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Momentum Towards 12 Team Playoff

So is it your contention that Valvano’s run to the title with the Wolfpack ruined college basketball? How about Nova’s upset of Georgetown? Was it detrimental for Butler to make the finals against Duke? Because at 33-5 in the Horizon league, they wouldn’t have sniffed a 16 team playoff.
Agree

Or Washington Nationals World Series Champions…or Baltimore Ravens NFL Champs…Both at the total bottom end of the seeding in a large field.

playoffs need to expand if CFB is going to stay “current”…

Too many other “attractives“ available to folks in a declining population and especially the youngest generation that has seen esports enter as a factor and increasingly could not care less about traditional sports.

Change with the times, adjust, and live…
Or just leave it the same and die a slow death.
 
A college BB season is 28-30 games, and no one is ever expected to go undefeated thru their conference, much less the entire year. Most title teams have had 3-7 losses. There are triple the number of BB teams, as FB teams, so the tournament needs to accommodate a few more teams.

A 12 game season is a small sample, but that's what FB has. I just think it cheapens the season games, by alot. I don't think a 3 loss team or a 4 loss conference winner should get in. I don't need to see top teams sandbagging the last 2 games cause they know their gonna get in.

I get why people want 8 teams, but I don't think most folks have thought of the unintended results that will occur to the quality of the season.

Even with 8 teams, an undefeated #1 or undefeated #2 team, could just play their 2nd and 3rd team in the conference title game, cause they know their gonna get in to the tournament. It wouldn't matter if they win the confer title or not. You shouldn't get the opportunity to back into the tournament, just like you don't back into a Natl Title by playing for a tie.
 
DO IT!

The current playoff system has basically lessened the interest in college football instead of increased it.

There’s no drama or excitement in them anymore unless you belong to a VERY few that make the final four…regularly. Hurts the sport badly.

it has pretty much weakened interest in ANY bowls except the playoff involved bowls.

And kids are sitting out on teams playing in non playoff bowls because….who cares.

I totally agree Johnrr6, but I also think that there was a 10-13 year trend where NU and FL St, and Miami woulda dominated also. Following us, was USC, Texass, and Florida, so it is somewhat cyclical, teams will come and go, as they always have. Saban wont be there for too much longer..... Clemson on the other hand, may have another 20 years to run this out,

I am sad for the other bowls, because they are a great reward, trip, for the teams and fans, who doesnt want to go to San Diego, San Antonio or Florida for the holidays ?

ESPN having exclusive control for all the bowl, except for maybe 2-3, doesn't help the situation. They have ratcheted up the hype for those 4 teams to the total exclusion of the others. Its sad that an 12-1 Wisc team ranked 6, who might play 12-1 Oregon ranked 7, in the Rose Bowl, is almost ignored. If that were game 4 of the season, and both undefeated, thats one of the games of the year. But in a bowl game..... meh....
 
I totally agree Johnrr6, but I also think that there was a 10-13 year trend where NU and FL St, and Miami woulda dominated also. Following us, was USC, Texass, and Florida, so it is somewhat cyclical, teams will come and go, as they always have. Saban wont be there for too much longer..... Clemson on the other hand, may have another 20 years to run this out,

I am sad for the other bowls, because they are a great reward, trip, for the teams and fans, who doesnt want to go to San Diego, San Antonio or Florida for the holidays ?

ESPN having exclusive control for all the bowl, except for maybe 2-3, doesn't help the situation. They have ratcheted up the hype for those 4 teams to the total exclusion of the others. Its sad that an 12-1 Wisc team ranked 6, who might play 12-1 Oregon ranked 7, in the Rose Bowl, is almost ignored. If that were game 4 of the season, and both undefeated, thats one of the games of the year. But in a bowl game..... meh....

Those were dynasty type teams for sure but it's not the same as what's going on today. The same select few schools are so far consistently ahead of everyone else that it has completely destroyed the notion of "every game matters". The only games that matter are those of a few teams. Every single season.
 



Those were dynasty type teams for sure but it's not the same as what's going on today. The same select few schools are so far consistently ahead of everyone else that it has completely destroyed the notion of "every game matters". The only games that matter are those of a few teams. Every single season.
That’s right. And keeping the playoffs at only 4 teams increases the odds that those rich get richer.
 
A college BB season is 28-30 games, and no one is ever expected to go undefeated thru their conference, much less the entire year. Most title teams have had 3-7 losses. There are triple the number of BB teams, as FB teams, so the tournament needs to accommodate a few more teams.

A 12 game season is a small sample, but that's what FB has. I just think it cheapens the season games, by alot. I don't think a 3 loss team or a 4 loss conference winner should get in. I don't need to see top teams sandbagging the last 2 games cause they know their gonna get in.

I get why people want 8 teams, but I don't think most folks have thought of the unintended results that will occur to the quality of the season.

