CFB Commissioners: Games Are Too Long

The championship game showed why there is a need for fewer replays and an improvement in game flow. An incredible amount of time was wasted reviewing plays that ended up not being overturned, and one of my biggest grievances is the format. I remember a punt downed at the one-yard line in the second half by Bama that was reviewed for the spot. The white hat has to tell everyone, then run to a headset, listen, take the headset off, tell everybody the result and then get played resumed. That play could've been reviewed by an official in a booth within seconds, yet a couple minutes were wasted.

I work a pretty standard 8-5 shift, as I'm sure many people here do and much of America does. A 4 1/2 hour game that ends at 11:30 is just too much.

I'm actually a big supporter of NFL game clock rules. Fewer plays and lower scores presumably. One downside to this, however, is records. More time equals more plays which means more chances to break records and that would become more difficult now.

 
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I say shorten the time it takes to review a play. If you can't tell within 20 seconds, it stands as called.

 
The problem with saying "they shouldn't have reviewed that - the didn't overturn it" is that they don't know if they're not going to overturn it until they review it. Each time, Clemson was flying up to the line trying to snap it quickly. Thus, the replay guys don't have much time to try to get the other angles looked at before they *have* to stop it. Vicious cycle type of thing. If they have another 15-20 seconds to look at it themselves, they probably don't have to stop it as many times. But they're forced to stop it before the next snap to make sure it's right. If they don't stop it on a big play during the national championship game and it should have been overturned, what's the point of having replay at all.

There isn't a good solution to it. I think games are too long. But there are several ways I'd try to fix it before I changed the replay system. I'd rather have it right.

 
Mavric said:
The problem with saying "they shouldn't have reviewed that - the didn't overturn it" is that they don't know if they're not going to overturn it until they review it. Each time, Clemson was flying up to the line trying to snap it quickly. Thus, the replay guys don't have much time to try to get the other angles looked at before they *have* to stop it. Vicious cycle type of thing. If they have another 15-20 seconds to look at it themselves, they probably don't have to stop it as many times. But they're forced to stop it before the next snap to make sure it's right. If they don't stop it on a big play during the national championship game and it should have been overturned, what's the point of having replay at all.

There isn't a good solution to it. I think games are too long. But there are several ways I'd try to fix it before I changed the replay system. I'd rather have it right.
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agree, what good is the replay factor if sufficient time is not allowed to review all the angles, allowing for a correct call?.........this rule needs an amendment to take away the quick snap, making it useless.

 
The replay stoppages last night kept occuring after Clemson big plays. In several cases they allowed the momentum to die down and for the Alabama defense to rest. This is inherently unfair. It is the equivalent of granting standing eight counts in boxing. The replays are actually providing unearned assistance to one team.

 
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Teams pass to much. A game with a lot of rushing goes so much smoother. The way the game was meant to be played.

 
fb30 said:
Teams pass to much. A game with a lot of rushing goes so much smoother. The way the game was meant to be played.
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Clemson essentially had a 1:1 run/pass split in the first half and Bama had 21 rushes and 16 passes. I don't think style is a pervasive issue nationally but Alabama's ineptitude passing in the first half certainly didn't help speed the game up.

 
dvdcrr said:
The replay stoppages last night kept occuring after Clemson big plays. In several cases they allowed the momentum to die down and for the Alabama defense to rest. This is inherently unfair. It is the equivalent of granting standing eight counts in boxing. The replays are actually providing unearned assistance to one team.
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I agree this is an issue but I don't know if there is an easy remedy. You either let them keep playing and potentially miss a call in the single most important game of the season or you slow the game down and make sure it's the right call. I think the NCAA is under more pressure to ensure the latter happens rather than the former. Slowing a game is an inconvenience but it doesn't spark outrage the same way a catch that should've been ruled incomplete would.

I agree with Mavric that there are several ways to fix the timing issue without touching replay. The fact that we're talking about a slow game instead of an officiating foul up is a good thing, in my opinion.

 
You mean, I have had to hang out with my friends and watch football for more time this year? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 
B.B. Hemingway said:
Am I the only one that is fine with how things are?
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I don't think you are. I just think for a lot of people, perhaps even most people, a 4-to-4 1/2 hour games is not ideal. ESPN and other TV stations want as many people possible watching their games. A championship game that doesn't end until 11:30 p.m. is pretty drastic for people with kids, early jobs, etc. Ideally, you'd want the game to end no later than 10:15 or 10:30.

 
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Enhance89 said:
B.B. Hemingway said:
Am I the only one that is fine with how things are?
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I don't think you are. I just think for a lot of people, perhaps even most people, a 4-to-4 1/2 hour games is not ideal. ESPN and other TV stations want as many people possible watching their games. A championship game that doesn't end until 11:30 p.m. is pretty drastic for people with kids, early jobs, etc. Ideally, you'd want the game to end no later than 10:15 or 10:30.
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I guess we'll have to move to California. Then the games are prime time and not bedtime!

 
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