🏈 Do you really want an 8 team playoff?

[ChemE]

So you want an 8-team playoff? Answer these questions first - TMG Maven
So you want an 8-team playoff? Answer these questions first. From Tony Barnhart

Everybody says they want an 8-team college football playoff. Explain to me exactly how it would work

There are two things that every man is convinced he can do:
1—Drive a race car
2—Call football plays.
Based on what I’ve been reading and hearing the past two weeks I must add a third thing that every male is absolutely, positively sure he could do:
3—Design an eight-team playoff to determine college football’s national championship.
It seems that all of college football’s angst, anger and bitterness (to quote my dear friend Tim Brando) would come to an end if the suits who run college football would just put aside their needs, desires and egos and simply give the public what it wants: to double the size of the current playoff field.
I know this goes against the popular narrative, but I gotta say that I remain unconvinced that an eight-team playoff would be substantially better than what we have now, warts and all. And the current system has some warts, to be sure.
Now the IDEA of an eight-game playoff has some appeal. It would be fun. It’s just the implementation that I’m skeptical about.
So I’ll tell you what: Given everything that has happened in the first five years of the College Football Playoff, I’m willing to listen to an argument for the eight-team playoff. But you gotta convince me. So before we argue, you have to answer these questions:
1--How do you pick the eight teams? Do you still use a selection committee? If you think there was controversy over Oklahoma, Georgia, and Ohio State for the fourth spot this year, how about the debate among UCF (12-0), Washington (Pac-12 champ), Florida (9-3), LSU (9-3), Penn State (9-3) and Washington State (10-2) for the No. 8 spot? Think UCF would be a no-brainer? Then keep reading.
2--If you don’t want a selection committee because it’s too political, do you just give each of the Power Five conferences an automatic bid? Does the conference championship game winner get it? Are you prepared to accept Northwestern (8-5) and Pittsburgh (7-6) in the playoffs? Do you deny an automatic bid to a conference champion that is not ranked in the Top 12? And if you do give automatic bids, how to you pick the remaining three teams if you don’t have a selection committee?
3--Do you eliminate conference championship games? I’ve heard that most of them are meaningless because they don’t contribute to the playoff. That is true but it is also irrelevant. They were not created for that purpose. And exactly who is going to make this decision to do away with the conference championship games? The CFP is not a governing body but an association of 11 conferences and Notre Dame. There is no commissioner (although that would be a very good idea).
And what do you when the SEC says “Not only no but Hell No!” to shutting down its ultra – successful championship game?
4—What about the Group of Five? One of the reasons we need to go to eight, I am told, is to give the Group of Five teams a chance—a possible pathway to access the playoffs. That’s a noble gesture but exactly how is that going to work? With an eight-team playoff this year it’s a pretty reasonable bet that UCF (12-0) and ranked No. 8 by the selection committee, would have received the final spot.
But what if UCF was 10-2 and ranked well outside of the top 10? Do you give the highest ranked team in the group of five an automatic bid? Right now that the highest ranked team in that group, regardless of record, gets an automatic bid to a New Year’s Six bowl.
I could be wrong but I don’t think the commissioners who run the CFP would be nearly as magnanimous with playoff spots as they currently are with New Year’s Six bowl slots. If a vote were taken, this time with a playoff berth on the line, would Washington (10-3), the Pac-12 champ that played Auburn to a 21-16 game in Atlanta and played a significantly tougher schedule, finish ahead of UCF for the No. 8 spot? Just asking.
5--Where/when are you going to play the quarterfinals? Unless you change the college football calendar, the playoffs this season would start on Dec. 15 with the top four teams hosting games on campus. Specifically:
No. 8 UCF at No. 1 Alabama
No. 7 Michigan at No. 2 Clemson
No. 6 Ohio State at No. 3 Notre Dame
No. 5 Georgia at No. 4 Oklahoma
The semifinals would remain on Saturday, Dec. 29 while the championship game would still be on Jan. 7.
Looks pretty exciting right?
But how do you execute it?
Well, let’s take Alabama. Final exams in Tuscaloosa are Dec. 10-14. Do players get exempt from final exams in order to concentrate on the game? Do they go through their regular exam schedule, squeeze in football preparations and then play football on Saturday? Do you play the game a week later or a week earlier? Do you move final exams to accommodate the playoffs?
By the way, Fall Commencement at Alabama is Dec. 15. Do you move graduation day for a football game?
By the way, National Signing Day is Dec. 19. Are you going to tell Nick Saban that he has to babysit recruits while trying to prepare a team for a playoff game?
Just sayin'.

