College Football Playoff Committee Approves 5+7 Format for Playoffs
College Football Playoff Board of Managers unanimously approves 5-7 qualifier format - On3
Prior to realignment, the format was going to be the 6 highest ranked conference champions plus 6 more at-large teams. Now it will be 5 and 7.
Top 4 highest ranked conference champs will earn a bye, while teams 5-12 will play each other on the homefield of the higher ranked team.
The home field aspect should be really fun for teams that aren't ranked top 4.
February 20th, 2024 at 1:03 PM ^
Meant to include this is in OP, but...
-> There will be no automatic qualifying conferences
-> There will be no limits on how many at-large teams a conference can put in the playoffs
February 20th, 2024 at 1:15 PM ^
This is where the ranking of lower teams in a conference really matters. SEC teams not in the top 5 always seem to be ranked higher than they should be.
February 20th, 2024 at 2:10 PM ^
Will OSU be given the option to play in a dome if they are the home team?
Or will Born on 3rd cry to their AD that they need a retractable roof on the toilet bowl?
February 20th, 2024 at 2:47 PM ^
Retractable roof? That's called a lid. And knowing the Neanderthals in Columbus, they'll probably still piss all over the seat and forget to put down the lid.
February 20th, 2024 at 8:19 PM ^
Visualizing the retractable lid on Ohio Stadium left up. Giggling. Thank you for that.
February 21st, 2024 at 7:49 AM ^
It's a nice day today... let's lift the lid!
Any pre-game flyovers had better add a bit of altitude. Wouldn't want to run into the lid.
February 20th, 2024 at 2:10 PM ^
this will also be good for the big ten - Penn State and Iowa may go 11-1 next year, and yet the SEC/Big Ten both getting 4/5 into the playoff doesn't seem so crazy when both are playing just half the league. Both having 4 in will be a regular occurrence. I think one of the two getting 5 won't be too crazy.
February 20th, 2024 at 5:01 PM ^
No time limit,
No doctor!
February 20th, 2024 at 7:42 PM ^
So college football is now, in every way including free agency, the NFL.
February 20th, 2024 at 8:20 PM ^
Except the NFL actually manages itself and has legitimate advocacy for each of it's constituents.
February 21st, 2024 at 8:56 AM ^
The only product more boring than the NFL, is the NBA. Thankfully, Michigan won the final non-playoff title, and with no potential for Scott Frost's mom to talk trash. I guess I can die now.
February 20th, 2024 at 1:15 PM ^
the top 4 must be a conference champ is a great incentive to winning the championship game. In the past it seemed like teams who made the championship game were punished by needing to win an extra game while the second place team in the division just chills. Now the only way to get a first round bye is by winning the conference championship game which is a huge advantage
February 20th, 2024 at 1:18 PM ^
And never a bye for ND!
February 20th, 2024 at 1:30 PM ^
There's an interesting thing about ND - especially, if they were to host a first round (5 through 12 seed) playoff game. That "interesting thing is - when was the last time ND hosted a game after Thanksgiving?
To my recollection - that hasn't happened, since they end their regular season every year with a trip to either LA (to face USC) or Palo Alto (to face Stanford).
So - why challenge tradition? If ND makes the 12 team playoff - have them always play on the road.
February 20th, 2024 at 1:33 PM ^
I approve of this idea.
Not only no byes, but no home playoff games. If they end up seeded 5-8, make em travel!
February 21st, 2024 at 9:47 AM ^
My name’s Fuck Notre Dame and I approve this message.
February 20th, 2024 at 9:14 PM ^
Maybe while their kinda in the ACC they will kinda join the PAC leftovers so they can host a game in the Rose Bowl.
February 20th, 2024 at 2:38 PM ^
And never a bye for ND!
That really isn’t a disadvantage for them.
Notre Dame’s bye is conference championship week. To win the national championship, ND would play in 16 games. Everyone else would play in either 16 or 17. (It’s 17 if you make a conference title game, lose and qualify.)
Yes, they always have to play a first-round game, but that game is comparable to a conference-title game. Plus they can host that game. And, unlike any team that appears in a conference title game, there’s no chance of them falling into the 17-game scenario.
February 20th, 2024 at 3:35 PM ^
Pretty rough sledding for the conference champ loser. They might get a home game, if they are 12-1 and Big 10/SEC.
Also so unlikely for someone to go 17-0 it's going to be a huge deal if it ever does.
February 20th, 2024 at 11:22 PM ^
Scheduling a game at Hawaii for Week 0 gives you 13 regular season games. Which would make it a little more realistic.
February 20th, 2024 at 1:25 PM ^
Except playing in the conference championship game is an extra game a first round playoff team isnt playing.
February 20th, 2024 at 1:35 PM ^
Respectfully, I disagree. I think you'll see "more than one" P4 CCG loser playing in the first round. I'd argue you would see at least two for sure - the SEC and B1G CCG loser shouldn't fall out of the Top 12.