Even with 8 teams, an undefeated #1 or undefeated #2 team, could just play their 2nd and 3rd team in the conference title game, cause they know their gonna get in to the tournament. It wouldn't matter if they win the confer title or not. You shouldn't get the opportunity to back into the tournament, just like you don't back into a Natl Title by playing for a tie.
With a 12 team playoff, this is highly doubtful.

You sandbag as a 1-4 team team, you lose a first round bye.

If you are in the 5-8 spot, you lose and you not only miss out on a chance to move up, but also could lose a home game the first round.

If you are in the 9-12 spit, a loss likely knocks you our of it.

As I see this, it does make a case for 12 teams as there will almost always be incentive to win. 16 has a lot of teams just jostling for position without as many big implications in the last few weeks.
 



Even with 8 teams, an undefeated #1 or undefeated #2 team, could just play their 2nd and 3rd team in the conference title game, cause they know their gonna get in to the tournament. It wouldn't matter if they win the confer title or not. You shouldn't get the opportunity to back into the tournament, just like you don't back into a Natl Title by playing for a tie.
That’s a reach. Your imagining a worse case scenario that’s not going to happen.
With a 12 team playoff, this is highly doubtful.

You sandbag as a 1-4 team team, you lose a first round bye.

If you are in the 5-8 spot, you lose and you not only miss out on a chance to move up, but also could lose a home game the first round.

If you are in the 9-12 spit, a loss likely knocks you our of it.

As I see this, it does make a case for 12 teams as there will almost always be incentive to win. 16 has a lot of teams just jostling for position without as many big implications in the last few weeks.
i was trying to type the same but these ads kicked me off.

You’re correct. Teams aren’t going to throw conference title games. But as it is now they’re already throwing bowl games. The problem isn’t the future model of expanded playoffs. The problem is what we’re seeing now.
 
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I like it when the regular season matters. When it's more than just a long prelude to a tournament that all the moderately successful teams get into. When you have to be consistently excellent over an entire season, rather than get hot at the right time. When losing focus at any point has real consequences, upsets matter, and lowly teams can do things of substance that affect the CFB landscape on any given Saturday.

Saban has won 6 titles at 'Bama, but on FOUR of those, they've had a loss during the season. Dropping a game barely affects their chances; they have a built-in mulligan. Teams with top talent now can be on something like cruise control until the end of the season.

Sports is both entertainment & competition, and I know my POV gives more weight to the entertainment aspect than just having it be a pure competition. But ignoring that starts to hollow out the soul of the sport, and I think people underestimate how important that is.
I like it when the regular season matters. If I want a playoff, I can watch NFL. NBA, MLB, Hockey, Socceer etc..
 
the nfl model of playoffs accepts teams with an 8-8 record every year. approx 10 yr ago, seattle was 7-9 and hosted a playoff game because they were a div winner..... who cares about the nfl season really ? usually the best 4 are in the confer finals at the end of the playoffs. Much as it has been in CF.
 



the nfl model of playoffs accepts teams with an 8-8 record every year. approx 10 yr ago, seattle was 7-9 and hosted a playoff game because they were a div winner..... who cares about the nfl season really ? usually the best 4 are in the confer finals at the end of the playoffs. Much as it has been in CF.
I agree it’s typically the best four every year. Maybe one or two teams that have a gripe. It’s hard to know how conferences really stack up in college football. Is a team going undefeated through the big 12 as good as the third best team in the SEC or BIG. The PAC 12 has looked bad lately but how do we know their top team couldn’t compete in a playoff. No wrong answers just different opinions. I personally miss the old Big 8 and bowl games that mattered.
 
I get that point and it’s valid. I actually think the playoffs make the regular season even more important for more teams. So many teams are out of it by mid season that a ton of regular season games don’t garner much interest.
They're "out if it" as far as any playoff consideration goes - I guess I should clarify that I'm talking about traditional bowls vs. a playoff system, rather than being a big fan of the current 4 team setup. 80-90% of teams are realistically out of it before the season starts.

CFB is inherently different than a professional league in that there are massively higher numbers of teams, and a playing field that's not close to level (and can't/won't/shouldn't be). The goals & aspirations of different schools are discordant (well over 50% of I-A universities are not even thinking in terms of legitimate national title contention, like ever)... I think it kept the regular season more engaging when there was a system more in line with that reality.
And it’s still a helluva feat to get into an 8 or 12 team playoff when there are over 100 teams total. Winning a conference title or earning one of a few at large bids is a big deal. To me it just makes the regular season more interesting for a greater number of teams who may have a shot the playoffs. I don’t see it watering down the regular season at all.
Hasn't it already, though? It wasn't that long ago that something like Boston College over Notre Dame was a seismic, cultural event. If the equivalent happened this year, the ND equivalent team would be back to the 3 or 4 spot, ND/FSU would rematch in the playoffs, and the BC game would be a footnote.
 

If NU goes 10-2 regular season and win a rematch against OSU for a Rose Bowl bid then everyone here will be wishing the playoffs were expanded already because an 11-2 NU B1G champ is not making the 4 team playoff.




C
 

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