ESPN: Bill Hancock says there's been no talk of expanding playoff field

[West Fargo Gopher Fan]

8 team playoff. All power 5 conferences get automatic bid. Group of 5 gets automatic bid. 2 at large teams.

 

[GFBfan]

The NCAA runs these not any one conference. The conferences all get a cut.

The moment an SEC team is left out of the 4 team playoff, the talk of expansion will actually take place and happen.
That will only be possible, if there are 4 P5 teams that are undefeated, say ScUM from BIG, Clemson from ACC, Washington from PAC 12 and Texas from Big 12, or have ND be undefeated as well. Even then, if Alabama has only 1 loss during the year and wins the SEC title game, the comm. would still take them over one of the undefeated teams more than likely.
I'd like to see an 8 team playoff with the 5 Conference Champions and then 3 at large, with the stipulation that no more than two from the same conference. A G5 or independent team can be in the playoffs if undefeated at the end of the season.
For this year that would mean. Alabama, tOSU, Washington, Clemson, OU are the automatics. UCF gets in as an undefeated G5, ND gets in as an independent and then Georgia is the other team in. Once the 8 teams are decided after Conf. Champ weekend, have a show on Monday night where the 8 head coaches have to rank the other 7 teams top to bottom to determine who gets what seed and who plays who in round 1. Those games would be at high seed the second week in December.
Guessing it would be something like this: Bama is 1, Clemson is 2, ND is 3, OU is 4 and tOSU is 5, Georgia is 6, UCF is 7 and Wash is 8.
Round 1 is at High seed: Wash at Bama UCF at Clemson, Georgia at ND and tOSU at OU.

 

[hello-world]

Are we basing it on feelings? Why even play the games? Michigan over Notre Dame? Michigan over OSU? Seriously? You'd put in the team with 2 losses over teams with 1 and 0 losses, both of whom beat them (one badly, less than two weeks ago)?

If the actual results of the actual games don't count, there's no reason to even play. Just draw it up on paper and we can have a fantasy playoff every year.

I'm basing it on actually watching the games. I know that's an unpopular methodology among Gopher fans. Michigan would be favored over Notre Dame right now by anyone that has eyes.
Pretty sure Michigan would be favored in a neutral field rematch with tOSU as well despite their performance at the shoe.

I get that we need to actually count the results, but being honest, do you think that Northwestern is better than Iowa or OSU is better than Michigan?

We've watched these teams play all season, when Michigan played well this year, they were the best team in the conference.
I get that tOSU beat the snot out of them, but Michigan turned in a three-week performance against Wisconsin, MSU, and PSU that tOSU just didn't have this year.

Northwestern might have won a lot of games, but you would have a hard time getting me to bet on them versus Iowa or Wisconsin because they have looked shaky the entire year.

The best teams aren't always the winners. If you asked knowledgeable football fans to pick the B1G team with the best chance of beating Bama, most would pick Michigan.

 

[dpodoll68]

I'm basing it on actually watching the games. I know that's an unpopular methodology among Gopher fans. Michigan would be favored over Notre Dame right now by anyone that has eyes.
Pretty sure Michigan would be favored in a neutral field rematch with tOSU as well despite their performance at the shoe.

Interestingly, I watched both of those games and I remember Michigan losing both. I guess the on-field results don't matter anymore.

You're high if you think Michigan would be favored 10 days after getting their asses kicked by OSU.

Northwestern is better than Iowa - I watched them win. And OSU is absolutely better than Michigan - what game were you watching?

Unfortunately for your argument, the results matter. Michigan at its theoretical best doesn't get to take the field. Michigan as who it actually is takes the field.

And actually, the best teams are the winners. That's how football works. They keep score and everything.

 

[Dano564]

Interestingly, I watched both of those games and I remember Michigan losing both. I guess the on-field results don't matter anymore.

You're high if you think Michigan would be favored 10 days after getting their asses kicked by OSU.

Northwestern is better than Iowa - I watched them win. And OSU is absolutely better than Michigan - what game were you watching?

Unfortunately for your argument, the results matter. Michigan at its theoretical best doesn't get to take the field. Michigan as who it actually is takes the field.

And actually, the best teams are the winners. That's how football works. They keep score and everything.

Michigan would not be favored against OSU. It's nuts to think they would be.

Michigan would be favored over Notre Dame. As would OSU be favored over Notre Dame. As is Clemson and as Alabama (or OU if they pull an upset) would be.

 

[Great Plains Gopher]

Good, because if there were eight teams there would be just as much squawking and hair-pulling about all the teams left out and the unfairness of it all. Bowls should not be used for the four-team playoff, either. Just do the two games at big-deal venues and leave the bowls with their traditional ties, minus the four lucky teams.

 

[dpodoll68]

Michigan would not be favored against OSU. It's nuts to think they would be.

Michigan would be favored over Notre Dame. As would OSU be favored over Notre Dame. As is Clemson and as Alabama (or OU if they pull an upset) would be.

Why would they not? Did they or did they not lose by 23 points 9 days ago? Michigan got 24 points better in 9 days? What evidence do you have that this has occurred? I also saw OSU win the conference championship game by 21 points after beating Michigan by 23. Which conference championship game did Michigan win by 22 points or more in the last 9 days?

 

[GFBfan]

I'm basing it on actually watching the games. I know that's an unpopular methodology among Gopher fans. Michigan would be favored over Notre Dame right now by anyone that has eyes.
Pretty sure Michigan would be favored in a neutral field rematch with tOSU as well despite their performance at the shoe.

I get that we need to actually count the results, but being honest, do you think that Northwestern is better than Iowa or OSU is better than Michigan?

We've watched these teams play all season, when Michigan played well this year, they were the best team in the conference.
I get that tOSU beat the snot out of them, but Michigan turned in a three-week performance against Wisconsin, MSU, and PSU that tOSU just didn't have this year.

Northwestern might have won a lot of games, but you would have a hard time getting me to bet on them versus Iowa or Wisconsin because they have looked shaky the entire year.

The best teams aren't always the winners. If you asked knowledgeable football fans to pick the B1G team with the best chance of beating Bama, most would pick Michigan.

Wow, can't believe that the games where Michigan actually played both ND and tOSU and LOST wouldn't count for much in your decision on who should be in the playoffs. Why even have any games to decide anything, lets just look at recruiting rankings? or maybe have them line up on the field and see who looks better in uniform to determine which teams get to compete for the NC? Results matter and scUM laid an egg in both games that would have helped them. AND that run against Wisc, MSU and PSU isn't that impressive considering both Wisc and MSU were 5-4 in the BIG and 7-5 overall. Neither were close to being awesome teams this year like they were in priors years. Both were middling BIG teams. We beat Wisc, by about the same score.

 

[kisarazu]

Meh, FBS powerhouse programs are not interested in parity. With 4 teams, you can keep traditional powerhouses powerful. If you increase the playoff teams - every school in the FBS suddenly has a better than zero chance to get there. This might seem like a small thing, but the resulting change in the FBS would be huge.

 

[Dano564]

Why would they not? Did they or did they not lose by 23 points 9 days ago? Michigan got 24 points better in 9 days? What evidence do you have that this has occurred? I also saw OSU win the conference championship game by 21 points after beating Michigan by 23. Which conference championship game did Michigan win by 22 points or more in the last 9 days?

I think we are agreeing but not sure.
I said Michigan would not be favored against OSU.

 

[GophersInIowa]

I'm basing it on actually watching the games. I know that's an unpopular methodology among Gopher fans. Michigan would be favored over Notre Dame right now by anyone that has eyes.
Pretty sure Michigan would be favored in a neutral field rematch with tOSU as well despite their performance at the shoe.

I get that we need to actually count the results, but being honest, do you think that Northwestern is better than Iowa or OSU is better than Michigan?

We've watched these teams play all season, when Michigan played well this year, they were the best team in the conference.
I get that tOSU beat the snot out of them, but Michigan turned in a three-week performance against Wisconsin, MSU, and PSU that tOSU just didn't have this year.

Northwestern might have won a lot of games, but you would have a hard time getting me to bet on them versus Iowa or Wisconsin because they have looked shaky the entire year.

The best teams aren't always the winners. If you asked knowledgeable football fans to pick the B1G team with the best chance of beating Bama, most would pick Michigan.

Let's just stop keeping score and keeping track of wins and losses then if we're just going to make it into a beauty contest. Actual results on the field have to matter.

 

[Bad Gopher]

When I say enjoy college football I am speaking about FBS. I don't care how the rest of college football is played, I don't watch or follow it.

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[Pompous Elitist]

^^^

it really is absurd if you think about it.

 

[hello-world]

Let's just stop keeping score and keeping track of wins and losses then if we're just going to make it into a beauty contest. Actual results on the field have to matter.

Well they don't at the moment so I stand by my statement. UCF won every game this year, and wasn't included, so right now we have a beauty contest, and we're not even picking the prettiest teams. Michigan might have lost to Ohio State, but if you asked me to pick which one has a better chance at beating Alabama on a neutral field, I would pick Michigan. I think Vegas would as well because they have the talent and coaching to shutdown Tua if they have a good day.

Ohio State doesn't have the same level of talent and coaching on the defensive side of the ball this year.

 

[dpodoll68]

Well they don't at the moment so I stand by my statement. UCF won every game this year, and wasn't included, so right now we have a beauty contest, and we're not even picking the prettiest teams. Michigan might have lost to Ohio State, but if you asked me to pick which one has a better chance at beating Alabama on a neutral field, I would pick Michigan. I think Vegas would as well because they have the talent and coaching to shutdown Tua if they have a good day.

Ohio State doesn't have the same level of talent and coaching on the defensive side of the ball this year.

It's cute how you want to cite Vegas lines to support your fantasy that Michigan belongs in the CFP, and then ignore that UCF would be a 20-point underdog to Alabama on a neutral field.

Oh, and that vastly inferior and talent-poor OSU team only beat Michigan by 23 points, so Urban Meyer must be the greatest coach of all time.

 

[hello-world]

It's cute how you want to cite Vegas lines to support your fantasy that Michigan belongs in the CFP, and then ignore that UCF would be a 20-point underdog to Alabama on a neutral field.

Oh, and that vastly inferior and talent-poor OSU team only beat Michigan by 23 points, so Urban Meyer must be the greatest coach of all time.

I mean Urban probably wouldn't slip out of my top 5 all time coaches, but I think you're confusing my general argument.
Right now, the results of the games only have marginal importance, and the vegas lines only have marginal importance.
They're using some weird combo of eye-test, game results, and media pressure.
It's dumb and it needs to change.

They claim to take the top 4 teams every year, but if that were the case then Georgia would be playing Alabama in 4 weeks.

 

[GFBfan]

I mean Urban probably wouldn't slip out of my top 5 all time coaches, but I think you're confusing my general argument.
Right now, the results of the games only have marginal importance, and the vegas lines only have marginal importance.
They're using some weird combo of eye-test, game results, and media pressure.
It's dumb and it needs to change.

They claim to take the top 4 teams every year, but if that were the case then Georgia would be playing Alabama in 4 weeks.

Georgia had their chance...and lost. They also got pounded in another game therefore NOT one of the 4 best teams.


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