Which is better, a 4, 8 or 16 team playoff?

[Joe_5700]

Damn the bowl games. The FCS has a 24 team playoff and the FBS should too. What other league in this country doesn't have a real playoff?

I once explained how college football works with polls and bowls etc. to someone from Europe who is a soccer fan and he couldn't understand why such a system would exist. We only accept it because it was like this the entire time. An eight team playoff in my opinion is the answer. Like others said, the higher seed get home field. That could force southern teams to actually play in some adverse weather for once!

 

[beorach]

Take the BCS, er, Power 5 conference champs and 2-3 from outside those conferences. You satisfy everyone that (makes sense to me that) way. A team that can't win its conference shouldn't be playing for the national title. The "mid-major" shouldn't be left out. If you go with seven teams, you let the #1 team have a bye. In either scenario, you should have seeding and home games ahead of the final to be perfect. You need to do what you can to keep the regular season meaningful.

 

[Whistlebritches]

I vote 8 because the conference championship games are essentially a round of 16.

 

[mrandyk]

Damn the bowl games. The FCS has a 24 team playoff and the FBS should too. What other league in this country doesn't have a real playoff?

I once explained how college football works with polls and bowls etc. to someone from Europe who is a soccer fan and he couldn't understand why such a system would exist. We only accept it because it was like this the entire time. An eight team playoff in my opinion is the answer. Like others said, the higher seed get home field. That could force southern teams to actually play in some adverse weather for once!

I can't understand how the system came to be and why it used until this year either. I don't know of any other league where there is no true champion named.
You get that European soccer fan to explain how their scheduling works. The notion of a team playing two different schedules with the same players at the same time is just baffling to me. I like the idea of relegation though, that's a concept I would like to see applied to the NCAA.

 

[BigRedBuster]

I have always banged my head against the wall with the thought that everyone ends the regular season. Then, privately ran bowls then choose who plays whom based on what conference is alligned with that bowl (prior to the season) and what team has the fan base that travels the best.

Then....somehow out of this, a champion is supposed to be named by people who, in no way shape or form, can watch every single game and know everything about every team and conference and for some reason their opinion is like God in crowning who is the NC.

But...hey....if, God forbid, these teams were to actually play on the field, some people believe that...well...that really doesn't tell you who is the best because it's just one game....bla bla bla.....

It has been a complete joke of a system and for some reason, some people have convinced themselves that THIS is what has made college football so great.

Have an 8 team playoff with conference champions. Like someone said, the CCG is essentially the round of 16. If you can't win your conference, then you don't deserve to win the NC.

 

[Count 'Bility]

I have always banged my head against the wall with the thought that everyone ends the regular season. Then, privately ran bowls then choose who plays whom based on what conference is alligned with that bowl (prior to the season) and what team has the fan base that travels the best.

Then....somehow out of this, a champion is supposed to be named by people who, in no way shape or form, can watch every single game and know everything about every team and conference and for some reason their opinion is like God in crowning who is the NC.

But...hey....if, God forbid, these teams were to actually play on the field, some people believe that...well...that really doesn't tell you who is the best because it's just one game....bla bla bla.....

It has been a complete joke of a system and for some reason, some people have convinced themselves that THIS is what has made college football so great.

Have an 8 team playoff with conference champions. Like someone said, the CCG is essentially the round of 16. If you can't win your conference, then you don't deserve to win the NC.

Well the main thing is that we've become so enamored with this "it should just be the best X teams. Conference titles shouldnt matter". And how do we judge this? By the ever-so-proclaimed "eye test". And after all is said and done, Florida St still finds themselves in the top 4, when they are clearly NOT one of the four best teams.

This is why I'm a big backer of an 8 team with power 5 champions getting a guarantee. Someone earlier made mention of 2012 Wisconsin. Well, they did go on to play a top 5 Stanford to the wire in the Rose Bowl with an interim coach, and all their losses were super close, so I think they did enough to show they belonged in that case.

Also, there would still be 3 wildcard spots, for those cases like 2013 Bama, where they lose on some freak play. Or 2012 Georgia, coming within one play of beating the eventual National Champions for that automatic bid. Which leads to my last point. It wouldnt merely at all render the non-con useless, cuz like I just said, there's 3 wildcard spots to compete for. Kinda like a mulligan. The regular season would be even more intense with automatic playoff bids on the line. That week 10 matchup of a couple of 2 loss teams that used to have no real national implications now becomes huge. Our lineup of nationally important games on any given week probably doubles, if not more.

