And so is fla a&m