Breaking: per Brett McMurphy--It's done, 12 team playoff starts in 2024
December 1st, 2022 at 6:32 PM ^
Bowl game sucks because it's mostly meaningless so I'm not seeing how FBS is better than the lower division if we go by post-season
November 30th, 2022 at 11:13 PM ^
I am very "protective" of the college football regular season. It is unique in all of sports in how meaningful it is.
But I don't think that a 12 team playoff will kill it. 12 teams is not really that many. It is nothing like the third of the teams that make the NFL playoffs.
There will still be plenty to pay attention to (conference champions) and argue about (who the At-Larges are, how they are seeded, who didn't get in, etc.)
And the seeding absolutely matters. Those bye weeks for the top 4 are huge. And I LOVE the idea that the first rounds are on campus. I have waited my whole life for one of these southern "speed" teams to have to play outdoors in the north in December. Let it snow!
December 1st, 2022 at 8:28 AM ^
Southern “speed” teams… like Ohio State?
November 30th, 2022 at 11:19 PM ^
The regular season isn't good to watch anymore anyway. With a chance to lose a game or two, programs will be able to schedule better games in the non conference.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:46 PM ^
And when the b1g plays 10 conference games and the sec plays 8..
When Bama is playing Austin Peay in week 11?
Look at sec schedules . 8 conference games is a way to schedule the same thing we played this year and get credit for it..
December 1st, 2022 at 7:52 AM ^
This is the only reason a playoff might be worth something. There are a lot of 10-2 teams and a shit-ton of 9-3 teams. SOS should mean a lot as to who gets in and where people get seeded. There should be a semi-transparent formula to encourage better match ups. A top 5 team gets you 4 points top 10 = 2 points top 25 = 1 point a MAC type team gets zero and Austin Pea or Troy gets you negative 4 points.
If you split with two top 5 teams it is the same as beating two top 6-10 teams. Same with splitting with two top 6-10 and a top 11-25 team.
The undefeated 1990’s Nebraska teams would be a 10th seed due to their cupcake schedules.
The NCAA won’t do anything smart like this, but if they won’t get off my lawn they should at least mow it.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:42 PM ^
This is why European soccer, and more specifically the premier league is the best competition in sports.
38 games. Everyone plays the same schedule. No playoffs. Every game matters. 20000 ppl in some stadium, 76000 in others.
By the end there is no argument about who got hot at the right time, etc. Match 1 matters as much as match 38.
My preference is the pre bcs bowl system. Let's just argue over this at the bar for eternity like 1997.
Then the bcs. Choose 1 and 2 and line them up. Michigan, Georgia. If one loses this week. Tcu takes their place.
The more you expand, the more you lessen the value of every other game. Why reward Bama for shitting all over themselves in 5 of their 12 games? Why give Tulane a participation trophy?
We all know who earned the chance and who did not.
December 1st, 2022 at 4:05 AM ^
Premiere league is great. But you have to love those Champions League matchups! Knockout tournaments with winner take all title games are where it's at. The Champions League is so popular and so lucrative, it's only a matter of time before the top teams around Europe break away to form a super league.
December 2nd, 2022 at 7:16 PM ^
What are you on?
The champions league is the opposite.
4 team groups. . Top 2 survive.
2 leg ties in the knockout. It is built for the most expansive team to survive.
There is no way Leicester would win the CL even with an absolutely stacked team in that format.
Don't tell me that you actually favor the new world cup model! It's even more of the same..
As much as I hate city. They're damn good. Best team in the world. And they'll win the best competition in the world this year and every game will matter. But they'll also probably not win the CL bc some shithouse like Leipzig will probably beat them on pk in the quarters bc we don't even play away goals any more..
The brits will never do it. And thank God for that!
December 1st, 2022 at 7:37 AM ^
I can't upvote this post enough. It's 100% correct.
December 1st, 2022 at 9:21 AM ^
Exactly. A playoff is a measure of how good a team is at a particular moment in time, rather than a measure of which team has been the best the entire season.
Does anyone (other than the most rabid clueless fan) really think the NY Football Giants were the best team in the NFL in 2007?
December 1st, 2022 at 12:08 AM ^
Yes but the 4 team CFP leads to Michigan scheduling the horrid 2022 & 2023 non conference schedules. I’m so sick of these tomato can games. With a 12 team playoff and ability to get in with 2 losses, I’m so excited for marquee non-conference matchups. Especially with conference champs being guaranteed a bid, we could have lost to Washington last year and still have been in the playoff at 10-2 after winning the B1G title.
December 1st, 2022 at 12:35 AM ^
You will get no marquee non con now. You'll get 2 tomato cans and a 10 game b1g..
That is where this goes in 2024..
All bc of the playoff and TV money..
December 1st, 2022 at 7:33 AM ^
When ranking largely depends on number of losses, the incentive is easy games. Going 9-3 against a very tough schedule is viewed as being much worse than 10-1 against an extremely easy schedule. SOS is basically a tie breaker if teams have the same number of losses.