The committee's job doesnt become useless either. They still have seedings to determine, and for 8 teams nonetheless. And, if the first round were to be at home sites (which I think would be warranted and frickin awesome), would have huge ramifications on the system. And, LIKE I SAID, there's still 3 huge wildcard spots to determine, which is only ONE less than what theyre doing now.

 

[mrandyk]

I have always banged my head against the wall with the thought that everyone ends the regular season. Then, privately ran bowls then choose who plays whom based on what conference is alligned with that bowl (prior to the season) and what team has the fan base that travels the best.

Then....somehow out of this, a champion is supposed to be named by people who, in no way shape or form, can watch every single game and know everything about every team and conference and for some reason their opinion is like God in crowning who is the NC.

But...hey....if, God forbid, these teams were to actually play on the field, some people believe that...well...that really doesn't tell you who is the best because it's just one game....bla bla bla.....

It has been a complete joke of a system and for some reason, some people have convinced themselves that THIS is what has made college football so great.

Have an 8 team playoff with conference champions. Like someone said, the CCG is essentially the round of 16. If you can't win your conference, then you don't deserve to win the NC.

Well the main thing is that we've become so enamored with this "it should just be the best X teams. Conference titles shouldnt matter". And how do we judge this? By the ever-so-proclaimed "eye test". And after all is said and done, Florida St still finds themselves in the top 4, when they are clearly NOT one of the four best teams.
This is why I'm a big backer of an 8 team with power 5 champions getting a guarantee. Someone earlier made mention of 2012 Wisconsin. Well, they did go on to play a top 5 Stanford to the wire in the Rose Bowl with an interim coach, and all their losses were super close, so I think they did enough to show they belonged in that case.

Also, there would still be 3 wildcard spots, for those cases like 2013 Bama, where they lose on some freak play. Or 2012 Georgia, coming within one play of beating the eventual National Champions for that automatic bid. Which leads to my last point. It wouldnt merely at all render the non-con useless, cuz like I just said, there's 3 wildcard spots to compete for. Kinda like a mulligan. The regular season would be even more intense with automatic playoff bids on the line. That week 10 matchup of a couple of 2 loss teams that used to have no real national implications now becomes huge. Our lineup of nationally important games on any given week probably doubles, if not more.

The committee's job doesnt become useless either. They still have seedings to determine, and for 8 teams nonetheless. And, if the first round were to be at home sites (which I think would be warranted and frickin awesome), would have huge ramifications on the system. And, LIKE I SAID, there's still 3 huge wildcard spots to determine, which is only ONE less than what theyre doing now.

FSU clearly not a top 4 team? They went undefeated, none of the other 200+ teams at either level of D1 football went undefeated. They are also on a 30+ game win streak that includes an Orange Bowl and BCS Title. The champion is champion until someone beats them, FSU belongs in the playoff.

 

[Count 'Bility]

I have always banged my head against the wall with the thought that everyone ends the regular season. Then, privately ran bowls then choose who plays whom based on what conference is alligned with that bowl (prior to the season) and what team has the fan base that travels the best.

Then....somehow out of this, a champion is supposed to be named by people who, in no way shape or form, can watch every single game and know everything about every team and conference and for some reason their opinion is like God in crowning who is the NC.

But...hey....if, God forbid, these teams were to actually play on the field, some people believe that...well...that really doesn't tell you who is the best because it's just one game....bla bla bla.....

It has been a complete joke of a system and for some reason, some people have convinced themselves that THIS is what has made college football so great.

Have an 8 team playoff with conference champions. Like someone said, the CCG is essentially the round of 16. If you can't win your conference, then you don't deserve to win the NC.

Well the main thing is that we've become so enamored with this "it should just be the best X teams. Conference titles shouldnt matter". And how do we judge this? By the ever-so-proclaimed "eye test". And after all is said and done, Florida St still finds themselves in the top 4, when they are clearly NOT one of the four best teams.
This is why I'm a big backer of an 8 team with power 5 champions getting a guarantee. Someone earlier made mention of 2012 Wisconsin. Well, they did go on to play a top 5 Stanford to the wire in the Rose Bowl with an interim coach, and all their losses were super close, so I think they did enough to show they belonged in that case.

