A Better, More Interesting, CFP Format?
First, the CFP has been exponentially improved with the addition of our beloved Wolverines. But, there should be a format that incorporates all of the Power 5 Conferences (the financial drivers of college football), and allows for some Group of 5 and independents to be included. I don't know why they're having such a difficult with expansion.
Of the proposals that I've seen, the simplest, possibly most equitable solution is for an 8-team playoff. All of the Power 5 conference champions would automatically make the playoff, and the committee would select 3 at-large teams to compete, as well. The committee could then keep all of the intrigue and high drama with the seeding and selection of the at-larges. For example, the committee would have had to choose 3 from this list of 4 at-large teams (Georgia, Cincy, Ohio St, Notre Dame). Can you imagine the arguments, the rantings, the ratings, that would have revolved around an OSU or ND being left out?
Further, how about the arguments revolving around seeding and matchups of these 8 teams -
1. Alabama 5. Pitt
2. Michigan 6. Georgia
3. Baylor 7. Cincy
4. Utah 8. OSU/ND
This type of expansion would be good for the sport, good for fan interest, good for the regular season, and allows for late closing teams who struggled early with a loss or two to make the playoff.
Go Blue!
December 5th, 2021 at 2:20 PM ^
One question....would you add a rule that if a conference champ had 3 or more losses that they get lumped into the at large bucket? Or is it conference champs no matter what? I see pros/cons each way.
December 5th, 2021 at 2:40 PM ^
I think that’s fair. Only thing is the Georgia situation now. I wouldn’t give them a top 4 seed, getting blown out like that drops them from the top 4 imo. But, I’d be fine with a group of 5 undefeated champ in the top 4 getting one of the top 4 seeds.
I’d still have the top 4 seeds as Michigan, Alabama, UC and Baylor, next four Georgia, Pitt, Utah and Nd or Osu.. nd would get my nod..
December 5th, 2021 at 2:45 PM ^
I wouldn't put a loss limit on conference champions. If you win a Power 5 conference, you're in. The Power 5's drive college football, and are deserving of bids in a system they created.
December 5th, 2021 at 3:58 PM ^
Every playoff revamp suggestion always seems to reward bad conferences.
December 5th, 2021 at 4:56 PM ^
The problem is every conference isn't playing by the same rules. Every P5 should be unified by number of teams, number of games, and division less rotating schedules where conference championships games match up the two best winning percentage teams. This is the only way to ensure parity. Every conference is gonna fight for representation.
December 5th, 2021 at 2:21 PM ^
Any format that allows Notre Dame to get in easily is fine by me!
/s
TO HELL WITH NOTRE DAME!!!
December 5th, 2021 at 2:51 PM ^
We definitely need a format that includes conference title winners automatically and a very high bar for the wildcard spots. Perhaps we could make those wildcards required to have the 2nd best record in their conference (such as Georgia, this year).
Don’t have a conference? Well that’s just too bad, I guess you don’t qualify.
The special treatment for Notre Dame has to end.
December 5th, 2021 at 2:25 PM ^
Nobody wants to see half those teams have a shot at the title.
December 5th, 2021 at 2:38 PM ^
I would. I like the idea of 8 teams myself. This particular year, the 4 and 5 team separated itself by playing earlier in the year but had that not happened, it would’ve been a toss up for ND and Cinci. I think if you take the power 5 and three at larges you’ll get the best 8.
December 5th, 2021 at 2:55 PM ^
Nobody wants to see half those teams have a shot at the title.
This is the type of thinking that our current system is based on. The SEC sees the 4-team format as one that can get half the playoff teams from their conference while excluding other conferences.
We shouldn’t be opposed to a more fair system because we’re afraid of the results.
December 5th, 2021 at 3:03 PM ^
The idea that the SEC always gets 2 teams in is a complete myth. Look at the history, it rarely happens. The one time it did before this year, both Bama and UGA won as 3 and 4 seeds.
December 5th, 2021 at 3:54 PM ^
History? I am still fuming about 2006. Don't talk about history. They didn't have a problem Letting SEC do the same shit. More than once in the last 15 years. CFP hasn't been around long and it already happened. This is the second time? No other conference had this luxury. They let PSU sit at home after they won their conference (hope I am remembering right)
December 5th, 2021 at 6:19 PM ^
I didn’t say that the SEC always gets two teams in. But it would not be incorrect to point out that no one else has ever had two teams in the CFP.
In the NFL there are times when the best two teams are from the AFC one year or the NFC another year, but no one gripes because they aren’t the Super Bowl matchup. There are years where a losing team makes the playoffs and a ten win team fails to make the playoffs.