My "disappointment" with the 12 team format is - you'll be seeing several of these same teams "week after week" - during the CFP. IF a first round team keeps winning - they'll play every weekend for up to four consecutive weeks. If you count the CCG - it could be five weeks.
The initial perspective I have is - the ACC and Big 12 CCG losers will be "on the bubbble" teams for the CFP.
Oh - the SEC will argue that they should have at least six (6) teams in the CFP every season because - "It just means more!" I'm SO glad Michigan defeated Bama last year - so very, very glad.
February 20th, 2024 at 2:04 PM ^
Au contraire, mi amigo; even without divisions, when Iowa parlays their weak 2024 conference schedule into two 2-0 wins, a 3-2 win, and an 8-1 conference record, and second place in the B1G (no, I don't really think it will happen, but I digress), their conference championship game loss will not necessarily result in a top 12 finish...
Seriously, it will be a lot harder to keep the CCG runner-up out of the playoff going forward...
February 20th, 2024 at 2:13 PM ^
I totally think this happens next year, based on Blue@LSU's diary. I think Iowa and Penn St both will only lose to OSU before one of them goes to Indy and gets rocked by Oregon/OSU/Michigan. The loser will be out. The winner gets a "bye" but two of the other 3 will host a December game and effectively play as many playoff games.
February 20th, 2024 at 2:56 PM ^
Iowa would have to beat Iowa State, Minn, Washington, MSU, NW, Wisc, UCLA, Maryland and Nebraska for that to happen --- if they run that schedule they deserve to be there. Yes they get somewhat lucky in avoiding Oregon and USC + UM and PSU - but that is by no means an easy schedule. No Indiana, no Purdue, no Rutgers -- they don't really have a game they will be heavily favored in (other than perhaps MSU) after week 3 of their season
February 20th, 2024 at 3:30 PM ^
The thing is, every Big Ten team has a similar schedule - sure Michigan has IU, but also has both UO and OSU. PSU does get Purdue, as does Oregon. OSU gets both. But Oregon and OSU in addition to each other, also play Michigan. Everyone but PSU also plays MSU, who's in that range as well on SP+.
So while Iowa has only one "easy" game, they also have only one "hard" game. PSU's schedule is similar. Every other Big Ten team mentioned as a contender has 2 hard in-conference games, and 2 easy ones. It certainly speaks to your quality if you can beat a bunch of good but unranked teams - it's no small feat. But if everyone else is doing that also, and in addition has stronger teams on their schedule - there's no way you cant say Iowa and PSU don't luck out a bit next year.
February 20th, 2024 at 5:20 PM ^
Technical note - but don't necessarily have to beat Iowa State for that to happen. The other teams they play; if it was last year's Iowa (but this year's opponents), they could beat.
February 20th, 2024 at 2:17 PM ^
Even if they don't fall out of the tournament, they're still playing one more game than the 3rd place team who's likely in.
Meanwhile, the first place team got a "bye" but had to play a game for that bye - so they get to go to a NYD game but they play just as much as the conference-also-ran QF winners to get in - winning a QF vs winning a Conference Title, same number of games to get to NYD.
Yes, winning the title gives you a banner. It matters. But in terms of the playoff, I'm don't think it gives any advantage.
February 20th, 2024 at 2:28 PM ^
Good and fair points. So, there's probably a notable difference between "#2 and #3" - especially after the resuls of the CCG.
I look forward to seeing the B1G tiebreaker rules for the CCG.
And - as was noted about Iowa - if it hadn't been for a punt return being called a "fair catch" - instead of the punt returner guiding his blockers - Iowa would have finished the regular season with an 11-1 record.
February 20th, 2024 at 1:49 PM ^
True however the team sitting at home would be forced to play in the first round while at least the teams in the CCG would have a shot at a first round bye
February 20th, 2024 at 2:17 PM ^
I'd rather not play in the BTCG and instead be rewarded with a possible first-round home game, or worse case, you have to travel but you're still in the CFP.
The absolute worst case, which will happen at some point, will be when a team has to play a CCG, loses, and then is booted down to having to travel in the first round vs a team that didn't have to play in a CCG.
February 20th, 2024 at 1:37 PM ^
Am I understanding right that the top 4 seeds must be conference champs? Because that means a conference title game upset might see a team that's say #12 and 9-3 pull an upset in the title game and earn a top 4 seed. Is that right?
February 20th, 2024 at 1:45 PM ^
Yes that’s exactly right
February 20th, 2024 at 1:53 PM ^
Not sure that is exactly right. If the scenario you profit does happen, it is my understanding that it will be the 4 highest rated conference champions that get byes. In your upset example, there is no guarantee that the underdog winner will catapult to one of the top 4 conference championship teams.