Also, there would still be 3 wildcard spots, for those cases like 2013 Bama, where they lose on some freak play. Or 2012 Georgia, coming within one play of beating the eventual National Champions for that automatic bid. Which leads to my last point. It wouldnt merely at all render the non-con useless, cuz like I just said, there's 3 wildcard spots to compete for. Kinda like a mulligan. The regular season would be even more intense with automatic playoff bids on the line. That week 10 matchup of a couple of 2 loss teams that used to have no real national implications now becomes huge. Our lineup of nationally important games on any given week probably doubles, if not more.

The committee's job doesnt become useless either. They still have seedings to determine, and for 8 teams nonetheless. And, if the first round were to be at home sites (which I think would be warranted and frickin awesome), would have huge ramifications on the system. And, LIKE I SAID, there's still 3 huge wildcard spots to determine, which is only ONE less than what theyre doing now.

FSU clearly not a top 4 team? They went undefeated, none of the other 200+ teams at either level of D1 football went undefeated. They are also on a 30+ game win streak that includes an Orange Bowl and BCS Title. The champion is champion until someone beats them, FSU belongs in the playoff.

well its my opinion but its pretty clear that florida st would get boat raced by any one of the other 5 teams (bama, oregon, ohio st, baylor, tcu) on any given day on a nuetral field. If you cant see that i dont know what youre watching. Undefeated or not, defending champions or not, Florida st is not one of the top 4 best teams. I thought thats what this was supposed to be about. And what happened last tear should have no bearing either.

Of course b

Now theyll hit their stride after 13 games and win the whole thing again ansd prove me wrong (bangs head on wall)

 

[mrandyk]

I have always banged my head against the wall with the thought that everyone ends the regular season. Then, privately ran bowls then choose who plays whom based on what conference is alligned with that bowl (prior to the season) and what team has the fan base that travels the best.

Then....somehow out of this, a champion is supposed to be named by people who, in no way shape or form, can watch every single game and know everything about every team and conference and for some reason their opinion is like God in crowning who is the NC.

But...hey....if, God forbid, these teams were to actually play on the field, some people believe that...well...that really doesn't tell you who is the best because it's just one game....bla bla bla.....

It has been a complete joke of a system and for some reason, some people have convinced themselves that THIS is what has made college football so great.

Have an 8 team playoff with conference champions. Like someone said, the CCG is essentially the round of 16. If you can't win your conference, then you don't deserve to win the NC.

Well the main thing is that we've become so enamored with this "it should just be the best X teams. Conference titles shouldnt matter". And how do we judge this? By the ever-so-proclaimed "eye test". And after all is said and done, Florida St still finds themselves in the top 4, when they are clearly NOT one of the four best teams.
This is why I'm a big backer of an 8 team with power 5 champions getting a guarantee. Someone earlier made mention of 2012 Wisconsin. Well, they did go on to play a top 5 Stanford to the wire in the Rose Bowl with an interim coach, and all their losses were super close, so I think they did enough to show they belonged in that case.

Also, there would still be 3 wildcard spots, for those cases like 2013 Bama, where they lose on some freak play. Or 2012 Georgia, coming within one play of beating the eventual National Champions for that automatic bid. Which leads to my last point. It wouldnt merely at all render the non-con useless, cuz like I just said, there's 3 wildcard spots to compete for. Kinda like a mulligan. The regular season would be even more intense with automatic playoff bids on the line. That week 10 matchup of a couple of 2 loss teams that used to have no real national implications now becomes huge. Our lineup of nationally important games on any given week probably doubles, if not more.

The committee's job doesnt become useless either. They still have seedings to determine, and for 8 teams nonetheless. And, if the first round were to be at home sites (which I think would be warranted and frickin awesome), would have huge ramifications on the system. And, LIKE I SAID, there's still 3 huge wildcard spots to determine, which is only ONE less than what theyre doing now.