The reason the NFL works so well is because there are hard rules that dictate outcomes. No eye-test, no comparing arbitrary statistics, but rules. The CFP doesn’t have that because the current system is what works best for the SEC and Disney and, as intended, directly harms fairness and parity.
December 5th, 2021 at 2:27 PM ^
How about a 10-team playoff?
• Michigan, Alabama, Utah, Pitt, Baylor, and Cincinnati get a first round bye.
• Georgia, ND, OSU, and Ole Miss (for example) round out the Playoff Ten.
• Georgia plays ND in Athens, and OSU plays Ole Miss in Columbus.
Add your two winners to the six bye teams and the 8-team playoff field is set.
December 5th, 2021 at 2:52 PM ^
may as well make it 16 and have no byes. why would the ncaa give up all that revenue the first week?
December 5th, 2021 at 2:30 PM ^
What benefit would it be to us to beat OSU and win the Big Ten only for OSU to sit at home to make it in an 8 game playoff anyway?
The beauty of college football is the regular season matters unlike the NFL. There are years where 12-1 teams dont even make the CFP because of a bad loss somewhere along the way like OSU in 2018.
December 5th, 2021 at 2:49 PM ^
This is not a Michigan vs OSU situation. It just happens that if would have fallen that way for them this year... and for us in 2016 and possibly 2018. Further, them getting into the playoff as an at-large (no given) would not diminish that Michigan WON the Big Ten Title.
December 5th, 2021 at 3:28 PM ^
See I dont think a second place team in a division should get in. Even though Alabama won it all again in 2017. We all know Saban is the goat and with plenty of time to prepare he will usually wins it all or makes the title game. But they sat at home while Auburn, who beat them, played Georgia for the SEC title game and backed into the 4th spot over OSU.
Same thing in 2011 when LSU beat them in their own stadium. I'm not a fan of the "best teams" crap because that's arbitrary too. The best team does not always win it all.
Personally I would rather go back to just a two team title game like the BCS which we would have made this year. The four team has actually hurt college football because they just try to jam more SEC teams in it. This year would have been awesome for the BCS and bowl week like it used to be.
December 5th, 2021 at 6:28 PM ^
I agree with much of what you say except for the last part. The BCS was better than what we have now but still weak as hell.
See I dont think a second place team in a division should get in.
I wouldn’t have a problem with this but what we need to do is blow up the conferences. Give the NCAA full control over the organizational structure and have them make more and smaller conferences (16) and then make the winners of each conference playoff bound. Then we also put the NCAA in charge of scheduling—make it a formula that helps with parity (for example, the non-conference games of the previous conference champions would be against other conference champions they didn’t face in the playoffs).
December 5th, 2021 at 2:54 PM ^
You could also have a rule that a second team from any conference would always be in the other half of the bracket so they couldn’t have a rematch before the final if both made it.
December 5th, 2021 at 3:00 PM ^
True! Let's go back to the old system. No playoff. Winner of Big Ten plays winner of Pac-12 in the Rose Bowl.
December 5th, 2021 at 6:39 PM ^
This is the best argument for the 12 team playoff - being top 4 provides benefits.
However, I'm not sure of the analysis of teams with bye weeks/long layoffs vs teams that also had long layoffs but then a game. I don't think any of the existing data is relevant, as existing playoffs that have byes don't have long layoffs. IIRC last time Tigers were in World Series, they finished their series off first and had many extra days off - not saying that's the only or main reason they lost, but it may have contributed?
December 5th, 2021 at 2:30 PM ^
I don't favor any playoff where one conference can play FCS teams and one less conference game and get the #1 seed. I'm also not in favor of a team getting in because they played a super soft schedule and won their conference. However, If the goal is to pick the best teams and not the most deserving, there is no reason why Ohio State was not ranked above both Cinci and ND.
So, knowing that, your format at least eliminates any of the bullshit and gives an obvious goal, and encourages more competitive out-of-conference games that have no significant effect on making the playoff but do help get an at-large birth. Still not a fan of auto-bids, it cheapens the regular season IMHO.
December 5th, 2021 at 3:01 PM ^
In practice the committee blends 'best' and 'most deserving' considerations...
December 5th, 2021 at 2:36 PM ^
Is there gonna be a Big 12 in 2 years? Seriously - I can't figure out who they can lure there. Nebraska is probably interested.
December 5th, 2021 at 2:47 PM ^
I keep hearing that talk but UC, big 12 bound, Byu big 12 bound, if you consider Baylor, top 6, Oklahoma st, top 15, BYU top 15, UC in the CFP.. The Big 12 has a lot to sell going into their TV deal as well as a large footprint media wise with Houston, UC, Central Florida and BYU added.
