12-team college football postseason officially approved

Donate To GopherHole
Pompous Elitist said:
Devil’s advocate regarding seeding what happens if a lower ranked team, say, I don’t know, #10 Minnesota from West Division defeats a #1 ranked Ohio State from the East in the conference championship. We know head to head doesn’t matter for setting poll rankings. We also know MN would probably not vault Michigan or Penn State that might be (hypothetically) sitting at something #4 or #6. So MN ends up #7 or #5 or somewhere in that area, Ohio State #3 or #5 or something like that going into the CFP.

Where are they seeded. Strict conference order, or CFP committee logic sarcasm). Does record factor in? Head to head? MN highest Big Ten seed, or not. If there are home field games that seems significant.

This has significant tongue in cheek factor. Arguing about this stuff makes my eyes glaze.
Click to expand...
Which is why I would like to see concrete objective criteria rather than some media influenced committee
 

Some guy said:
The more conference championships matter to seeding and selection the less an expanded playoff devalues the regular season.

Expanding to 6 conference champions doesn’t devalue the regular season it actually enhances it. Expanding to 6 at larges devalues the regular season.

I liked a 12 team model if all outright conference champions in the top 25 got an auto bid (so this number could flex between probably 5-10 bids) and the rest converting to at larges (between 2-7 at largest probably depending on the year)
This would leave room for all conference to have a conference champ go unbeaten and get in PLUS an independent go unbeaten and get in. Nobody could ever be left it if they had a legitimate argument to get in (we are unbeaten)

With 6 conference champs getting in, I wish they had only expanded to 8. Because I do think having the third or fourth place SEC or Big Ten get in is stupid.
Click to expand...
Your suggestion is similar to how hockey does it's tournament selection.
 

gopher71runner said:
Your suggestion is similar to how hockey does it's tournament selection.
Click to expand...
I think hockey tourney is a much better system than ncaa hoops or CFP

In terms of fairness

Maybe it isn’t in terms of ratings


For instance in 2019 penn state would’ve made a playoff but not MN

Absolutely stupid
 
Last edited:

btowngopher said:
When non conference games are meaningless you eliminated much of the season. When teams aren’t eliminated from conference contention until later in the season you eliminated another large portion of the season. When winning big non conference matchups offers little value, you no longer have big non conference matchups being scheduled. The chance to make a big playoff isn’t that riveting compared to watching each week to see who has improved their standing for a championship, or who’s hopes have taken a major blow.
Click to expand...
Non-conf games are much of the season? I don't follow you there. It's 3 out of 12 games, or 25%, and everyone knows in CFB that those games are usually "warm up" type games. Not all, and certainly some exceptions every year.

Absolutely don't follow how not being eliminated from making it to the conference championship game until "later" in the season means the regular season has been devalued.
 

Pompous Elitist said:
Is it set in stone the CFP brackets will be played at higher seed home stadiums? Or will Final Four and championship remain as today.

This is a seismic shift from neutral site top tier bowls. Maybe new “traditions” will start.
Click to expand...
The first round is like the round of 16 (but with four teams having byes). Quarter-finals (4 games) and semi-finals (2 games) will be the current NY6 bowl games, rotating around.

They don't yet have the Rose Bowl nailed down on what they'll agree to. Rose Bowl doesn't ever want to move off its NYD slot (unless it happens to fall on an NFL Sunday). So maybe they offer the Rose and Sugar to always be semi-final games? I would think the other four would recognize their historically lower pecking order and submit. But who knows.
 



Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0 said:
Not sure it would have mattered! The NY6 teams would have been selected I assume.
Click to expand...

Gophers_4life said:
Your whole post basically boils down to "selection/placement into the post-season isn't entirely automatic and predictable, like it is in the NFL".

Well ... no, it's not. There are 131 teams in the FBS. It's never going to be that neat and orderly, and at some level arbitrary decisions are going to have to be made.


That doesn't mean it won't be interesting at all. I think quite the opposite, but that's me.
Click to expand...
My assumption is the P5 conference champions will all be ranked in the top 12. Doubt the top G5 champion is, so whoever is ranked #12 and not a P5 champ is the only one impacted as the committee will fill in the other six spots with teams ranked in the top 12.
 

Gophers_4life said:
Just don't see how you do it with 131 FBS teams. Even 65 currently in P5 (+ Notre Dame).
Click to expand...
Would be pretty easy to use a formula that is published.

When they expanded from two team playoff to 4 they switched from a formula to a committee
 

Some guy said:
Would be pretty easy to use a formula that is published.

When they expanded from two team playoff to 4 they switched from a formula to a committee
Click to expand...
The BCS formula was not at all predictable. It relied extensively on two polls (AP and Coaches) that were entirely arbitrary. I don't see in any way how that is more objective than a committee.
 



Gophers_4life said:
Non-conf games are much of the season? I don't follow you there. It's 3 out of 12 games, or 25%, and everyone knows in CFB that those games are usually "warm up" type games. Not all, and certainly some exceptions every year.

