Conference Realignment

[Redux]

 

 

 

 

 

There should be 8 conferences. Each conference champion is in the playoffs. If you don't win your conference, no playoffs for you.

 

Sounds terrible.

If by terrible you mean exactly ideal, then yes.

Terrible.

 

The odds of the eight best teams in the country all being in different conferences is infinitesimal. And what good is having a playoff if you're not going to let the best teams in?

If we had 8 equal conferences (listed in OP) and an 8 team playoff, it would be beyond stupid to select more than one from any conference over an actual conference champion.

Even with the way things are set up right now I think it's total BS a non champion can get in. "Hey great job going 12-1 and winning your league, buuuuuuuuut ya see Auburn played a bunch of tough games we deemed tough in July and they only lost to Alabama by 25 points who won the SEC, so we're choosing them over you. Sowwy!"

(Edit: It's just an example, don't read too much into it. I'm just in the win your league to earn your spot camp.)

So you think it would be "beyond stupid" to select a 11-1 team over an 8-5 team because the 8-5 team "deserved" to be there because they won a poor conference?

Yes, I do. The 8-5 team, which would be very rare, would get knocked out fairly quickly by a top seed. If there was a better team that lost to them, tough tuckus. They should have been better when they needed to be, if they couldn't beat 8-5 team they prolly weren't going to win the playoff anyways.

[RedRider!]

+1 to the idea of 8 conferences, with an 8 team playoff featuring each conference winner. As long as all conference are even somewhat balanced, that's ideal.

 

Just for sh#ts and giggles, this has always been my idea of a perfect bread-basket conference:

1. Nebraska - OU

2. Wisconsin - Texas

3. Iowa - Oklahoma State

4. Minnesota - Kansas State

5. Wyoming - Texas Tech

6. North Dakota State - Kansas

 

 

1. Oklahoma

2. Oklahoma State

3. Kansas

4. Kansas State

5. Texas

6. Texas Tech

[Redux]

Without a conference championship as a requirement it puts less emphasis on winning your league. Imagine how much better teams would be if they knew winning their division and conference were required for playoff contention.

 

As of right now with 5 power 5 teams I see no reason we couldn't make it a requirement. Basically the committee would have to decide 2 things:

 

1) Which of the Power 5 champs sucked enough to get left out (Hello Big 12)

 

2) Is Notre Dame undefeated? No? Buh bye.

 

Maybe I'm still jaded about Okie State getting left out of the BCS title game in favor of a Bama team that lost their division, but I still believe conference championships should mean something more than a pat on the back.