Also, the Big12 is no longer controlled by Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska who controlled the media deals till Nebraska left and now no horns or Sooners to screw the tv deal over so they can leave. Already talking of the first tv deal out of the gate over 35milliion per school a year. Which is behind the Big 10/SEC but already as good as the ACC and closing in on the pac12..
I wouldn’t discount the Big12 just yet and I think it forms into a stronger conference fast since they won’t have the restrictions that Texas imposed on JC transfers and minimum qualifiers so they can go back to sec standards..
December 5th, 2021 at 3:05 PM ^
none of those schools you mention have any kind of market cache
December 5th, 2021 at 4:50 PM ^
Well that’s just blatantly false. It introduces the Big 12 to the Cincinnati, SLC and Orlando markets and creates a stronger foothold in the Houston market.
These are also pretty large schools. UCF has a student body of over 70k, making it the largest in the country. Cincinnati has over 44k. Houston has over 46k. BYU is at 33k and is followed by Mormons across the country. All implying large (and fast growing) alumni bases to support and follow those programs.
December 5th, 2021 at 2:47 PM ^
It's already happened. Cincinnati, BYU, Houston, UCF
Ironically much more talent there this year than OU and Texas.
December 5th, 2021 at 3:41 PM ^
Two long jumps back and a baby step forward.
December 5th, 2021 at 4:43 PM ^
It’s not that big of a jump back. You’re missing the Texas/Oklahoma brands more than the quality play on the field. Those teams include the current #4, #13 and #20 teams in the country in addition to UCF who has been a top 25 mainstay for a few years now. They combine for a record of 42-8. Theres some quality football being brought in that increases the overall standing of the conference despite losing the big brand names of Texas and OU.
December 5th, 2021 at 2:41 PM ^
Not a conference champ? Not in the playoff, that is what I'd like to see. A nice, big, permanent FU to the So Easily Corrupt conference and ND.
December 5th, 2021 at 2:59 PM ^
This is the only fair way to do it without a common pool of opponents.
December 5th, 2021 at 4:54 PM ^
Which would also eliminate playing OSU twice if we win the BIG. It takes so much to get up for that game once a year, and would diminish the rivalry imo.
December 5th, 2021 at 2:46 PM ^
With losses to Western Michigan and Miami, and a single ranked win over Wake Forest, you cannot have Pitt anywhere near the playoffs. Just hot garbage.
December 5th, 2021 at 2:50 PM ^
Pitt also beat top 20 Clemson
December 5th, 2021 at 3:01 PM ^
... and that's Georgia's best win this season.
December 5th, 2021 at 2:49 PM ^
Better playoff format:
1. Bama vs. 2. Michigan
December 5th, 2021 at 2:58 PM ^
In general I'm in favor of expanding the playoff. However, this year, I'm glad it's only four teams, because that definitively excluded an OSU team that probably would've made an eight-team group. Much more fun to see their fans continue to disintegrate on their message boards. And hopefully we get to see a motivated Utah manball a depleted and demoralized OSU roster to death in the Rose Bowl
December 5th, 2021 at 3:04 PM ^
It seems less important to change the playoff now that we're in it, lol.
#notsorry
December 5th, 2021 at 3:07 PM ^
I’d like to see..
5 Power 5 champs
1 group of 5 champ (highest ranked)
2 at-large teams
* at-large teams are automatically 7 & 8 seeds
* at-league teams placed on opposite side of bracket to the champ of their conference
December 5th, 2021 at 3:24 PM ^
Seeds would be based on ranking just like the Ncaa Tournament. A #15th ranked conference champion isnt getting a 2 seed.
December 5th, 2021 at 3:26 PM ^
Conference champs, like you said, are still in but they get seeded based on where the committee has them ranked.
December 5th, 2021 at 4:17 PM ^
By the time you get above 6 teams you know you have the best of all the possible teams. Maybe a team dropped a key game in the season and dropped in the polls or in Michigan’s case this year was completely overlooked and had to climb. The 8 team gives you an extra two on top of that. You could add ND and Ohio St to this years playoff and they both would have a chance to contend. Then you could throw in Baylor and another bigten team or Ole Miss and you got your 8. Utah, MSU are right there too. I just feel 8 is the right amount.
December 5th, 2021 at 4:39 PM ^
The playoff pool MUST be increased, if for no other reason than to destroy the power oligarchy that the current 4-team format has created.
The 4-team playoff has so badly damaged college football.
A bigger field would spread out the recruiting balance. This can’t happen soon enough.
December 5th, 2021 at 5:38 PM ^
If you don’t win your conference you cannot be in the playoff. Sorry Notre Dame.