FSU clearly not a top 4 team? They went undefeated, none of the other 200+ teams at either level of D1 football went undefeated. They are also on a 30+ game win streak that includes an Orange Bowl and BCS Title. The champion is champion until someone beats them, FSU belongs in the playoff.

well its my opinion but its pretty clear that florida st would get boat raced by any one of the other 5 teams (bama, oregon, ohio st, baylor, tcu) on any given day on a nuetral field. If you cant see that i dont know what youre watching. Undefeated or not, defending champions or not, Florida st is not one of the top 4 best teams. I thought thats what this was supposed to be about. And what happened last tear should have no bearing either.

Of course b

Now theyll hit their stride after 13 games and win the whole thing again ansd prove me wrong (bangs head on wall)

They've certainly had some ugly wins, but if 13-0 with a power 5 title isn't good enough for the playoffs then we are pretty much in the same position college football has been in the last hundred years. Group of voters saying a team is best just because. Thankfully, we will see someone prove they're best out on the field this year.

 

[Count 'Bility]

I have always banged my head against the wall with the thought that everyone ends the regular season. Then, privately ran bowls then choose who plays whom based on what conference is alligned with that bowl (prior to the season) and what team has the fan base that travels the best.

Then....somehow out of this, a champion is supposed to be named by people who, in no way shape or form, can watch every single game and know everything about every team and conference and for some reason their opinion is like God in crowning who is the NC.

But...hey....if, God forbid, these teams were to actually play on the field, some people believe that...well...that really doesn't tell you who is the best because it's just one game....bla bla bla.....

It has been a complete joke of a system and for some reason, some people have convinced themselves that THIS is what has made college football so great.

Have an 8 team playoff with conference champions. Like someone said, the CCG is essentially the round of 16. If you can't win your conference, then you don't deserve to win the NC.

Well the main thing is that we've become so enamored with this "it should just be the best X teams. Conference titles shouldnt matter". And how do we judge this? By the ever-so-proclaimed "eye test". And after all is said and done, Florida St still finds themselves in the top 4, when they are clearly NOT one of the four best teams.
This is why I'm a big backer of an 8 team with power 5 champions getting a guarantee. Someone earlier made mention of 2012 Wisconsin. Well, they did go on to play a top 5 Stanford to the wire in the Rose Bowl with an interim coach, and all their losses were super close, so I think they did enough to show they belonged in that case.

Also, there would still be 3 wildcard spots, for those cases like 2013 Bama, where they lose on some freak play. Or 2012 Georgia, coming within one play of beating the eventual National Champions for that automatic bid. Which leads to my last point. It wouldnt merely at all render the non-con useless, cuz like I just said, there's 3 wildcard spots to compete for. Kinda like a mulligan. The regular season would be even more intense with automatic playoff bids on the line. That week 10 matchup of a couple of 2 loss teams that used to have no real national implications now becomes huge. Our lineup of nationally important games on any given week probably doubles, if not more.

The committee's job doesnt become useless either. They still have seedings to determine, and for 8 teams nonetheless. And, if the first round were to be at home sites (which I think would be warranted and frickin awesome), would have huge ramifications on the system. And, LIKE I SAID, there's still 3 huge wildcard spots to determine, which is only ONE less than what theyre doing now.

FSU clearly not a top 4 team? They went undefeated, none of the other 200+ teams at either level of D1 football went undefeated. They are also on a 30+ game win streak that includes an Orange Bowl and BCS Title. The champion is champion until someone beats them, FSU belongs in the playoff.

well its my opinion but its pretty clear that florida st would get boat raced by any one of the other 5 teams (bama, oregon, ohio st, baylor, tcu) on any given day on a nuetral field. If you cant see that i dont know what youre watching. Undefeated or not, defending champions or not, Florida st is not one of the top 4 best teams.I thought thats what this was supposed to be about. And what happened last tear should have no bearing either.

Of course b

Now theyll hit their stride after 13 games and win the whole thing again ansd prove me wrong (bangs head on wall)

They've certainly had some ugly wins, but if 13-0 with a power 5 title isn't good enough for the playoffs then we are pretty much in the same position college football has been in the last hundred years. Group of voters saying a team is best just because. Thankfully, we will see someone prove they're best out on the field this year.

