Dr. Saturday's Playoff Plan

[Saunders]

I feel I must reiterate that no system is perfect and everybody is not going to agree on one system. But right now, any legitimate playoff system derives a more realistic champion than what the BCS offers and there really is no way of disputing this.

Don't disagree at all. Where the problem lies, is how much do you dilute the pool to try to make everyone happy. By only using conference winners, teams that don't get in only have themselves to blame.

Too wide of a selection pool is a bad idea, which I agree with you on.

The reason I opine for the wildcard picks is because the NFL uses a system with wildcard selections and it works out pretty well for them. Completely different things, yes, but the NFL felt it necessary to include more than just division winners for some reason. Some of it was probably monetary though, I'm sure.

I also feel just because you didn't win your conference (or didn't play in the conference championship game) doesn't mean you're not a great team and don't deserve a shot to be in the playoffs. Plenty of great teams don't win their conferences but still get a shot at the national title in other sports. I know it further dilutes the system the more teams you add but I love when wildcard teams beat higher seeded teams and it makes for good sports entertainment.

Plus, the current NCAA basketball tournament involves roughly 20 percent of division one basketball schools. A 10 team playoff with two wildcard spots would be only 8 percent of division one football schools. Doesn't seem to shabby in my eyes.

I see what you're saying, but my biggest issue is with teams scheduling cupcakes to ensure they have enough wins to be an also-ran at the end of the season. Plus, it's relying more on human polls to place the wildcard seeds.

 

[VectorVictor]

I also don't care about the independents. The NCAA could require them to join a conference, or they could simply host a play-in game between the two highest rated independents.

You may not care, but there are thousands of Irish fans out there that would disagree with you from one of the most prestigious college football teams of all time. There will be no playoff picture that doesn't include non-AQ or independent teams and I can almost guarantee this.

If the goal of a playoff is to ensure that everyone gets a chance to win the title, then ND has no choice. Join a conference.

Well, or set up a system where you have 'wild card' slots that can be won by independents.

You could, but ideally, everyone that is eligible is in a conference with a championship game. That CCG acts as part of the playoff, and gets a team in. The problem with the independents, and non CCG conferences, is you'd have to use the stupid tie-breakers, and you could have situations where teams from a same conference don't play each other.

The 6 BCS champs, and top 2 Non-AQ champs. You then use the polls to create the seeding, and determine the Non-AQ teams. I know somebody will complain that there is still a human element (the polls) for the Non-AQ teams, but I think we can all agree that an 8-5 FAU team is not worthy....

Damn j00u!!!11 FaU alL DaeY waY ba3beYY111!!!! w000000000011!!!

Seriously, how about just have 16 slots--12 AQ via conference champs (let the conference decide), four wild card slots determined by BCS, and then a seeding committee to avoid independents getting butt-hurt (and schools w/o requisite seating getting a home match they can't handle), with lower seed hosting.

 

[Enhance]

I also don't care about the independents. The NCAA could require them to join a conference, or they could simply host a play-in game between the two highest rated independents.

You may not care, but there are thousands of Irish fans out there that would disagree with you from one of the most prestigious college football teams of all time. There will be no playoff picture that doesn't include non-AQ or independent teams and I can almost guarantee this.

If the goal of a playoff is to ensure that everyone gets a chance to win the title, then ND has no choice. Join a conference.

Well, or set up a system where you have 'wild card' slots that can be won by independents.

You could, but ideally, everyone that is eligible is in a conference with a championship game. That CCG acts as part of the playoff, and gets a team in. The problem with the independents, and non CCG conferences, is you'd have to use the stupid tie-breakers, and you could have situations where teams from a same conference don't play each other.

The 6 BCS champs, and top 2 Non-AQ champs. You then use the polls to create the seeding, and determine the Non-AQ teams. I know somebody will complain that there is still a human element (the polls) for the Non-AQ teams, but I think we can all agree that an 8-5 FAU team is not worthy....

Damn j00u!!!11 FaU alL DaeY waY ba3beYY111!!!! w000000000011!!!

Seriously, how about just have 16 slots--12 AQ via conference champs (let the conference decide), four wild card slots determined by BCS, and then a seeding committee to avoid independents getting butt-hurt (and schools w/o requisite seating getting a home match they can't handle), with lower seed hosting.

I think most people's problems with that can be summed up like this:

1) There aren't 12 AQ conferences, unless you changed the rules that make a conference an AQ conference. Realistically speaking, this won't happen.

2) Given reason number one, you'd either have to just let every conference winner into the playoff (which won't happen) or you'd have to give out several wildcard slots. The reason all conferences won't get a playoff berth automatically is because the parity between college football conferences (between AQ and non-AQ) is significantly different than the divisions in the NFL, for example.

