Conference Champions as automatic qualifiers.

[Hville]

How do you treat Alabama this year if they lose the SEC championship?
I would not include them.

I'm not sure because the season hasn't played out. I do know they are probably going to be playing Georgia in back to back games. That is the advantage of they way it is now. You can play yourself into it or out of it as the season goes along.

 

[Hville]

I tend to think that, in an eight team playoff, that 12-1 Nebraska team would get in unless the OT CCG loss was to a 7-5 team. In that case, it would be justified to be left out. The conference championship games become a de facto part of the playoff. Win and you're in. I'd like to see the scenario that others proposed. Power 5 champs are in with three at large teams. The best team in the country is going to be in the tournament every year. There will still be a lot of arguing over last in/last out, but that's the nature of a playoff set up by a selection committee.

But not necessarily the best 8 teams.

 

[wheat]

Yes they could be passed over by a 2 loss team but wouldn't that be better than being passed over by a 5 loss team?

The way I see it, if we didn't win our own conference, then it's fair to question whether we are the best team in the country. In an 8 team format, if that OT loss was to an undefeated team, we're very likely still in.

 

[wheat]

But not necessarily the best 8 teams.

If you include a Group of 5, that's possible. And upsets will happen in CCGs. But upsets will happen in the quarterfinals, too. Unless there is a truly dominant team, the champion will likely prevail as much because of the match-ups as unequivocally being the best team.

 

[Diboy]

IMHO, it should be Power 5 champions and 3 at large teams. 1st round at top 4 homes in the pre Christmas timeframe then as it is currently.

This makes too much sense which is why it didn't happen in the beginning.

 

[bilsker]

I don't believe they are the start of the playoffs as none of them are equal. Until the NCAA starts arranging conferences and starts setting up equal schedules like the NFL does it will never work to treat conferences like Divisions. It is an unfair platform. It is similar to football in Nebraska. Conference affiliations mean nothing in selecting who goes to playoffs. Schedules are determined on metrics associated with schools of similar size and then points assigned to whether you win or lose to teams with better records and/or performance with teams in a upper or lower class.

Nope. None are "equal". Nothing is going to be perfect.

But there is also little enough inter-conference play that we also don't REALLY know who the best conference is. Maybe the Big 10 looks weak this year because it's so even? Take bama out of the SEC. Is the SEC all that great this year? SURELY they don't deserve two teams in the playoffs if Bama should somehow trip on their dix in the title game. That is THEIR problem...Not Michigan's or Oklahoma's.

I'm willing to stomach the OCCASIONAL weakling making the playoffs if it means preventing teams that can't even claim to be the best team in their conference from getting in. How can you be the best team in the nation if you aren't the best team in your division?

 

[CP Red]

Nope. None are "equal". Nothing is going to be perfect.

But there is also little enough inter-conference play that we also don't REALLY know who the best conference is. Maybe the Big 10 looks weak this year because it's so even? Take bama out of the SEC. Is the SEC all that great this year? SURELY they don't deserve two teams in the playoffs if Bama should somehow trip on their dix in the title game. That is THEIR problem...Not Michigan's or Oklahoma's.

I'm willing to stomach the OCCASIONAL weakling making the playoffs if it means preventing teams that can't even claim to be the best team in their conference from getting in. How can you be the best team in the nation if you aren't the best team in your division?

 

[bilsker]

And please...let's split the "FBS" into two divisions. One thing basketball gets right is that in theory EVERY team in the country has a chance to prove that they are the champ...ON THE COURT...and no team that could make a claim to being the best has ever been left out of the tourney.

Football is jacked in more than half of the "competitors" are locked out of any chance to be the champ BEFORE the season even starts. Find me a sport that does that? It makes absolutely no sense at all. There should be a second tier "FBS"...Miami (OH) and Middle Tennessee State aren't playing the same game the P5 teams are and even if they catch lightning in a bottle they aren't allowed to prove it on the field. It's silly.

 

[cthusker]

With a 4 team playoff I dont thing there should be an "automatic qualifier". I absolutely...100% believe not winning your conference should be an automatic DISqualifier. The reason for a playoff is to find out who is the best of the best so to speak. If you aren't even the best in your conference, or worse....division!... then how can you make a claim to be the best overall? Defies logic and it gives ammo to those that fear making the regular season meaningless. For example...Alabama didnt even need to show up to that game last week. They did THIS time but they've gotten away with "ducking" their conference title game before.

Moving on to 8? 5 guaranteed slots and 3 wild cards. That leaves room for a team like in your scenario where someone was great all year and came down with the flu en masse. Also leaves room for a team like UFC last year. Still preserves the sacred regular season because you'd be playing first round on campus and bama, for example, wouldn't want to risk having to travel to lincoln in December so... it only risking missing the playoffs they risk seeding by losing to LSU this past week. Incentive.

Excellent post..........
Exactly how I feel because if a team can't win their own conference they CLEARLY have not EARNED their way into the playoffs imo...............................

 

[Hville]

Excellent post..........
Exactly how I feel because if a team can't win their own conference they CLEARLY have not EARNED their way into the playoffs imo...............................

See I don't understand this. Why would a team that only had one loss in a conference playoff game to an undefeated team not get in while an 8-5 Northwestern with losses to Duke and Akron get in?

 

[Hville]

And please...let's split the "FBS" into two divisions. One thing basketball gets right is that in theory EVERY team in the country has a chance to prove that they are the champ...ON THE COURT...and no team that could make a claim to being the best has ever been left out of the tourney.

Football is jacked in more than half of the "competitors" are locked out of any chance to be the champ BEFORE the season even starts. Find me a sport that does that? It makes absolutely no sense at all. There should be a second tier "FBS"...Miami (OH) and Middle Tennessee State aren't playing the same game the P5 teams are and even if they catch lightning in a bottle they aren't allowed to prove it on the field. It's silly.

This I agree with. There are too many teams in the FBS Division 1. Keep it to the 5 major powers and a few independents and then require then play within this division. Then we would have some fair schedules.

 

[goodnterribles]

Yes they could be passed over by a 2 loss team but wouldn't that be better than being passed over by a 5 loss team?

No, as long as the 5 loss team won it on the field.

 

[Hville]

No, as long as the 5 loss team won it on the field.

Won what on the field? I don't see how going 8-5 and getting a spot in a playoff based on a weak conference is winning it on the field.

 

[cthusker]

See I don't understand this. Why would a team that only had one loss in a conference playoff game to an undefeated team not get in while an 8-5 Northwestern with losses to Duke and Akron get in?

My feeling is that loss becomes HUGE because it's essentially the last game before the playoffs. Having a loss(s) early in the season IMO is far different then losing the last game of a teams conference season. I also admit I totally hate having 2 of the same conference teams in the playoffs when there is ONLY 4 slots. Might feel different IF the playoff was expanded to 8 teams?

It's all how one looks at this because a case can certainly be made either way............

 

[goodnterribles]

Won what on the field? I don't see how going 8-5 and getting a spot in a playoff based on a weak conference is winning it on the field.

If they were to beat a 12-1 team in the conference title game, they won it on the field, as opposed to being selected by a committee.