81% of All CFP Games Have Been Won by Clemson, Bama, and OSU
17 of the 21 CFP games have been won by the aforementioned 3 teams in the 7 years of the CFP. LSU (2), Georgia, and Oregon are the only other teams to win a game. I agree that expanding the playoffs will likely result in the same teams winning anyway, but it'll at least add more interesting games for more fanbases to take interest in.
I like the idea of 6 teams: top 2 teams get a bye and first round played on campus sites. This year would've been Oklahoma at OSU and A&M at ND. Much more interesting games than the three we got this year, imo
What steps need to be taken to get the CFP to become watchable?
January 12th, 2021 at 12:24 AM ^
Allow Day to coach against any team besides Clemson or Bama in the championship - and you are essentially guaranteed to have a new team win it all.
January 12th, 2021 at 3:48 AM ^
+1 to Putin. :)
January 12th, 2021 at 12:26 AM ^
threaten to remove the tax exempt status for college football.
Then it becomes an IRS/treasury jurisdiction that has subpoena power.
Or the NCAA could exercise their mandate and actually police these cheating mofos. . .
Yes, I'm jaded and regurgitating the same tired lines, but that doesn't make it any less true.
January 12th, 2021 at 12:29 AM ^
8 team playoff. It will potentially lessen the stranglehold the perennial conference champions of getting all of the best recruits because they know they will be the only teams vying for the cfb ( bama, clemson, osu)
January 12th, 2021 at 5:48 AM ^
Yep, need to loosen the strangehold those 3 teams have on the CFP. Expand the playoff, remove conference championships which are just 2nd chance games for these top teams. Then maybe you see the oligarchy weaken
January 12th, 2021 at 9:04 AM ^
Just have a 16-team NCAA tournament like every other level of football does.
January 12th, 2021 at 9:55 AM ^
That's my frustration with FBS. People act like it's super different or super special. Just do a normal playoff like every other level of football. It isn't hard. You don't need an ESPN invitational. It's straightforward
January 12th, 2021 at 9:16 AM ^
Just for fun, an 8 team playoff based on the CFP would've had:
1 Alabama vs 8 Cincinnati
4 notre dame vs 5 TAMU
2 Clemson vs 7 Florida
3 osu vs 6 Oklahoma
If we used the AP poll, it would've been as follows. Indiana in the CFP and intrastate osu-cincy would've been fun.
1 Alabama vs 8 Oklahoma
4 notre dame vs 5 TAMU
2 Clemson vs 7 Windiana
3 osu vs 6 Cincinnati
January 12th, 2021 at 10:54 AM ^
Doesnt change it much, but I think anything larger than 4 would likely come with a Power 5 conference champ auto-inclusion so Oregon would likely be the 8 seed and probably drop Florida to keep Cincinnati in for a single non-Power 5 auto inclusion as well.
January 12th, 2021 at 12:45 PM ^
I feel like you'd have to put some sort of caveat or limit around the P5 champ auto-inclusion thing. Oregon is a fringe top 25 team at best this season. #25 to the CFP, #29 to the AP poll voters. In an 8 team play-off, the a P5 champ is not in the top 8, but in the top 12, let them play. Otherwise, too bad.
January 12th, 2021 at 12:35 AM ^
Need to change something because next season Bama, Clemson, and OSU are the favorites again
January 12th, 2021 at 2:05 AM ^
Hey if we can just hit on our new D-Coordinator, find some DTs and CBs in the portal, quickly develop a quarterback, shore up the o-line, learn to run tempo, and get things to make sense from a play calling standpoint we could be right in the mix next year if we give it a good go
January 12th, 2021 at 7:41 AM ^
Right in the mix to be the 4th team that gets crushed in round 1 by Alabama....
...if 57 unlikely things happen and the stars align...
Even if some miracle happens and Harbaugh gets Michigan to its ceiling (2016 team with a QB good enough to be drafted in early rounds)...that only means that Michigan does what ND did this year...
When the no. 4 team has only about the 3% chance of beating no. 1 or no. 2...yeah, CFB is broken.
For decades no. 4 vs. no. 1 was usually a toss-up game.
January 12th, 2021 at 12:41 AM ^
Those odds are more impressive than SECs Panthers success rate.
January 12th, 2021 at 12:50 AM ^
OSU wastes a ton of talent. For a team that supposedly recruits at Bama level (or just below), they’ve underwhelmed in the biggest games.
