NCAA Div-1 Playoffs

[MudHog]

What are yall views / opinions on a playoff system instead of the BCS system?

Do you think it will ever happen?

[bigwater]

yes it will happen .. when i don't know..

most everybody i ask says they would like to see a playoff system..

theres no argument out there that makes sense as to why we can't have a playoff system..

most of these school presidents are committed to the old school way of doing things.. that to me seems to be the problem..

[Po Monkey Lounger]

They could easily incorporate the current bowl system into a mini-playoff that would be better than what we currently have. Designate 2 BCS Bowls each year to pit the top 4 teams against each other in a semi-final round, with the two winners to play each other in the title game. Play all these bowls on New Year's Day to keep with old tradition, then play the final championship game the following week.

This system, while not perfect, would be an improvement and would not require a lot of changes. Putting 4 teams into the championship mix each year, as opposed to only two would probably eliminate a LOT of the controversy over the "national championship".

IF the above system worked pretty well, then it could be expanded to 4 BCS bowl games and the top 8 teams, playing in a quarter final round in the 4 bowls on New Year's Day, with an additional semi-final round being played the following week, followed by a championship game the next week. IF this format is incorporated, then the number of regular season games should probably be limited to 11 (not the current 12). This, IMO, would be the ideal playoff format, which would keep the current bowl game structure, and make every game during the season important ---which is one of the things that makes college football more exciting then the NFL. The NCAA would likely have no problem finding sponsors for the additional semi-final games and championship game. Such a system would generate a LOT of fan interest.

Basically, such a system would mean that the SEC champion each year would have a chance to win a national title on the field, free from voter regional bias, etc.

However, IT probably makes too much sense to ever implement.

[MudHog]

From what I read in an article it's all mostly due to the main guy over Div-1 football.

Yahoo article on the 8th quoted Mike Slive saying that if anything was to happen it won't happen until atleast 2010.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070109/ap_on_sp_co_ne/fbc_bcs_future

[Po Monkey Lounger]

The 8 teams in the playoff:

SEC
PAC 10
ACC
Big 12
Big 10
Big East

And 2 at large slots to be filled by the two highest rated teams from the following:

Mt. West, CUSA, WAC, MAC, Independent, Sun Belt.


This would be a very fair system, IMO. IF the teams in these lesser rated conferences /independents want a legitimate shot at the two at large spots to play for a national title, then they will need to play a tough enough non-conference schedule to achieve a high national ranking. Playing their conference schedule plus a few patsies in order to secure a good record every year would not likely be good enough, unless the goal is a low level bowl every season.

Notre Dame would either need to join a conference, or compete for one of these two spots just like all the rest. No guarantee for them if they achieve a certain number of wins ---- it should depend upon who the wins are against and their national ranking. IF they want to play with the big boys, then they need to play under big boy rules.

No conference would have more than one representative. Only the conference champ goes to the playoffs. That insures that the two at large spots are reserved for the above conferences and the independents.

Put me in charge of this thing, and there will be even more fan interest in college football, less controversy over the national title, and the NCAA will make even more money to be distributed to the member schools.

[MudHog]

So you would incorporate "strength of schedule" as the BCS does now.

[stitch]

I would love nothing more than a playoff system, but I don't see it happening in our lifetime. I think there is too much red tape associated with the cities, bowls, etc. I think it would create a ton of lawsuits....that's the reason for the hold up in my opinion, there is no other reason in the world not to do it.

[camlock]

I think they should use their BCS system to seed an 8 team playoff. Top 8 BCS rankings go in a bracket...play that bracket single elimination to a National Championship beginning 2 weeks after conference championships and an off week between semis and finals in the bracket and watch the money and sponsor POUR in like Hurricane Katrina...

Play the rest of the bowl season out like every other year. Make that money too...

They need to hire my booty to run that charade!

[Bankermane]

I think they should use their BCS system to seed an 8 team playoff. Top 8 BCS rankings go in a bracket...play that bracket single elimination to a National Championship beginning 2 weeks after conference championships and an off week between semis and finals in the bracket and watch the money and sponsor POUR in like Hurricane Katrina...

Play the rest of the bowl season out like every other year. Make that money too...