December 1st, 2022 at 8:05 AM ^
I'd like to play someone like Purdue more than once a decade, and we also added a couple marquee brands with (possibly) a couple more slots to go. Feed me more B1G and less Colorado State if that's the trade-off.
December 1st, 2022 at 8:15 AM ^
Was it the four-team playoff or an extra home game ($) that led to those schedules? Even in down years, I don't think Harbaugh was terrified of UCLA.
December 1st, 2022 at 8:30 AM ^
It wasn't really consideration about the playoff, it was the AD's calculation that its finances wouldn't work with only 6 home games in 2023. That totally sucks, but it wasn't a function of the 4 team playoff.
December 1st, 2022 at 8:50 AM ^
It was said going to 4 teams would kill the excitement of the regular season, too. It hasn't. All it really changes is how many teams are still playing meaningful games into November. Plus, teams won't be nearly as penalized for an early non-conference loss.
December 1st, 2022 at 10:29 AM ^
Yes. The postseason that so many here are trying to protect isn't that good currently. It's extremely antifclimactic when you know basically what is going to transpire each time. Getting more recruits spread across more programs will bring parity and with it, a few surprise national champions over time.
December 1st, 2022 at 10:37 AM ^
I don't like the current system. It should have been top 4 conference champions and require everyone to win their way in. The fact that the Big 10 backed down on this during the negotiations still bothers me.
December 1st, 2022 at 6:13 AM ^
I generally like the expanded playoff but similarly, I hate that it waters down the importance of the game. The last two seasons we functionally ended Ohio State's season just like they've done to ours so many times. Now OSU gets a crushing defeat and they just get a different seed.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:12 PM ^
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November 30th, 2022 at 10:16 PM ^
So you're thinking a bowl structure at a neutral field is the way to go? I'm reading between the lines here.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:16 PM ^
I would prefer a tournament without some teams having a bye. Extra rest and preparation time is a huge advantage in a sport of attrition like football.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:21 PM ^
It is. But having three distinct and significant tiers (bye, home game, just getting in) provides some real weight to the regular season. In a random neutral-site 16-teamer, for example, Michigan and Ohio State might not even go all out if they’re both top-6 seeds either way. But in a scenario like this, there’s still a whole lot to gain by winning crucial games between top teams. Keeps some juice in the season that will need the help.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:51 PM ^
I agree with everything you said except the example of Michigan-Ohio State. I couldn't ever imagine a situation where they don't go all out against each other.
December 1st, 2022 at 12:17 AM ^
I couldn’t ever imagine that a Big Ten team wouldn’t care about going to the Rose Bowl. Easy to see either or both teams resting guys if the playoffs are wrapped up. Funny that people want to cling to a belief about tradition when all traditions are being destroyed.
December 1st, 2022 at 12:56 AM ^
Money changes everything. That's your tradition.
December 1st, 2022 at 12:19 AM ^
You still have that just advantage through proper seeding on a 16 or 8 team format.
You’re always going to have some disputes on who gets what seed but having that dispute be getting a bye or no bye seems unfair to me.
No matter how you slice it having an extra prep/rest week is too significant.
December 1st, 2022 at 7:54 AM ^
Take this year, but make one of the B1G west teams strong. From a post season perspective, it very well could be a disadvantage to win "the game". As the winner has to then face a tough game in the B1G cg.
If you lose the B1G cg, you then have to turn around and play a playoff game. Meanwhile, the loser of "the game" faces similar playoff scenarios (home game against a team in playoffs against a team ranked 9-12) but has a rests/prepares during B1G cg week.
If you win the B1G, you get a bye. But that puts you on about equal footing with the loser of the game. (B1G cg opponent being similar to first round playoff opponent with one game to get to round of 8).
I know it won't happen, but they should either make conf championship games part of the first round of playoffs (with a few play-in games to get to field of 8) or eliminate conf championship games.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:13 PM ^
That's why top seeded teams have the advantage because they earned it. FCS, D2, D3 and NAIA does it right with top 4 #1 seeds getting a 1st round bye because they earned it.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:17 PM ^
I demand a 13 team playoff
November 30th, 2022 at 10:44 PM ^
I would not be in shock that when it comes time to renew, they will find a way to have a minimum of 2 play-in games for the 11th and 12th seeds.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:19 PM ^
It was inevitable. The Rubicon was crossed years ago.
On the one hand I selfishly finally like the 4-team arrangement now that we’re getting multiple berths. On the other hand, the overall effect of the playoff with four teams has been destabilizing given how frequently the same programs appear.
There will surely be unintended consequences. And some consequences will be immediately visible: games like UM-OSU will be changed in character when both teams are elite. The game we just saw would be a game for seeding position.