January 12th, 2021 at 9:30 AM ^
In the six years Harbaugh has been at UM, the B1G, as a conference, has won a single CFP game.
Beating Alabama/Clemson is really, really hard to do.
January 12th, 2021 at 11:58 AM ^
Urban Meyer's bowl record was 5-2, Day is 1-2 so far. In what world is that underwhelming?
January 12th, 2021 at 12:53 AM ^
8 teams, 5 autobids, no conference gets more than two teams in the playoff. First round bye is too much of an advantage.
January 12th, 2021 at 12:57 AM ^
how many guys from this famous thread were drafted? https://247sports.com/college/usc/Board/29/Contents/Alabamas-Recruiting…
until we care as much as Bama nation it will be hard to compete.
January 12th, 2021 at 8:56 AM ^
+1.
The amount of concentrated talent at Bama since Saban took over is way beyond what any other team has ever had. It's weird that the Ole Misses and Tennessees of the world get busted for impermissible benefits everytime their recruiting classes start to look like Bama's. Sour grapes yes, but c'mon man. The games are no fun when a few teams are allowed to cheat.
January 12th, 2021 at 9:14 AM ^
I'm curious about Bama these days tho. Do they really continue to cheat in the recruiting front? At this point it really feels like its the easiest recruiting program in the country given all the winning they do.
January 12th, 2021 at 9:21 AM ^
It could be that Ole Miss and Tennessee have to do a bit more than Alabama to get talent onto their campus.
January 12th, 2021 at 9:37 AM ^
In the Ole Miss and Tennessee case the program knew what was going on. Hugh Freeze was arranging escorts on his work issued phone for crying out loud.
A good bagmen network gives the program plausible deniability because the program doesn't know who these guys are and they aren't seeking recognition. Just making sure that the "decision makers" in the recruits life are "taken care of". Read the bagmen article. It is fascinating.
Even in Tressell's case. He didn't get in trouble because Pryor and the guys were selling apparel and getting free tattoos. He got in trouble because when he found out about through an email from IIRC a booster who was was an attorney it he didn't report it.
January 12th, 2021 at 1:12 AM ^
The national champion should lose 10 scholarships the year after they win.
January 12th, 2021 at 1:19 AM ^
they should just cut 10 kids? That's a bit harsh.
January 12th, 2021 at 8:37 AM ^
CFB Playoff teams having less scholarships is actually an interesting handicapping idea. The semi-finalists have a certain amount less, the finalists fewer still, and the champion even less. You would have to move the NSD back into January to accomplish this. And the numbers game for the high school seniors could get even more unseemly than it already is, but the idea is a fun one to jawbone about.
January 12th, 2021 at 1:23 AM ^
12 or 16 teams. 10 conference champion auto bids. 2 or 6 at large
January 12th, 2021 at 1:50 AM ^
There are years where conference champions have 5+ losses
I think putting in Miami University, who last year went 8-6 but won the MAC, is not a good use of a playoff spot
I'm for undefeated group of 5 teams getting a shot with the big boys since we've seen them do it before, but feeding sec schools .500 group of five teams will strengthen the narrative that those teams don't belong
January 12th, 2021 at 7:45 AM ^
Is that because they 'won the MAC' by winning the MAC CCG?
January 12th, 2021 at 8:52 AM ^
Good use? NFL has 14 playoff spots for 32 teams (8/8 division champs receive auto bid). NFL teams regularly make the NFL playoffs with losing records. FCS has 24 playoff spots for 127 teams (10/13 conferences receive autobid). D2 has 28 playoff spots for 163 teams (top 7 teams from each of 4 super regions go to playoff). D2 has 32 playoff spots for 250 teams (27/28 conferences receive autobid).
FBS seems to be alone in having only 4 playoff spots for 130 teams. And realistically only 65 (P5+ND) teams have a chance at being invited.
If 8-6 MAC champion Miami University rolls off wins against #5, #4, #1 and then #2 (If you go by chalk in a 12 seed tournament) who is to say they aren't worthy of being declared the National Champion?
And don't tell me about blowouts. The B1G ten champ blew out the ACC champ and the SEC champ blew out the B1G champ.
January 12th, 2021 at 8:05 AM ^
Agreed. Give the non-Power 5 conferences a chance for a special season, even if they’re not undefeated or they’re 7-5 or 8-4. It’s harder for those teams to build a dynasty when the already established ones keep rolling into the playoffs every year, forcing the others out. No wonder Alabama, Clemson, and OSU win them over 80% of the time....