They need to hire my booty to run that charade!

Merry Xmas ! !

[MudHog]

I favor camlock's idea. Let the BCS stay as is, but have the top 8 teams play in a playoff schedule to determine National Champion and then let the lesser bowls still take place.

[camlock]

I think they should use their BCS system to seed an 8 team playoff. Top 8 BCS rankings go in a bracket...play that bracket single elimination to a National Championship beginning 2 weeks after conference championships and an off week between semis and finals in the bracket and watch the money and sponsor POUR in like Hurricane Katrina...

Play the rest of the bowl season out like every other year. Make that money too...

They need to hire my booty to run that charade!

Merry Xmas ! !

very cute...smart booty

making light of someone based on the stance for the religious convictions...hmmm...makes you one high quality mfr don't it???

[Po Monkey Lounger]

"So you would incorporate "strength of schedule" as the BCS does now."

Not completely. Under the scenario I proposed, only the conference champs from the SEC, Big 10, ACC, Big 12, PAC 10, and Big East would be eligible.

Then, the two at-large spots would be reserved for the highest ranking teams from the other conferences and independents. And to further narrow it, it would be the highest ranked conference champions from those other conferences. So, for example, for a CUSA team to make the 8 team playoff, they would have to win the CUSA championship AND be one of the two highest ranked teams from this pool of teams referenced above. So yes, in that sense, strength of schedule would be important.

I like this scenario better than Camlock's proposal of just taking the 8 top ranked teams. Under Cam's proposal a team like Boise State could get left out due to a big conference getting in two teams (due to regional voting bias). My plan would reserve two spots for the two highest rated teams from the smaller conferences and independents. And yes, if my plan were in effect this year, then only Florida from the SEC would have made it to the playoffs. LSU would have been left out, despite their high rating ---- they should have won the conference championship. Ditto Michigan from the Big 10 as they did not win their conference championship. And under my system, Notre Dame would not have been in the 8 team playoff this season, while Boise State would have been. No, its not perfect, but it is fair and much better than what we currently have now. And my proposed system would be easier to implement and still incorporate the traditional bowls into the format, with only an added three games at the end ---- 2 semi-final games and a championship game, which the NCAA would have no problem finding major sponsors for.

Its so easy --thus, it will never happen.

[camlock]

I don't agree b/c I think it should be the 8 best teams in the country. Conference affiliations should only be tied in with the other games. If the SEC have 3 of the best 8 in the country, then the SEC should have 3 in the playoff system...Boise State would made it, b/c they were in the top 8 BCS standings, and they are undoubtably on of the best teams in the country...

Not saying they should tweak it to make sure it ranks team more fairly...they may need to occur...but conference affiliations are crap...not fair for a school to miss a chance to compete when they are better than half the field of competition which happens to include one team from their conference...maybe they are legitimately 2 of the best...

[Lance Bass]

I don't feel that ONLY the conference champions should be able to compete in that top 6 or 8 or whatever Po Monkey was proposing. I think Po Monkey had it better on his first post by letting the top four battle it out no matter what conference. For example, LSU could just as easily have won the NC this year under a mini playoff system, and they weren't the conference champs. Only having the conference champs in an 8 game playoff would still create much arguments from teams in positions such as Michigan and LSU were in this year. Then there is the Boise States of college football. Well, I'm sorry but there's no way Boise State goes undefeated in a better conference where they have to play teams such as Oklahoma day in and day out. So I wouldn't lose sleep over not giving teams like that a chance. However, I'm sure John Clayton, aka the guru, could come up with something that would be perfect for everyone.

[Po Monkey Lounger]

If a team does not win its own conference title, then IMO it has no business playing for a national title. The conference championships should serve, in a sense, as part of the weeding out process. LSU lost two conference games and did not even win the Western Division. They did not deserve, under any circumstance, to play for a national title this season. Ditto Michigan from the Big 10.

This is not basketball. There are only so many games that can be played in a season. A champion must be crowned in some way playing less than 15 games in a season. The bonus of playing in a big conference under my proposed system is that if you win the conference, you are in the playoff for the national title ---- you've clearly earned it on the field with that accomplishment.