Absolutely don't follow how not being eliminated from making it to the conference championship game until "later" in the season means the regular season has been devalued.
Click to expand...
They are “warm up games” because no one cares about sos now. If no one is being eliminated then why pay that close of attention early?
 

Gophers_4life said:
The BCS formula was not at all predictable. It relied extensively on two polls (AP and Coaches) that were entirely arbitrary. I don't see in any way how that is more objective than a committee.
Click to expand...
Not perfect. I would prefer a pair wise
 


btowngopher said:
They are “warm up games” because no one cares about sos now. If no one is being eliminated then why pay that close of attention early?
Click to expand...
It hasn't changed since BCS days, and it won't be any different with a 12 team CFP. So no new additional "devaluing" is occurring.

There will be a few big early non-conf games, and those will get the major ratings.
 




Panthadad2 said:
Goph4Life made that good point earlier in the thread and commented how Notre Dame might not mind playing a first round game at home (below):
Click to expand...
Swarbrick and others from ND have explicitly stated many times that they welcome the chance to host a first round game. And they expect to most years.

ND was probably the biggest and most outspoken proponent of the format that was approved.
 

Panthadad2 said:
Per the proposed rules stated earlier, the top 6 conference champions get an auto bid and the top 4 ranked champions get a bye. It's hard to believe the Big 10 champion wouldn't get a first round bye.
Click to expand...
There have been a few years if the West Champion had won the Big 10 title game, they would not have been a Top 4 team. In 2018 Northwestern was 8-4.

Just last year, had Nebraska beat Iowa in the final week the Gophers would have been in the title game at 8-4 and with a loss to Bowling Green on their record, it's doubtful they would have been a Top 4 Champ. Not sure if being Top 6 would have been in question. Depends on the criteria.
 

Some guy said:
I would guess it ends up (on this years calendar for instance):
Thanksgiving weekend: last regular season game
Dec 3 conference championship weekend
Thursday Dec 15 one round of 12 game
Friday dec 16 one round of 12 game
Saturday dec 17 two round of 12 games

Thursday dec 22 one round of 8 game
Friday dec 23 one round of 8 game
Friday dec 24 two round of 8 games

New Year’s Day (2nd due to Sunday holiday) 2 semi finals

Jan 14 national championship game (or the 16th if they want to be stupid and put in on a Monday). But I bet in new contract they do like a national championship Saturday with a 5:30pm central kick.

Teams not in playoff are in bowl games from dec 26- January 2
Click to expand...

Why would playing on a Monday be stupid? Traditionally it's a big ratings evening for TV viewing.

Regardless it will have to be worked out to not conflict with the NFL, who last year played a Wild Card play-off game on a Monday night.

NFL could likely be at 18 games by then, pushing their calendar back.
 

If NFL goes to 18, then I hope they start on Labor Day weekend as Week 1. Take the weekend before off, the two weekends prior are the two preseason games.

College football largely refuses to take full advantage of their current monopoly on Labor Day weekend. Usually never more than a handful of interesting games.
 

Gophers_4life said:
Not for certain. The proposal (posted above by panthadad in the Tweet) says that they reserve the right to update the bracket after the first round.

From the example in your link for last season:

Byes (Top-ranked conference champions)
1. Alabama
2. Michigan
3. Cincinnati
4. Baylor
Rest of field (x-conference champion)
5. Georgia
6. Notre Dame
7. Ohio State
8. Ole Miss
9. Oklahoma State
10. Michigan State
11. Utah (x)
12. Pittsburgh (x)

Matchups
No. 12 Pittsburgh at No. 5 Georgia winner vs. 4. Baylor
No. 11 Utah at No. 6 Notre Dame winner vs. 3. Cincinnati
No. 10 Michigan State at No. 7 Ohio State winner vs. 2. Michigan
No. 9 Oklahoma State at No. 8 Ole Miss winner vs. 1. Alabama


Say that Pitt and Utah were upset winners, with Ohio St and Ole Miss winning.

The CFP has the right to then have Pitt vs Alabama, Utah vs Michigan, Ole Miss vs Cincy, and OSU vs Baylor.


I really think you're reaching hard to try to make up ways that this would harm college football. I'm not seeing it.
Click to expand...

Not directed at me and I am not sure if this overall "harms college football" but I don't see how several (all?) Bowl Games involving teams outside the Top 12 survive.

Those have been essentially made for TV matchups for ESPN to fill programing through December. Now there will be 8 more Play Off games of inventory plus a countless amount of hours for pre-views, pre-games, wrap ups what have you.

With more and more players opting out to go to the pros and/or transfer portal those "also ran" Bowls become even more of a farce. Maybe the money would still work out, but I just don't understand how the value would work out in a more crowded post-season landscape.
 

Gophers_4life said:
If NFL goes to 18, then I hope they start on Labor Day weekend as Week 1. Take the weekend before off, the two weekends prior are the two preseason games.

College football largely refuses to take full advantage of their current monopoly on Labor Day weekend. Usually never more than a handful of interesting games.
Click to expand...
Very little chance the NFL plays Labor Day weekend ever again. Lowest ratings ever when the did it for a few years in the 90s.