As far as wildcards go, the more teams you position into the playoffs the more watered-down the regular season becomes, which is what no honest college football fan wants to have happen. Despite it's problems, the CFB regular season is what makes CFB so unique and great. A water-down regular season is inevitable with a playoff, however.

I think most college football fans would be against a 16-team playoff, mainly because every conference will not receive an automatic berth, which means you'd need wildcards. And as I said, too many wildcards waters it down too much in my opinion.

 

[Lil' Red]

I'll take any kind of playoff but my preferences would be either an 8 team playoff with the top 8 teams or a 16 team playoff with the 11 conference winners and 5 at larges.

 

[Overland Park Husker]

One thing that would help either system is doing away with the pre-season poll. Polls shouldn't come out until at least week 6

 

[nemajordude]

Even with the playoffs, it's still just an opinion who the best team was.

But not who the champion was.

Not true.

There will be (many) teams with similar records and accomplishments to the teams that made it in - but didn't.

Maybe I should have included more of his quote. Red Denver was talking about the giants beating the undefeated patriots in the super bowl, and how one could have the opinion that they were not the better team. In cfb it is an opinion based system until you get to the last game, true. I don't like it, but I also don't like the idea of a playoff. Even I find it strange that I sound like I'm arguing for one.

 

[JTrain]

Everybody loves looking at brackets. "It's f****** exhilarating." March Madness is the perfect example. The problem is, people convince themselves that these brackets are somehow a perfectly fair way to crown a champion. They aren't. All brackets do is measure who is the healthiest and hottest team for a short span at the end of the season-- a run of several games.

BTW, just filled out my brackets. Sorry to all 90 of you losers. :corndance

 

[mnhusker]

I like the idea of a tourney because I think for the most part it will accommodate the undefeated teams and the one or 2 loss teams from strong conferences. Some may complain about not getting in but these will be teams that would have had zero chance under the championship game system we currently have.

My biggest problem is that I like all the big games being around the holidays, the BCS champ game comes a week too late I think. Anyway I guess I would need to adjust but it would be a big change for me to see big games played in mid December and good teams sitting home for the holidays. This is not an argument against the merits of a playoff system but it is an argument for tradition that would be missed.

 

[VectorVictor]

I also don't care about the independents. The NCAA could require them to join a conference, or they could simply host a play-in game between the two highest rated independents.

You may not care, but there are thousands of Irish fans out there that would disagree with you from one of the most prestigious college football teams of all time. There will be no playoff picture that doesn't include non-AQ or independent teams and I can almost guarantee this.

If the goal of a playoff is to ensure that everyone gets a chance to win the title, then ND has no choice. Join a conference.

Well, or set up a system where you have 'wild card' slots that can be won by independents.

You could, but ideally, everyone that is eligible is in a conference with a championship game. That CCG acts as part of the playoff, and gets a team in. The problem with the independents, and non CCG conferences, is you'd have to use the stupid tie-breakers, and you could have situations where teams from a same conference don't play each other.

The 6 BCS champs, and top 2 Non-AQ champs. You then use the polls to create the seeding, and determine the Non-AQ teams. I know somebody will complain that there is still a human element (the polls) for the Non-AQ teams, but I think we can all agree that an 8-5 FAU team is not worthy....

Damn j00u!!!11 FaU alL DaeY waY ba3beYY111!!!! w000000000011!!!

Seriously, how about just have 16 slots--12 AQ via conference champs (let the conference decide), four wild card slots determined by BCS, and then a seeding committee to avoid independents getting butt-hurt (and schools w/o requisite seating getting a home match they can't handle), with lower seed hosting.

I think most people's problems with that can be summed up like this:

1) There aren't 12 AQ conferences, unless you changed the rules that make a conference an AQ conference. Realistically speaking, this won't happen.

2) Given reason number one, you'd either have to just let every conference winner into the playoff (which won't happen) or you'd have to give out several wildcard slots. The reason all conferences won't get a playoff berth automatically is because the parity between college football conferences (between AQ and non-AQ) is significantly different than the divisions in the NFL, for example.

As far as wildcards go, the more teams you position into the playoffs the more watered-down the regular season becomes, which is what no honest college football fan wants to have happen. Despite it's problems, the CFB regular season is what makes CFB so unique and great. A water-down regular season is inevitable with a playoff, however.

I think most college football fans would be against a 16-team playoff, mainly because every conference will not receive an automatic berth, which means you'd need wildcards. And as I said, too many wildcards waters it down too much in my opinion.