BONUS QUESTION
I know nobody cares about this but: What about the players? What do they get?
Unless the regular season is shortened or conference championship games are eliminated, here is what happens most years with an eight-team playoff:
Two teams will play 16 games.
Four teams will play 15 games.
Eight teams will play 14 games.
I haven’t heard anything about additional scholarships for the schools (which ain’t gonna happen) or additional benefits to the players for expanding the playoff and—we must assume—expanding the amount of money the schools make from it.
Now I am sure there are completely valid answers to all of these questions and that the implementation of an eight-team playoff is lot simpler than I make it out to be. I can be convinced.
The floor is yours.

 

[Trob]

Me? No, but if they insist on expanding I could deal with up to six teams max, with #1 & #2 getting a bye. No auto-bids, either keep the committee or go back to a BCS type of poll system.

That said, I'm fine with with just the four slot setup now.

 

[TUSKtimes]

No, But what I really don't want is anymore CCGs. They are full of bad games, most are designed to pick a conference championship, has very little to do with picking a playoff team.

WHEN we go to 8 playoff teams, the CCG will be sacrificed.

 

[BamaOwnsUGASoul]

No. The schedule is grueling enough as it is, and then you take on potentially an additional two games and the number of injuries reciprocally increase in relation to the increased number of games. 15 games is a good enough cap.

 

[im4uainva]

I am against an 8-team playoff. If they can't figure out the best 4 teams, hang it up. You want to be in the playoffs? Win all of your games. Somebody, somewhere down the line is going to feel jilted, no matter if it's 5th, 9th, 17th, etc. Stay with four and let the chips fall where they may.

 

[rick4bama]

When will this stop, Everyone wanted a four game playoff. But now because some wanting 8 game, next because again some team will be left out we should go to a 16 team playoff.

 

[planomateo]

The more I think about it, yes. I'm still undecided if the conf champs get a spot.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

100 % in favor of 8 team....
A...the lag between ccg and first playoff is 2 long...26-27 days or something....stupid....
B....if you win power 5 conference....you should get a shot....a few runner uppers also... past that ..no automatic bids
C....bowl games are becoming joke...even star players dont wanna play..Will Grier, LSU Dback....etc... if they dont wanna play...why should we wanna watch.. fans like playoffs
D....committee is fine....whatts better....
E.....to many games scream the un informed opposed fan...oooops ..other divisions have that many games.....players do their finals.... couple of schools have extra game...what 2-4 schools outta 128....
4 was great...8s better...

 

[TerryP]

No, But what I really don't want is anymore CCGs. They are full of bad games, most are designed to pick a conference championship, has very little to do with picking a playoff team.

WHEN we go to 8 playoff teams, the CCG will be sacrificed.

When you dig a hole, you don't stop 'til China, eh? Literally, everything you've said here doesn't fit—even if we look at this through a very singular point of view with 2018 as our only example.

Again, in your suggestion that the SEC discontinue the championship game, you throw something out here that doesn't work.

"They are full of bad games," — As it turns out, Alabama-Georgia II was the most-watched and highest-rated regular season game on any network in seven years. It was also the second most-watched SEC Championship Game over the 26 years the title game has existed dating back to 1992. This comes as CBS Sports celebrates a 13 percent increase in audience for the SEC on CBS package, the highest-rated college football package on any network.

Yeah, that has all the signs of a bad game just like last years game between UGA and AU were "bad games."

"...most are designed to pick a conference championship,.." It's as if they should be called conference championship games or something like that, right?

"... has very little to do with picking a playoff team.... And yet, a UGA win would have put them in the playoffs...but it has very little to do with the playoffs. OU's win established their position this season. A loss to TX and they're out. But, it has little to do with picking playoff participants.

It's hughly successful for the SEC, a cash cow each and every year, and then we have things like this in addition...

The recent flip from Michigan made his decision to attend Alabama largely based on watching the SECCG. He said, "he realized the world was watching."

 

[TerryP]

100 % in favor of 8 team....
A...the lag between ccg and first playoff is 2 long...26-27 days or something....stupid....

5--Where/when are you going to play the quarterfinals? Unless you change the college football calendar, the playoffs this season would start on Dec. 15 with the top four teams hosting games on campus. Specifically:
No. 8 UCF at No. 1 Alabama
No. 7 Michigan at No. 2 Clemson
No. 6 Ohio State at No. 3 Notre Dame
No. 5 Georgia at No. 4 Oklahoma
The semifinals would remain on Saturday, Dec. 29 while the championship game would still be on Jan. 7.
Looks pretty exciting right?
But how do you execute it?
Well, let’s take Alabama. Final exams in Tuscaloosa are Dec. 10-14. Do players get exempt from final exams in order to concentrate on the game? Do they go through their regular exam schedule, squeeze in football preparations and then play football on Saturday? Do you play the game a week later or a week earlier? Do you move final exams to accommodate the playoffs?
By the way, Fall Commencement at Alabama is Dec. 15. Do you move graduation day for a football game?
By the way, National Signing Day is Dec. 19. Are you going to tell Nick Saban that he has to babysit recruits while trying to prepare a team for a playoff game?
Just sayin'.

