Potential Playoff Expansion

I've always thought that the top ten in the AP poll should be in a playoff schema that would end with the championship being played in January at the Orange or Cotton or Rose, etc.  Way before this whole playoff thing came along I have felt that a playoff was necessary.  They've been doing it in the other tier now for a while;  seems to be working at that level. 

 
Huckleberry Muhammad said:
I've always thought that the top ten in the AP poll should be in a playoff schema that would end with the championship being played in January at the Orange or Cotton or Rose, etc.  Way before this whole playoff thing came along I have felt that a playoff was necessary.  They've been doing it in the other tier now for a while;  seems to be working at that level. 
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I've been an 8-team guy for a long time.  Basically goes like this:

  • Eight team playoff
  • Five Power 5 Conference Champions (provided they are in the Top 12 of the final standings)
  • Highest-rated Group of Five Champion auto-qualifies if they are in the Top 12
  • Remaining teams chosen by committee
  • No more than two per conference

Now that the field is set, how does the playoff itself actually work and how does it mesh with the other bowls?

  • Those eight teams are locked into New Year's Six bowls on a rotating basis (as they do now with four)
  • Remaining bowl assignments can proceed as they currently do
  • Higher-seeded teams host the quarter final game two weeks after CCG weekend
  • The four teams that lose in the quarter finals will be matched up in two pre-determined New Year's Six bowl games (rotating)
  • The four teams that win in the quarter finals will move on to two other New Year's Six games as the semi-finals (rotating, as they do now)
  • Championship game one week later (as it is now)

Bowl structure preserved.  Conference championships matter.  Group of Five teams have a chance.  Doesn't extend the season (time-wise).  Bowl season begins and ends with a bang.

 
Mavric said:
I've been an 8-team guy for a long time.  Basically goes like this:

  • Eight team playoff
  • Five Power 5 Conference Champions (provided they are in the Top 12 of the final standings)
  • Highest-rated Group of Five Champion auto-qualifies if they are in the Top 12
  • Remaining teams chosen by committee
  • No more than two per conference

Now that the field is set, how does the playoff itself actually work and how does it mesh with the other bowls?

  • Those eight teams are locked into New Year's Six bowls on a rotating basis (as they do now with four)
  • Remaining bowl assignments can proceed as they currently do
  • Higher-seeded teams host the quarter final game two weeks after CCG weekend
  • The four teams that lose in the quarter finals will be matched up in two pre-determined New Year's Six bowl games (rotating)
  • The four teams that win in the quarter finals will move on to two other New Year's Six games as the semi-finals (rotating, as they do now)
  • Championship game one week later (as it is now)

Bowl structure preserved.  Conference championships matter.  Group of Five teams have a chance.  Doesn't extend the season (time-wise).  Bowl season begins and ends with a bang.
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Well thought out.  But I'm trying to wrap my mind around:

"The four teams that lose in the quarter finals will be matched up in two pre-determined New Year's Six bowl games (rotating)."

Losing in the quarters exits them from the playoffs, right?  Or am I misreading it as qualifying them for a game down the road against another quarter loser for another chance at a winner?  

 
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Huckleberry Muhammad said:
Well thought out.  But I'm trying to wrap my mind around:

"The four teams that lose in the quarter finals will be matched up in two pre-determined New Year's Six bowl games (rotating)."

Losing in the quarters exits them from the playoffs, right?  Or am I misreading it as qualifying them for a game down the road against another quarter loser for a chance at the championship? 
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The way I read it is that the quarter-final losers would be out of the championship hunt but would still be able to play in a bowl game. That would suck to be one of the top 8 teams in the country but your season ends in December in Tuscaloosa or Columbus.

 
Huckleberry Muhammad said:
Well thought out.  But I'm trying to wrap my mind around:

"The four teams that lose in the quarter finals will be matched up in two pre-determined New Year's Six bowl games (rotating)."

Losing in the quarters exits them from the playoffs, right?  Or am I misreading it as qualifying them for a game down the road against another quarter loser for another chance at a winner?  
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Yes, they would be out of the playoff picture.  But they four quarter-final losers would be slotted to go to two of the non-semifinal New Year's Six games.  That way the rest of the bowl selection process could continue on without having to wait for the results of the quarter-final games.

 
Mavric said:
Yes, they would be out of the playoff picture.  But they four quarter-final losers would be slotted to go to two of the non-semifinal New Year's Six games.  That way the rest of the bowl selection process could continue on without having to wait for the results of the quarter-final games.
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Gotcha.  Sounds like a formidable set up.  It compresses things a bit for so many teams in the picture, and that's a good thing.  It also allows for major bowl game interest.  It'd take some lobbying by people who can make a revenue presentation tied in with watchability and all that. 

I admit to liking the top ten thing because it could add even more energy by the schools to get in the top ten being seen as "get in the playoffs."  I'm wondering if your schema could be reworked for ten teams (five first games) without adding weeks to the playoffs.

 
Huckleberry Muhammad said:
Gotcha.  Sounds like a formidable set up.  It compresses things a bit for so many teams in the picture, and that's a good thing.  It also allows for major bowl game interest.  It'd take some lobbying by people who can make a revenue presentation tied in with watchability and all that. 

I admit to liking the top ten thing because it could add even more energy by the schools to get in the top ten being seen as "get in the playoffs."  I'm wondering if your schema could be reworked for ten teams (five first games) without adding weeks to the playoffs.
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10 is a pretty weird number for a playoff.  And I would contend it would often be at odds with my "no more than two per conference" criteria.  Both the B1G and SEC have three Top 10 teams right now.  I contend that if you're not in the top two of your conference, you lost your shot in the regular season.

 
Mavric said:
10 is a pretty weird number for a playoff.  And I would contend it would often be at odds with my "no more than two per conference" criteria.  Both the B1G and SEC have three Top 10 teams right now.  I contend that if you're not in the top two of your conference, you lost your shot in the regular season.
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Counting teams in last year's March Madness brackets... Just kidding!  :D

 
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