January 12th, 2021 at 1:54 AM ^
What does one do with so many trophies?
January 12th, 2021 at 1:59 AM ^
Three things would help the current crappy state of college football:
1. Expand the playoffs. This will do two important things:
A) More programs routinely making the playoffs will eventually spread out the elite talent to more teams. Right now, if you are an elite player who wants exposure in the playoffs you go to 3 or 4 teams out of 130. This has to change.
B) A larger playoff will cause more injury attrition. Look at tonight's game: the stud OSU RB and the stud Bama WR both got knocked out of the game with significant injuries. What if this was a final four game instead of the final? In the NFL, injury attrition is probably the second biggest factor in who ends up winning the Super Bowl. It is a natural part of the sport at every level. Also, literally every other level of football besides Div1 has playoff pools of at least 12 teams.
I would make the playoffs at least 8 teams. And I wouldn't be opposed to something even larger like 12 teams or 16 like Div2 and Div3. For those who think larger playoffs would only have more blowouts, uh... have you been watching this CFP shitshow for the last 7 years? Mostly blowout anyway. The benefit of having more teams greatly exceeds any concerns about the frequency of competitive games.
2. Make NIL compensation legal nationwide. This will give more incentive to go play for other teams rather than the handful of programs that use bag men. And it gets the payment of players out in the open and above-board. That can then become an explicit recruiting tool for programs like Michigan. The NCAA is a farce and the current situation is very unfair to the teams who try to play by the rules.
3. Rescind the stupid restrictions on satellite football camps. Programs should be able to go conduct recruiting camps where the talent hotbeds are. The NCAA prohibiting something that was an absolute positive for the PLAYERS is a total disgrace.
January 12th, 2021 at 7:55 AM ^
Agree on all three ideas, but...partial solution, at best...
High 4 and 5 star guys are accumulating at Bama and at OSU in large part because they have become factories for getting many guys into the NFL, and in the early rounds. They are doing this in numbers, and for a sustained period, that has never before happened in CFB.
One reason Michigan can still recruit well is that Michigan has done well under Harbaugh getting guys into the NFL (6th or 7th best, IIRC).
But the gap to the number of guys Bama and OSU are getting into the NFL is huge.
They have structured everything their programs to get a lot of guys drafted, and in earlier rounds. For a lot of recruits that is the cake. Getting to the playoff and winning 90% of the games is just icing.
January 12th, 2021 at 8:17 AM ^
Much easier to get players drafted, especially that high, when you have the highest rated recruits.
January 12th, 2021 at 8:52 AM ^
Of course.
But they are able to perpetuate the whole thing (keep on bringing in the top players) in part BC they have structured everything in their programs with the goal of getting a huge amount of guys into the NFL, and lots of high round picks.
The OSU and Bama programs are just structured and run in a very different way than Michigan, or really about 98% of the CFB programs...
The stuff about Gattis and Mattison saying Bama and OSU work harder/put in more time...that is just one small glimpse into why those programs are light years ahead of 98% of CFB...
January 12th, 2021 at 9:09 AM ^
If the cake is getting drafted in the first round, and the playoffs are just icing.... why aren't more Alabama players sitting out of the CFP games?
January 12th, 2021 at 12:50 PM ^
Icing is still good!
Cap One Bowl is castor oil...
O.k, but more seriously, I just mean WRT recruiting (not whether guys decide to sit out of a bowl game).
The idea is 'at Bama we are set up in every way to develop you to be a high NFL draft pick' is a much more powerful recruiting sell than 'you will be in the CFB playoff two or three times.'
January 12th, 2021 at 3:58 AM ^
Who cares. Alabama, Clemson, central Ohio are hell holes in the country and humanity. Let them have this. They’ve certainly cheated hard for it and are producing good players. Accept the current model. Like other unfair business models in America.
January 12th, 2021 at 8:59 AM ^
Columbus OH and the Upstate of SC are actually both nice...cant speak to Tuscallosa though
January 12th, 2021 at 4:00 AM ^
I used to think an N-team playoff would be best (where N is 8 or 16).
But with #1 vs. #N, #2 vs. #(N-1), and so on, there might be many uninteresting blowouts.
At least regular bowls try usually to pick interesting matchups.
I don't know. If the system didn't have so much inertia, we could try stuff out and see if it is more fun or less, and change back or keep it, and so on. With lots of inertia, we are stuck for many years with whatever system folks pick.
