The Final Straw

[Great Plains Gopher]

I know people think this 12-team playoff will 'fix' college football...but what happens when:

1.) OSU plays MI in the final game of the season (both teams enter undefeated)
2.) OSU rematches MI in the B1G championship game THE NEXT GAME
3.) OSU and MI both meet for a 3rd time in the playoffs and maybe even 3 times within the course of 4 games....

Even having OSU and MI play each other 2 times in a season just seems wrong - it kills the big game and thinking 2 teams could play each other 3 times in the same season is just ridiculous.

And we could have the same thing with BAMA and GA - with the only difference being that #1 and #2 would not be in consecutive weeks.

To save college football, we need to abolish the playoffs, not expand them.

The 4 team playoff uses only 3 bowls, but squeezes out some teams at the same level (GA this year); an 8-team playoff would use 7 bowls and would have worked better this year, allowing in Oregon, GA, FL State, Ohio St; the 12-team playoff is the worst of all, as it is almost a second season - controversial will be placing the conference champions automatically despite their records (which could be worse than teams ranked ahead of them). Keeping four teams out of the first round also doesn't make a lot of sense in terms of fairness. That reduces it to another form of the 8-team playoff, which means 7 bowls again - but there are 41 bowls or so. I'd favor 8-team, period, forever.

 

[csom_1991]

"the 12-team playoff is the worst of all"

The 12-team playoff essentially cheapens the regular season by giving a do-over for the helmet schools that lose early - basically making college football no different than NCAA Basketball tournament. I realize some people like this - I prefer a case where OSU vs. MI the final game of the season is essentially a playoff game already.

I will add - under the very old way, we would have Washington playing MI in the Rose Bowl as the Pac12 and B1G champion. We would probably have also had OSU actually suit up a team to try to finish with a top 4 ranking.

 

[GoDucks349]

Oregon, Wa, USC and UCLA are officially in the Big 10 Aug 2, 2024. PAC 12 does standard distributions to all 12 teams this year.

So here is a question:

Do USC,UCLA, Oregon and Washington join the BIG effective January 1st? If so does the BIG sweep all the national championship money? If not what happens to the PAC 12s cut? It goes to a defunct conference?

 

[MplsGopher]

This season has shown us all that the playoffs are awesome and the meaningless bowl games are not. 16-teams and the rest go home.

Yeah, all you people pocketing money on all the "meaningless" games ..... just choose to no longer pocket that money.

That's definitely how the world works.

 

[MplsGopher]

Pay to Play bonus checks

It's this.

Not sure if the money comes from TV, the bowl sponsor, or the conf/schools. Maybe all. But this is the only way.

Still going to see NFL guys opting out. Others could be convinced to stay.

 

[Ope3]

Yeah, all you people pocketing money on all the "meaningless" games ..... just choose to no longer pocket that money.

That's definitely how the world works.

ESPN has deemed it worthy of outright owning several of the Bowls in addition to televising some of them, and no doubt have made big bucks on them.

That does not mean it will continue to be that way. If the ratings tank for the non-playoff Bowls to the point where it's barely break even, then the number is reduced or go away. Simple as that.

For the next 2 years they are also going to have added inventory of 8 playoff games, further squeezing the also rans to less than ideals viewing windows.

With all the opt-outs due to portal and Draft it could be headed to a breaking point where the viewership numbers make it just not worthwhile.

One prominent ESPN employee is already is saying ditch them.

https://www.si.com/college/2024/01/05/kirk-herbstreit-future-college-football-playoff-postseason-eliminate-bowls

 

[MplsGopher]

That does not mean it will continue to be that way. If the ratings tank for the non-playoff Bowls to the point where it's barely break even, then the number is reduced or go away. Simple as that.

Sure, if the sun doesn’t come up tomorrow then tomorrow it will be a lot colder. True

With all the opt-outs due to portal and Draft it could be headed to a breaking point where the viewership numbers make it just not worthwhile.

Could be. I don’t disagree it’s possible

One prominent ESPN employee is already is saying ditch them.

KH doesn’t make any decisions. Not relevant

 

[Ope3]

KH doesn’t make any decisions. Not relevant

No, but I don't think he makes any comments like regarding content that his employer is involved in if he is expecting to get significant blow-back.

ESPN/ABC/Disney Management in the past have been hyper sensitive about that kind of stuff, in my opinion.

 

[MplsGopher]

I suspect the ratings for bowls this year have been as good as ever.

The Peach Bowl was really unfortunate. But a lot of the games have still been very good.

We’ll see what happens with ratings.