1) There are 12 conferences IIRC--if there's only 11 now, then that's fine, as that now leaves five wildcard slots. If we're doing a playoff, it will have to include all conferences, unfortunately, or Washington will get involved.

2) See #1, specifically the Washington part.

3) Wildcards won't "water down the season"--if anything, it would reward many deserving second-place teams in conferences based off of seasonal play. The only possible thing a wildcard would water down is the conference title game...and frankly, if that means the difference between a 1-seed layup game for the first round or having to go on the road to play a competent team and possibly get knocked out early, that will likely be more than enough motivation.

Again--I'm not getting into the debate of whether or not we should have a playoff. Just saying if we have one, I think this is the way to go, as it rewards seasonal play (especially for great teams that don't win their conference), no conference is left out in the cold (yes, even the MAC or Sun Belt, unfortunately), we keep the secondary and tertiary (toiletry?) bowls, and use existing tools (BCS poll).

The only way this would happen is if it's a win-win for everyone. Again--not saying it's right or wrong, just trying to be practical about how it would be implemented if it comes to pass.

 

[zoogs]

Wildcards water down the season.

Before: "We lost a game! We're probably out of NC contention now, and almost definitely out if we lose another."

After: "We've lost three, but it's cool, we can swing an at-large bid or win a weak conference and just gear up for the playoffs."

Especially: "We're in the playoffs at this point no matter what, so our remaining game doesn't matter and we can take it easy, save up for the run."

 

[Enhance]

I think most people's problems with that can be summed up like this:

1) There aren't 12 AQ conferences, unless you changed the rules that make a conference an AQ conference. Realistically speaking, this won't happen.

2) Given reason number one, you'd either have to just let every conference winner into the playoff (which won't happen) or you'd have to give out several wildcard slots. The reason all conferences won't get a playoff berth automatically is because the parity between college football conferences (between AQ and non-AQ) is significantly different than the divisions in the NFL, for example.

As far as wildcards go, the more teams you position into the playoffs the more watered-down the regular season becomes, which is what no honest college football fan wants to have happen. Despite it's problems, the CFB regular season is what makes CFB so unique and great. A water-down regular season is inevitable with a playoff, however.

I think most college football fans would be against a 16-team playoff, mainly because every conference will not receive an automatic berth, which means you'd need wildcards. And as I said, too many wildcards waters it down too much in my opinion.

1) There are 12 conferences IIRC--if there's only 11 now, then that's fine, as that now leaves five wildcard slots. If we're doing a playoff, it will have to include all conferences, unfortunately, or Washington will get involved.

2) See #1, specifically the Washington part.

3) Wildcards won't "water down the season"--if anything, it would reward many deserving second-place teams in conferences based off of seasonal play. The only possible thing a wildcard would water down is the conference title game...and frankly, if that means the difference between a 1-seed layup game for the first round or having to go on the road to play a competent team and possibly get knocked out early, that will likely be more than enough motivation.

Again--I'm not getting into the debate of whether or not we should have a playoff. Just saying if we have one, I think this is the way to go, as it rewards seasonal play (especially for great teams that don't win their conference), no conference is left out in the cold (yes, even the MAC or Sun Belt, unfortunately), we keep the secondary and tertiary (toiletry?) bowls, and use existing tools (BCS poll).

The only way this would happen is if it's a win-win for everyone. Again--not saying it's right or wrong, just trying to be practical about how it would be implemented if it comes to pass.

There are 12 conferences, yes, but most of the college football playoff proposals I've seen (including the one I linked into this thread) say nothing about nor propose that every conference receive a bid into a playoff system. Conferences are already divided into AQ and non-AQ divisions, and Washington has done nothing about this in relation to the BCS. Considering many of these playoff proposals come from well versed and educated writers, I doubt the government would get involved. Again, I could be mistaken, but if you could point me in the direction of former legislation or rulings involving playoff systems then it would be appreciated.

Second, refer to zoogies post above mine about why wildcards do water down the regular season. It essentially means you can screw up more often but still play for a title the more wildcards you let into a playoff.

 

[VectorVictor]

Conferences are already divided into AQ and non-AQ divisions, and Washington has done nothing yet about this in relation to the BCS.

Fixed for accuracy. Because when you can get a democrat AND a republican behind the same issue, something will happen on it. The question, of course, is if it will be beneficial for anyone...

As for wild cards watering down the playoffs, I don't see how letting four one-loss teams (IIRC from the Dec 13th, 2010 poll) into the tourney diminishes the season.

Last time I checked, we've had one-loss and two-loss teams play for titles in recent history, as well as teams that backed into their respective title games after losing their last regular season game by 24 points, and another that was throttled by 30+ in their conference title game. Seems to me we've already devalued our regular season.