College Football seems to be at an impasse. There is increasing frustration with the
selection of four playoff teams. Is it
most deserving or best four? Does
winning a conference matter? Do non-power 5 teams have any chance? How do we decide the four best teams when
there is often little cross over between teams in different regions of the
country.
Conversations have begun about the possibility of increasing
the field to 8 or even 16 teams. I have long been a
proponent of 6 teams (with five conference champions and an at-large). No system is perfect. No expansion will happen without conferences
ensuring their champion gets in. No
expansion will happen without non-power 5 conferences wanting a spot at the
table.
The playoff has offered access to deserving teams. In 2017, the #3 and #4 teams made the
championship, playing one of the most epic games in College Football
history. But it has no doubt had a
cost. The regular season has been
diminished. Undefeated seasons are not
special. Most years, a one-loss power-5
champion will make the playoff, relegated it to equal footing of an undefeated
season. In 2018, it was common thought
that the SEC championship game meant nothing but seeding for Alabama – they were
in no matter what. Perhaps the most
damaging thing the playoff has done is decrease the meaning of bowl games, with
future NFL stars sitting out even what used to be prestigious bowls.
I have grave concerns that an 8-team playoff would do
irreparable damage to the sport I love.
- · Teams that simply haven’t had championship caliber seasons would be allowed to compete for one.
- · Excellence would be even more diminished, as the #1 team would have the same shot as the #8 team.
- · More blowouts (even like we’ve seen in the current system).
- · Costs for fans traveling to games would price many fans out of attending, hurting attendance, especially for the first round.
- · Trying to determine how to work out an 8-team playoff is problematic.
- o If you use bowls for the quarterfinals, fans will most likely not travel to them, saving money for the semis. Empty stadiums don’t make for a great product. Even the playoff games now aren’t going for face value most years.
- o If you use home stadiums for quarterfinals, the losers of the quarterfinals really get a raw deal. While an 8-4 team might get a week in Orlando for their reward, a 10-2 team gets rewarded with an overnight trip to Norman, Clemson, Columbus and the like. The postseason is supposed to be a reward.
- · The remaining bowls would be even less important.
- · The regular season and conference championship games will be diminished.
I believe there is a system where the regular season is
vitally important, Conference championships are celebrated and critical, more
bowls become a part of the conversation and access to more teams is
created. This system is the best of both
worlds from years past and the exciting aspects of the CFP. We don’t need another round of playoffs, we
need MORE DATA POINTS to be better
educated to choose four teams. We need MORE CROSS SECTIONAL matchups to help
us determine conference strength. We
need a system that enhances more bowls and creates excitement around Conference
Championship games. In a nutshell, here’s
the system:
Go back to traditional bowl tie-ins AND choose four teams after the
bowls
- · Players and schools want to play in the historic bowls that have been a part of their tradition for a century. Fans want to go to these bowls. They want the tradition. They want to make travel plans. The teams want something to point to. Win the Big 10 – go to the Rose. Win the SEC – go to the Sugar. Tradition is what makes CFB so meaningful.
- · There is something magical (the anticipation, holiday travel) and practical (exams and healing from injuries) about the month layoff between the end of the season and the bowls. An 8-team playoff would put the quarterfinals in between that waiting period.
- · This would return the magic to New Year’s Day.
- · The Committee would fill the New Year’s Six bowls, namely the at-large spots to create matchups that would be beneficial to choosing the FOUR playoff teams.
Here would be the basic schedule:
Dec. 31
Peach Bowl – 1:30 p.m.
At-Large vs. At-Large
Fiesta – 5:00 p.m.
At-Large vs. At-Large
Orange – 8:30 p.m.
ACC Champ vs. At-Large
Jan. 1
Cotton Bowl – 1:30 p.m.
Big 12 Champ vs. At-Large
Rose Bowl – 5:00 p.m.
Big 10 Champ vs. Pac 12 Champ
Sugar Bowl – 8:30 p.m.
SEC Champ vs. At-Large
Key Points and Playoff Follow-Up
- · Different years would bring different importance for different bowls. But, more bowls would increase in importance. Players would be unlikely to sit for these bowls.