They will push the Super Bowl to President's Weekend instead.
 

Ope3 said:
There have been a few years if the West Champion had won the Big 10 title game, they would not have been a Top 4 team. In 2018 Northwestern was 8-4.

Just last year, had Nebraska beat Iowa in the final week the Gophers would have been in the title game at 8-4 and with a loss to Bowling Green on their record, it's doubtful they would have been a Top 4 Champ. Not sure if being Top 6 would have been in question. Depends on the criteria.
Click to expand...

It's true that a less-than great team like Northwestern could potentially win the BG10 Championship in an upset, but it hasn't come close to happening in the 11-year history of the game. If a 4-loss team like 2018 Northwestern won the BG10 Championship, then yeah, it's possible they wouldn't get the top 6 auto bid over two undefeated or 1-loss G5 conference teams, but I'm guessing they'd still get the top 6 with a win over a very good team in the conference championship game.

Even in the event the above happened, there's still a good chance there's a 1 or 2 loss BG10 team that gets an at-large bid.

I like the proposal.
 

Panthadad2 said:
It's true that a less-than great team like Northwestern could potentially win the BG10 Championship in an upset, but it hasn't come close to happening in the 11-year history of the game. If a 4-loss team like 2018 Northwestern won the BG10 Championship, then yeah, it's possible they wouldn't get the top 6 auto bid over two undefeated or 1-loss G5 conference teams, but I'm guessing they'd still get the top 6 with a win over a very good team in the conference championship game.

Even in the event the above happened, there's still a good chance there's a 1 or 2 loss BG10 team that gets an at-large bid.

I like the proposal.
Click to expand...
I'm fine with it too, and if the Big 10 goes to a Division-less format as expected by 2024, it's even less likely that a scenario in which their Champion is outside the Top 4.
 

Ope3 said:
Why would playing on a Monday be stupid? Traditionally it's a big ratings evening for TV viewing.

Regardless it will have to be worked out to not conflict with the NFL, who last year played a Wild Card play-off game on a Monday night.

NFL could likely be at 18 games by then, pushing their calendar back.
Click to expand...
Because you either have the game starting while the west coast is still at work or you have the game ending really late on the east coast. There is a reason why the nfl plays the super bowl that ends around 9-10pm eastern
 

Ope3 said:
Those have been essentially made for TV matchups for ESPN to fill programing through December.
Click to expand...
That's exactly why they'll survive. It's super cheap programming that does better ratings in some cases than MLB and NHL playoff games.

People will tune in to football in the fall. Doesn't matter what craptacular matchup is going on.
 

Some guy said:
Because you either have the game starting while the west coast is still at work or you have the game ending really late on the east coast. There is a reason why the nfl plays the super bowl that ends around 9-10pm eastern
Click to expand...
Agreed, but the NFL already owns the Saturday & Sunday dates with their playoffs. They are not moving. So Monday is the best alternative option. Next best Thursday.
 

discochris said:
That's exactly why they'll survive. It's super cheap programming that does better ratings in some cases than MLB and NHL playoff games.

People will tune in to football in the fall. Doesn't matter what craptacular matchup is going on.
Click to expand...
My argument is the ratings won't be there in the future as they have been in the recent past.

I think viewership will tank with attention focused on the BCS Playoffs (as well as players refraining from participating due to preparation for the NFL Draft or Transfer portal).
 

Reusse raised an interesting thought in a recent column about changes in college football.

if there is further expansion/realignment of conferences, it's possible that we wind up with fewer 'major' conferences.

down the road, instead of the P5 and G5, it might be P4 and G4, or some other possible alignment.

so much of this is driven by money. as schools maneuver to put themselves in the most advantageous position (i.e. how can we make the most money), I think we will see more changes in the current conference structure.

so I don't think you can just assume that the present conference structure is always going to be the same, and that in turn will impact the playoffs.
 

Some guy said:
The entire calendar makes things change. Alabama playing a first round game 7 days after SEC title game loss is much more likely to lose to a lower ranked team then them playing a team with three weeks of prep.

If it’s last week = thanksgiving
First week of dec = conference title weekend
Second week of dec = round of 12

Weekend before Christmas = round of 8
Much more likely to see upsets in those first two rounds without the time off.

Hard to fool a team who has 3-4 weeks to prep you. More possible in 6-13 days
Click to expand...
This is absolutely spot on. It's why the semifinals are usually a snooze fest. It's possible to catch any top team "slipping" during the regular season, but almost impossible to catch them "slipping" with almost a month to prepare.
 

Dakota2 said:
You're assuming fans care about big non-con match ups only by how it affects teams poll standings. Don't think that's true. Those are still big games.
Click to expand...
So...they're just like intra-team scrimmages that NFL teams do during training camp? I mean, if the results don't really mean anything....

It's fans with this mentality that are going to ruin the sport for people who enjoyed having "every Saturday matter". And guess what, once you realize that at the end of November we all know who the top 2 teams are, they playoffs will be boring and you'll just go back to nfl games.
 

Would love to see Georgia or LSU, Florida, Florida state come on up for a playoff game in the crisp air of December.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom