Pros and Cons with the new playoff system

Schnauzer

Pretty Sure You are Wrong
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some thoughts regarding the new playoff structure...

First, the background:

1. 12 teams, 4 with first round byes and 8 (4 first round winners and 4 that had first round byes) that play in the quarter final round.
2. first round is played at the home stadium of the higher seed. Seeds 5-12 around December 20 or so.
3. The quarterfinal games are played in rotating traditional New Year's 6 bowls with one on New Years Eve and the other three on New Years Day.
4. The semifinals are played at the remining two rotating New Year's six sites, around January 8-9. So all six of the biggest bowls host one playoff game (four quarter finals and two semi finals)
5. The two remaining finalists meet in the national championship game, hosted at a bid site around January 20.

In general, I like it and I like the dates and prospective sites selected to host each round. I do think it will be better than the four team playoff, which was becoming more of an elite invitational event with the same teams every year than it was a "playoff."

But, there are a few things that are wonky...

1. No bowls for the first round losers. For example, say Indiana gets into the playoff and has to travel (and loses) an away game in the opposition's stadium. Their once-in-a-lifetime season could end on a frigid evening in front of a hostile crowd. No bowl swag packs. No battles of the bands on a field under palm trees or on a beach. No opportunity for throngs of fans gobbling up tickets and hotel rooms to party a holiday weekend away ready to cheer their favorite team on.

2. Because of #1, the non playoff bowls will further degenerate into "exhibitions" instead of exciting bowls played between big programs that normally don't see each other in the regular season. These "other" bowls were already in decline. Players sitting out. Coaches moving on to other jobs prior to gameday. Etc. You really have to wonder if the shine will come off of the long lineup of lesser bowls in an accelerated way.

3. Bank-breakers for fan bases going deep into the playoffs. This one is pretty self-explanatory but as a fan how would you like to fork over vacation, money, plane tickets, hotels, etc. for, let's say, the Rose bowl on Jan 1, then the Sugar Bowl on Jan 9, and then the championship on Jan 20. Will some of these big time games be played in front of half-full stadiums?

The bowl culture is so strong, it is easy to see why it has taken this long to come up with a 12 team tourney.
 

Best thing about it is that an unbeaten school like army has a chance to win the whole thing

Second best thing about it is that Indiana type schools that lose one game aren’t eliminated automatically in favor of 1 loss helmet school. Now they’re both in.

Third best thing is that rather than everyone just assuming the SEC is the best and giving them the benefit of the doubt, now the SEC #2 has to earn a trip to the final 4 by winning two games.


The worst thing is that we might have a one loss Boise state left out for a 9-3 SEC number 5 (if unbeaten army wins the American)

The second worst thing is that the regular season is devalued by having 5 automatic bids and 7 at larges.
Would rather have the ratio be more automatics and fewer at larges. Even if that means multiple automatics for some leagues.

The third worst thing is that the committee just makes it up. Need an objective ranking, could do like ncaa hockey pairwise. Could do BCS, etc
 

I didn't really think about #1, but that's a solid point. Don't see #2 as being a problem. Those are basically going to be like NYD game bowls. Still plenty of really good teams and really good matchups to be found outside of the top 12.
 

CFB Championship seems to have been a barely relevant event following the NYD Bowls/Semis with regards to the overall sports landscape, especially with NFL Playoffs ramping up at the same time.

I don't know if having 3 games (Semis & Championship) now after NYD reverses that trend.

Semi 1 will be on Thursday, Jan 9. Semi 2 will be on Friday, Jan 10. I will be curious about the TV/Streaming viewership numbers.
 

1. No bowls for the first round losers. For example, say Indiana gets into the playoff and has to travel (and loses) an away game in the opposition's stadium. Their once-in-a-lifetime season could end on a frigid evening in front of a hostile crowd. No bowl swag packs. No battles of the bands on a field under palm trees or on a beach. No opportunity for throngs of fans gobbling up tickets and hotel rooms to party a holiday weekend away ready to cheer their favorite team on.
I mean, wouldn't that first game "be" their bowl game if they lost? It's played after their regular season, it's played in a different location, etc. just like a bowl game would be. Sure, it's in the other team's stadium so the crowd won't be a 50/50 split, but that seems minor.

Also, has it been determined they won't get "swag packs" for the first round of the playoffs? Maybe, but I don't see why they can't get them for this first round game. Did teams get them for the semifinal games for the past 10 years?

Why can't the bands still battle it out? Maybe if the game is in a northern climate? But there's talk of playing inside in those cases, isn't there?

Can't the fans "gobble" up tickets and hotel rooms and party for the first round game? Wouldn't they still be "ready to cheer their favorite team on"?

You act as if the first round game will have nothing in common with previous years' games.
 


CFB Championship seems to have been a barely relevant event following the NYD Bowls/Semis with regards to the overall sports landscape, especially with NFL Playoffs ramping up at the same time.

I don't know if having 3 games (Semis & Championship) now after NYD reverses that trend.

Semi 1 will be on Thursday, Jan 9. Semi 2 will be on Friday, Jan 10. I will be curious about the TV/Streaming viewership numbers.
Yeah, I think they made a mistake with the timing. After NYD, people whose teams aren't playing anymore will be focusing on the NFL and the college basketball season. They might have the TV on in the background though, since it's a weeknight after work and live TV always rules.
 

I mean, wouldn't that first game "be" their bowl game if they lost? It's played after their regular season, it's played in a different location, etc. just like a bowl game would be. Sure, it's in the other team's stadium so the crowd won't be a 50/50 split, but that seems minor.


You act as if the first round game will have nothing in common with previous years' games.
Well then, if an away game at an opponent's stadium can be their "bowl game", we could say that about any away game. We should have reminded Maryland their recent trip to Minneapolis was their bowl game this year.

I'm simply saying the first round losers will oddly miss out on the typical bowl experience where the fan base collects, travels, and everyone enjoys the build up and participation in a bowl in a warm place. It could still be in a warm place but even though it is a playoff game, it is an away game in a hostile environment without a large traveling fan base.

It should go without saying that with the new system it is FAR more desirable to make the playoff in any form and in any seed with any result compared to getting the call for any bowl. I'm not suggesting a decent bowl game is better than making the playoff of course.
 

Well then, if an away game at an opponent's stadium can be their "bowl game", we could say that about any away game.

You ignored how I also stated that it's played after their regular season, so your Maryland analogy isn't accurate.

See, other teams (Nebraska) play road games but not bowl games. ;)

I'm simply saying the first round losers will oddly miss out on the typical bowl experience where the fan base collects, travels, and everyone enjoys the build up and participation in a bowl in a warm place. It could still be in a warm place but even though it is a playoff game, it is an away game in a hostile environment without a large traveling fan base.

I'm simply saying they are still going to do that. I assume by "fan base collects" you mean get together to travel, right? Are you implying that fans won't? I'd think they would. People travel to see away games all the time, making the playoff should get more people excited to travel to that game, not less.
It should go without saying that with the new system it is FAR more desirable to make the playoff in any form and in any seed with any result compared to getting the call for any bowl. I'm not suggesting a decent bowl game is better than making the playoff of course.
Yeah, I agree.

I'm not trying to piss on your cereal, I like new posts and things to get people talking. I just think the first round losing team's fans won't notice that much of a difference. Heck, being in a playoff game that people are actually watching might outshine the fact that they are in the hostile road environment.

Agree to disagree.
 

I mean, wouldn't that first game "be" their bowl game if they lost? It's played after their regular season, it's played in a different location, etc. just like a bowl game would be. Sure, it's in the other team's stadium so the crowd won't be a 50/50 split, but that seems minor.

Also, has it been determined they won't get "swag packs" for the first round of the playoffs? Maybe, but I don't see why they can't get them for this first round game. Did teams get them for the semifinal games for the past 10 years?

Why can't the bands still battle it out? Maybe if the game is in a northern climate? But there's talk of playing inside in those cases, isn't there?

Can't the fans "gobble" up tickets and hotel rooms and party for the first round game? Wouldn't they still be "ready to cheer their favorite team on"?

You act as if the first round game will have nothing in common with previous years' games.
It will be a decision if $$ is a thing. Do I fork out the $$ to travel to the first-round game or hope they win and go to the quarterfinal?

Wonder what the visiting team ticket allotment will be for these first round of games.
 



I mean, wouldn't that first game "be" their bowl game if they lost? It's played after their regular season, it's played in a different location, etc. just like a bowl game would be. Sure, it's in the other team's stadium so the crowd won't be a 50/50 split, but that seems minor.

Also, has it been determined they won't get "swag packs" for the first round of the playoffs? Maybe, but I don't see why they can't get them for this first round game. Did teams get them for the semifinal games for the past 10 years?

Why can't the bands still battle it out? Maybe if the game is in a northern climate? But there's talk of playing inside in those cases, isn't there?

Can't the fans "gobble" up tickets and hotel rooms and party for the first round game? Wouldn't they still be "ready to cheer their favorite team on"?

You act as if the first round game will have nothing in common with previous years' games.
I agree with you. I'd travel home or away on that (from Phx). That would be my bowl game. Be great to have it in Mpls.
 

I enjoyed the charm of bowl games and would gladly take an old Rose Bowl experience over any playoff. BCS fed the destruction of Bowl games, this broader playoff may advance that. I think co-National champions are cool and even provides endless sports talk show fodder to engage over for decades. With the 12 team playoff - that means 11 great teams end the year with the bad taste of a loss. But yeah, in all things, money wins.
 

It would be quite nauseating for instance that Iowa or Wisconsin would change their game to US Bank stadium if the world was ending and they made the playoff. I am not sure this would even be possible. Iowa State and their fans however would be more than welcome.
 

I enjoyed the charm of bowl games and would gladly take an old Rose Bowl experience over any playoff. BCS fed the destruction of Bowl games, this broader playoff may advance that. I think co-National champions are cool and even provides endless sports talk show fodder to engage over for decades. With the 12 team playoff - that means 11 great teams end the year with the bad taste of a loss. But yeah, in all things, money wins.
Co conference champs even cooler
 






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