- · We would most certainly have a data point for a non-power 5 team against a power 5 team that would like to see in considering them for a playoff spot.
- · The committee would use the At-large spots to create match-ups they want to see. For example, some years, highly ranked 1 or 2 loss teams in the Big 12 and Pac 12 might make for a great Fiesta Bowl that could create a team worthy of one of those four spots.
- · The Committee should avoid conference teams playing each other in bowls. Again, the point is to create more meaningful cross-regional matchups to choose the 4 teams better. If two teams from the same conference both look strong against non-conference competition, maybe they both belong in the four team playoff.
- · This system also creates some fluctuation from year to year for the committee. Some years there are 5 teams to consider, some there are 6 or 7. This could help them do that from year to year.
- · On the night of Jan. 1, the committee meets, with the announcement on Jan. 2 of the 4 teams.
- · The first round is played the second Saturday of January in home stadiums of the #1 & #2 teams
o
We do it in every other sport but Men’s College
Basketball. Host it on campuses.
o
NFL teams do it.
o
If Northern schools get to host a cold weather
game – they earned it. If a Southern
team gets to host an unusually warm January game – they earned it.
o
The bowls should clearly tell you who #1 and #2
are – reward them.
o
Fans cannot and will not travel all over the
country for three games. I know. I’m one of them that goes to a lot of games.
o
The losers of the games have already experienced
the fun of bowl week.
o
The hardest conversation will be with the
NFL. This is the divisional round of the
playoffs. There is plenty of room in the
time slots for 2 college games and 1 NFL game on Saturday and 3 NFL games on
Sunday.
o
Don’t believe the hype that the game has to be
prime time for ratings. The highest
rated game of the 2018 season was a 4 p.m. SEC championship game.
- · Play the championship game at a pre-determined site (like the current system) on the 3rd Saturday of January.
o
Get the game off of Monday nights. Fans can’t travel. Many of them struggle to even stay up to
watch the game with work the next day.
o
This would be NFC/AFC championship weekend in
the NFL. It would create the most epic
weekend of football in America. College
Football Championship on Saturday, NFL Conference Championships on Sunday.
- · There will be some concern about extending the season into January.
o
Any expanded system is going to extend the
season in some way. You either play
games during exams or into the next semester
o
The College World Series lasts after
graduation. It can be done.
o
Most colleges start classes around Jan. 9 or 10
each year. The first game would be 1-3 days
after classes begin. Only two teams
would play into the second semester, and they’d be happy to.
Past Hypothetical Examples
(Teams that made playoff in bold)
2018
Semis on Jan. 13 –
Championship on Jan. 20
Rose: Ohio St. vs.
Washington
Sugar: Alabama vs. UCF
Orange: Clemson vs. Georgia
Cotton: Oklahoma vs. Notre Dame
Peach: Michigan vs.
Florida
Fiesta: Penn St. vs.
LSU
2017
Semis on Jan. 8 –
Championship on Jan. 15
Rose: Ohio St. vs.
USC
Sugar: Georgia vs. Wisconsin
Orange: Clemson vs. UCF
Cotton: Oklahoma vs. Alabama
Peach: Auburn vs.
Miami
Fiesta: Penn St. vs.
Washington
2016
Semis on Jan. 10 –
Championship on Jan. 17
Rose: Ohio St. vs. Washington
Sugar: Alabama vs. Western Michigan
Orange: Clemson vs. USC
Cotton: Oklahoma vs. Penn St.
Peach: Florida St. vs. Wisconsin
Fiesta: Michigan vs. Colorado
2015
Semis on Jan. 11 –
Championship on Jan. 18
Rose: Michigan St. vs. Stanford
Sugar: Alabama vs. Notre Dame
Orange: Clemson vs. Ohio St.
Cotton: Oklahoma
vs. Iowa
Peach: North Carolina vs. TCU
Fiesta: Houston vs. Florida St.
2014
Semis on Jan. 12 –
Championship on Jan. 19
Rose: Oregon vs. Ohio St.
Sugar: Alabama vs. Michigan St.
Orange: Florida St. vs. TCU
Cotton: Baylor vs. Mississippi St.
Peach: Georgia Tech
vs. Kansas St.
Fiesta: Boise St. vs.
Arizona