January 12th, 2021 at 5:36 AM ^
I realize I probably have the minority, old guy get off my lawn view, but I liked the old system better, albeit with a “plus 1” addition. The playoffs have unintentionally ruined college football, and it has created 3 “royalty” teams, with everyone a commoner. The traditional bowls were seen as a reward for a good season. Now, kids drop out unless they’re in the playoff. I am pretty sure in previous years high school kids picked Michigan in part because they had a good chance at going to the Rose Bowl. The “plus 1” concept allows a championship to be decided on the field. Usually it was pretty obvious who the two best teams were after the bowls were played. This approach honors the student athlete, especially the 90% who don’t have a meaningful NFL career. It also allows the conference championships to proceed as is. Most of all, it will dilute the talent. I could be wrong, but somehow I doubt DJ Uigalalei (sp), Bryce Young, and Najee Harris all would have left CA if the goal was playing in the Rose Bowl rather than in the college playoffs. Old man rant over. Oh, I don’t think NIL is going to level the field that much. Linebackers, offensive linemen, defensive tackles, and other essential but non glamorous positions won’t benefit much from NIL-bagmen will not become obsolete,
January 12th, 2021 at 7:08 AM ^
Yes, thank you for posting. Playoffs are NFL, not intended for college.
Under the old college football bowl system the reward of a national championship wasn’t the winner of a contrived invitational playoff system, it was the best season.
Every school from every conference was invited and each week was a playoff game. College football cannot create a playoff even if it expands to 8 without unintended consequences.
January 12th, 2021 at 9:24 AM ^
Division II and III have had playoffs since '73
FCS has had playoffs since '78
In '73 for D1 you had 11 bowl games for 124 teams.
In '78 for D1-A you had 15 bowl games for 128 teams
In 2019 for FBS you had 40 bowl games for 130 teams.
Bowls used to be exclusive, now they are just a money grab and an excuse for 3 more weeks of practice. Going to a larger playoff in FBS will make the post season more meaningful.
January 12th, 2021 at 12:59 PM ^
Exactly which is why out of something like 130 D2 schools, NW Missouri St and Grand Valley have been in virtually every D2 playoff championship game over the last 20 years, which is dull and boring. Is that what you want? it's happening over the last 5 years.
In 1973, every D1 school was "invited" to play for the National Championship. Every week was in a way a playoff game with huge implications.
The mythical national championship was never really controversial (with few exceptions), the desire to have the top teams play at the end of the season has marginalized the conferences and regular seasons.
I contend the National Championship goes to the best season, not the team that wins a playoff where only 4 teams are invited.
Finally, NFL bound recruits aren't interested in D2 schools, but want maximum exposure to playoff bound Clemson, OSU and Alabama. Najee got what he wanted in the end, and that gravy train for those dark star programs is not coming to any end soon.
January 12th, 2021 at 12:43 PM ^
FCS has had a playoff for longer than you've been alive, and in the old system, the only teams that had a reasonable chance at a national title had to start the season ranked in the top 10 of the AP or they had no chance. It was a ludicrous system.
January 12th, 2021 at 12:48 PM ^
If I could wave a magic wand for college football's health and long term future, I would have gone back to the creation of the Bowl Alliance and just told everyone to stop doing dumb shit and just do a +1 game.
The BCS killed everything.
January 12th, 2021 at 5:46 AM ^
The CFP and ESPN are making college football boring. 2-3 super teams fight for a title every year. Feels like the rest of us are playing a different sport. College football is going to have to figure out something soon or they're really going to damage interest. The NFL is a far more watchable league nowadays just because there's uncertainty and actual competition for the championships
January 12th, 2021 at 8:26 AM ^
I agree. I never thought I would see the day when my interest level int he NFL far exceeded college but I arrived a few years ago. The biggest thing to me (and I love well planned and executed offensive football) is there has become less and less offensive vs defensive balance every year in college. Offense runs the NFL, no question, but there is still at least balance.
To me, the biggest issue with parity in college now is rule changes and officiating in the name of safety. "Safety" has pretty much given the offense carte blanche to do whatever they want on the field. When a talented team can use tempo and move the ball down the field in less than 3 minutes and score semi-consistently, possessions increase. When possessions increase, variability decreases (the law of large numbers). The really talented teams have figured this out and exploit it to their advantage, and frankly I cannot blame them for that.
You're never going to go back to the rock-fight days of the Big Ten in 1960's and 1970's but in my opinion a better question that should be asked is how to do you give defenses a shot in this day age?