But, fine. I’ll be very sad to lose that aspect of it. But we also endured years in the wilderness that could have looked different if a team that wasn’t quite good enough to beat Ohio State still had a chance to make a playoff game or two. This will give other programs a chance to rise and build something without the hard ceiling of not being Bama or Clemson or OSU. There’s plenty of NIL money out there for non-power programs. Now a school like, say, North Carolina or Oklahoma State can put together some success, prove to recruits that they can make the playoffs, and build competitive rosters if they have the right people in charge.
We’ll definitely lose something. But the old era is over, like it or not, and there will be things to enjoy about the new era.
One of those things is that if Michigan can sustain its current excellence, we will make the playoffs a lot.
I’m really glad we’ve built real success in the current era, though. It can’t be said Michigan didn’t finally elevate itself to that rarified top 4 air. Michigan is elite right now.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:36 PM ^
Michigan will most likely make the playoff every year in this format. I worry about the depth. I sure hope UM can plug and play 2nd string players without losing quality of their game, as more games could result in more possibility for injuries. Recruiting could become equally important. Who know how transfer rules are going to change. Hope there won't be transfers middle of the season with some rule changes.
December 1st, 2022 at 10:33 AM ^
You said everything I meant, but eloquently:)
November 30th, 2022 at 10:20 PM ^
So do I understand that the top four get byes. And the opening round is on campuses?
November 30th, 2022 at 10:25 PM ^
Correct
December 1st, 2022 at 12:54 PM ^
Are campus games confirmed? I thought I read nuetral sites for all rounds.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:23 PM ^
This was probably inevitable. The argument was always likely to shift from "Team X is a worthy champion" to "Team X deserves to be in the playoff." And now we can watch Baylor fight Kansas State to see which one of them gets to be destroyed by Alabama. It doesn't strike me as progress, but when do we as a society ever turn down the chance at more?
November 30th, 2022 at 10:25 PM ^
I hate it. Does anyone need to see if Penn State is the best team in the country this year? Just devalues what was great about college football--a regular season with unparalleled tension and importance.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:39 PM ^
I agree.
Also, I love that when we had a national champion chosen by the AP or UPI, people complained that it wasn't fair when there were two undefeated teams. So we expanded to a system where the top two played each other ... and people said, no, no, you need at least four to be fair. So they expanded to the current system, and immediately people said (this year), "how is it fair that Ohio State gets excluded for losing only one game, to the overall No. 2 team, while USC gets in after losing to the No. 11 team?"
I just love the idea that somehow this will stop the complaining. It never does. Starting in 2024 we're going to have people saying, "you really need 24 for it to be fair."
Jesus. As far as I'm concerned -- and I think I mean this -- they should just have a system where if, at the end of the year, more than one team is undefeated, they play each other. Everyone else -- everyone else -- you had your chance, and you failed. It's ok. Sure, maybe you played a more difficult schedule. We understand. The benefits of that is TV money, and prestige, and whatever else. You can still win your conference, or end the season highly ranked, or go to a bowl game, or whatever. But everyone gets a shot at the national championship, and if you lose, stop complaining.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:50 PM ^
Need to tweak that undefeated system, although I like it. But no one will schedule challenging non-conference games and conference championship games would probably have to disappear, unless you have a way to work it into your playoff. I would say a conference has to have its own separate playoff first if there are multiple undefeateds before going off to the national playoffs.
You need a whole bunch of variations for how your playoff system would work for when there are 4 teams or 3 teams (or whatever). And I assume it would then fall to all 1-loss teams if there are no undefeateds, right?
And the years where the regular season ends with only 1 undefeated team, we can have all the bowl games!
December 1st, 2022 at 10:36 AM ^
Sorry but that's just stupid. What incentive would there be to schedule good matchups then? No thanks. The goal is partly to get rid of the cupcakes.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:35 PM ^
Correction: it will be a six-team SEC bracket (byes reserved for Alabama and Georgia), and then a consolation bracket.
November 30th, 2022 at 10:59 PM ^
No! No, no, not 6! 7's the key number here. Think about it. 7-Elevens. 7 dwarves. 7, man, that's the number. 7 chipmunks twirlin' on a branch, eatin' lots of sunflowers on my uncle's ranch. You know that old children's tale from the sea. It's like you're dreamin' about Gorgonzola cheese when it's clearly Brie time, baby.
November 30th, 2022 at 11:38 PM ^
Step into my office
November 30th, 2022 at 10:42 PM ^
Would rather have 8 but whatever. It’s better then 4 and the BCS
November 30th, 2022 at 10:43 PM ^
I like it. This year would have had 3 SEC, 3 B1G, 3 Pac12, 2 Big 12 and 1 ACC team. All conferences represented and a good balance among them. That's pretty good.
Also, don't the first 2 rounds get the higher ranked teams a home game? So southern tier teams having to go play in the midwest in Dec would be fantastic.
This is going to be really good.