Hey man. I agree. I feel the same way. And undefeated record and conference championship out of a power 5 deserves a spot. I would hope the same for any Big Ten team. I'm just being fair about it in what I see. Florida St is not one of the top 4 best teams. They decided not to put much emphasis on conference championships (until it became convenient for them to use the Big12's split as an out to avoid the TCU/Baylor controversy) because everyone wants the 4 BEST TEAMS. Which Florida St at this point is not. It's not just a few ugly wins. Every game for them this year has been ugly. The ugly wins are not a fluke. It's a solid reflection of what they are. They went unbeaten through the weak ACC-arguable the weakest conference in the P5. Their supposed big OOC win over Ok St isnt even relatively impressive anymore. And I have no problem claiming this would be a 7-5 or 8-4 team in the Big 12, Pac 12, or SEC. In the Big Ten? I think Ohio St would handle em. Michigan St and Wisconsin could beat em.

Again this is just my opinion.

 

[BigRedBuster]

I have always banged my head against the wall with the thought that everyone ends the regular season. Then, privately ran bowls then choose who plays whom based on what conference is alligned with that bowl (prior to the season) and what team has the fan base that travels the best.

Then....somehow out of this, a champion is supposed to be named by people who, in no way shape or form, can watch every single game and know everything about every team and conference and for some reason their opinion is like God in crowning who is the NC.

But...hey....if, God forbid, these teams were to actually play on the field, some people believe that...well...that really doesn't tell you who is the best because it's just one game....bla bla bla.....

It has been a complete joke of a system and for some reason, some people have convinced themselves that THIS is what has made college football so great.

Have an 8 team playoff with conference champions. Like someone said, the CCG is essentially the round of 16. If you can't win your conference, then you don't deserve to win the NC.

Well the main thing is that we've become so enamored with this "it should just be the best X teams. Conference titles shouldnt matter". And how do we judge this? By the ever-so-proclaimed "eye test". And after all is said and done, Florida St still finds themselves in the top 4, when they are clearly NOT one of the four best teams.
This is why I'm a big backer of an 8 team with power 5 champions getting a guarantee. Someone earlier made mention of 2012 Wisconsin. Well, they did go on to play a top 5 Stanford to the wire in the Rose Bowl with an interim coach, and all their losses were super close, so I think they did enough to show they belonged in that case.

Also, there would still be 3 wildcard spots, for those cases like 2013 Bama, where they lose on some freak play. Or 2012 Georgia, coming within one play of beating the eventual National Champions for that automatic bid. Which leads to my last point. It wouldnt merely at all render the non-con useless, cuz like I just said, there's 3 wildcard spots to compete for. Kinda like a mulligan. The regular season would be even more intense with automatic playoff bids on the line. That week 10 matchup of a couple of 2 loss teams that used to have no real national implications now becomes huge. Our lineup of nationally important games on any given week probably doubles, if not more.

The committee's job doesnt become useless either. They still have seedings to determine, and for 8 teams nonetheless. And, if the first round were to be at home sites (which I think would be warranted and frickin awesome), would have huge ramifications on the system. And, LIKE I SAID, there's still 3 huge wildcard spots to determine, which is only ONE less than what theyre doing now.

FSU clearly not a top 4 team? They went undefeated, none of the other 200+ teams at either level of D1 football went undefeated. They are also on a 30+ game win streak that includes an Orange Bowl and BCS Title. The champion is champion until someone beats them, FSU belongs in the playoff.

Thanks for proving the problem with the "eye test". It's a joke and an insult to everyone's intelligence that likes college football. Yes, they deserve to be in because they won their conference and are undefeated. But, in no way shape or form if you watch their games to they play like they are a top 4 team.

 

[Husker NoNo]

12 Teams. Power 5 champions. C-USA Champion, MAC Champ, and Mountain West Champion with 4 at large. The top 4 seeds get a bye, and everyone is happy.

The playoff is going to make too much money to exclude non power 5's. There will be a lawsuit.

On what grounds would they file a lawsuit? Not trying to be abrasive - I'm genuinely curious.

No worries! If non-power5 school pursued litigation, I would assume it would be around restraint of trade and anti-trust. I am no lawyer, but I believe the NCAA's record in Sherman Anti-Trust lawsuits is horrible. Something like 0-5 dating back to OU/Georgia v. NCAA. Could just be the conspiracy theorist in me, but I do not believe that they are abiding by this precedent.