It could happen, but it wouldn't necessarily be guaranteed.
Of course, my take could be completely wrong.
February 20th, 2024 at 1:56 PM ^
The odds of that team being one of the top 4 conference champs seems slim.
February 20th, 2024 at 2:18 PM ^
Have to disagree, since the 5th team will likely be from a non-power 4 conference. So, if (for example) #15 Kansas State beats #2 Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game, they are still likely to be ahead of #19 Memphis, who was the highest rated non-power conference champ.
February 22nd, 2024 at 6:22 PM ^
True, my brain was stuck in current football where there are 5 reasonable conferences instead 2 + 1 + 1.
February 20th, 2024 at 2:22 PM ^
Well, there are 4 power conferences and the fifth spot is likely going to the winner of the American or Mountain west. So a #12 team being a top 4 conference champ isn't too crazy.
However, for a 9-3 team to be conference champ in an 18 team conference with no divisions, they'd either lose 2 OOC games or would manage to be the second place team with 2 conference losses - something that happened in the Pac12 and SEC in 2022, so actually less crazy than I thought.
Yea, this is definitely happening at some point. Honestly not the worst thing tho. Much worse is a 13-0 major conference champ who beat 2 SEC teams being left out because their QB got injured.
February 20th, 2024 at 2:28 PM ^
"Much worse is a 13-0 major conference champ who beat 2 SEC teams being left out because their QB got injured."
Absolutely!!
February 20th, 2024 at 1:16 PM ^
Sure glad we got that championship before this format. Its gonna be wild and more prized then ever before.
February 20th, 2024 at 2:12 PM ^
I still can't believe we freaking won the championship! Still seems a bit surreal.
February 20th, 2024 at 3:52 PM ^
I rewatch the highlights regularly just to make sure it was real
February 20th, 2024 at 1:16 PM ^
3 SEC, 3 B1G, 1 ACC, 1 Big XII, 1 "Group of 5" ........ those teams aren't locked in and guaranteed. But they're effectively so.
In most years, I guess it will then be 5 teams fighting amongst 3 spots: (1) ND, (2) the 4th place SEC team, (3) the 4th place B1G team, (4) the 2nd place Big XII team and (5) the 2nd place ACC team.
If one takes the latest SP+ preseason numbers at complete face value, that means in 2024 9 slots go to Georgia, Texas, Alabama, OSU, Oregon, Michigan, Florida State, Utah and Tulane. Then choose 3 among Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Penn State, K-State and Clemson.
February 20th, 2024 at 1:19 PM ^
THWND
February 20th, 2024 at 2:25 PM ^
going to guess the committee will still look at who has the least losses. Unless it's Alabama.
IF they change that, it would be a big deal and we would see a lot more Big Ten-SEC September clashes. Possible test case is this year's Michigan vs this year's Iowa for the Big Ten's 3rd spot.
February 20th, 2024 at 2:32 PM ^
I heard that a "1-11" Bama is a lock to make the playoffs - as long as they don't lose to Mercer, Chattanooga, The Citadel, or other "late November OOC foes that are FCS instittions.
February 20th, 2024 at 3:43 PM ^
I'd be fine with that scenario. Georgia, OSU, Fla St and Utah with byes. Michigan Texas Alabama and Oregon host Tulane, Notre Dame K-State and Clemson. I'd not be unhappy with that allocation nor slate of games at all.
February 20th, 2024 at 1:19 PM ^
I would expect this means that the power 4 conference champions get a bye every year. I still think 8 is the optimal number, not 12, but at least we'll never have another controversy like the FSU one this year, or TCU ~a decade ago..
February 20th, 2024 at 1:53 PM ^
HH - I completely agree - eight (8) is the right number. And, an eight team structure would "finish" in three weekends.
Five - or four - Power conference champions, one Group of Five champion - and, let the CFP Selection Committee figure our the other two or three.
Use the "Rose, Sugar, Orange, and Cotton / Fiesta" bowl for the first round - every year. Then - move the semifinals / final around.
With 12 teams - it's going to take four weekends - which inherently, isn't a huge issue to me. However, what 12 (or more) teams does - is dilute the value of a conference championship - at least that's my perspective. And, what else can you do in four weekends? Oh - you can have a sixteen team playoff. And - I'm pretty sure that 12 will turn into 16 before too long - and, 16 dilutes the importance of a Conference Championship even more (which is a huge part of college football).
I haven't given one aspect of this much thought - which is - outside of Michigan / B1G - can you recall P5 conference champions - or CFP teams - more easily? I'd argue CFP teams.
February 20th, 2024 at 2:26 PM ^
I think this is going to go to 16 teams when the CFP sees some of the TV ratings (and ticket sales) from those first round games the next few seasons...meaningful December games are much more appealing than two non-power conference teams playing each other in a bowl game, with some of their best players sitting out.