So, how do you respond to this? Are you suggesting the player don't get a week, or more, off after the regular season? Are you suggesting they move the finals? Graduation? The ENSD? Christmas?

B....if you win power 5 conference....you should get a shot....a few runner uppers also... past that ..no automatic bids

Why? What gives a three loss Washington team—that lost to the team that finished 9th in the SEC—a seat at the table? They don't deserve one.

C....bowl games are becoming joke...even star players dont wanna play..Will Grier, LSU Dback....etc... if they dont wanna play...why should we wanna watch.. fans like playoffs

Bowl games have become "a joke" as a direct side effect of the playoff system. But, let's expand the original problem?

D....committee is fine....whatts better....

The BCS.

(It's quite ironic to see a lot of people talking about how Notre Dame should join a conference and we see a lot of these same people rail against the BCS formula—a formula that would have left them out (due to not having a CCG) and would have put more pressure on their administration to do just that...join a conference, full time.)

E.....to many games scream the un informed opposed fan...oooops ..other divisions have that many games.....players do their finals.... couple of schools have extra game...what 2-4 schools outta 128....

Uninformed fans? Uhh...what, now?

Other divisions, your cited example, have already started their playoffs. Div II started theirs the 17th of November—the same week Bama played The Citadel. You'll find teams having only played nine games at that point. As example, HIllsdale beat Kutztown in round one. Kutztown finished the season 9-1. A nine game regular season finished off with a playoff loss.

In the finals Valdosta State (just played their 13th game) and Ferris State are about to play for the DII title. Ferris St. has played 15 so far—without a week off this season.

These "uninformed fans" are pointing to teams that are playing fewer games, going through seasons without having a bye week, and are in a system that has a big discrepancy in a mere staple of a season—the same number of games played—and that's a system that should be adopted?

So, we're scraping any semblance of a Christmas break for the players. We're forcing them to change their academic schedule completely (versus that of the rest of the student body.) We're dropping the number of games per season. We're eliminating huge pay days for the conference as a whole. And, we're taking away the one, sometimes two, weekend(s) the team has off (thankfully, we don't see key injuries in DI play or the need for a team to get some rest, right?)

While all of this has been working to the favor of the SEC and Alabama for the last...how many years now?

 

[TerryP]

Me? No, but if they insist on expanding I could deal with up to six teams max, with #1 & #2 getting a bye.

If we use this year as an example, do you think the UGA and OSU are going to be happy with having to play 16 games in a season (if they reached the finals) and then face a team like Bama or Clemson on their 15th game?

UGA always has issues with things they deem unfair even if it's just a matter of another school working harder than they do. They'd be the first to complain about the set-up. We could see a scenario where OSU is playing in their 16th game against a Notre Dame team on its 14th game for the title. Do you think the B1G, or the folks at OSU, will be behind that scenario? Hell, it's the B1G who was that "author" behind the conference championship rider in hopes they'd get a spot in years when they didn't deserve one.

 

[JoshB]

Not at all. I was all for the "plus one" system we have now but no more. The regular season and losses should mean something. The whole thing is "yeah but No. 5 and No. 6" are always going to bitch, especially when its close. So what? If you expand it to the top 8 do you really think that will stop the whining? In that case No. 9 and No. 10 will demand their spot in their too. Then what? Expand to 16? You really want four losses teams in a freaking playoff? No one wants to see this thing become like the basketball tournament. Does anyone even care about the NCAA Tournament until it gets to the sweet 16 anymore?

To me, four is perfect. Maybe tweak the criteria a little bit to make things more clear. Like if its really close between 4, 5 and 6 we will way certain things heavily (conference title, wins/losses, margin of win/loss, ranked opponents, etc.). I know thats already supposed to be part of the criteria but put it in writing and really stress that these things equally matter. The big argument now is "Georgia is really one of the best four teams," but first off that is completely subjective just like the rankings are. No. 2, I'm sorry but losses matter. Yes their TWO losses are Top 10 teams but they still lost two games. That should mean something.

 

[TUSKtimes]

"They are full of bad games," — As it turns out, Alabama-Georgia II was the most-watched and highest-rated regular season game on any network in seven years. It was also the second most-watched SEC Championship Game over the 26 years the title game has existed dating back to 1992. This comes as CBS Sports celebrates a 13 percent increase in audience for the SEC on CBS package, the highest-rated college football package on any network.

It's also the ONLY reason the SEC doesn't have 2 teams in the playoffs. Ask the dawgs where they would rather be, in the Sugar Bowl or playoff? What would a rematch of the title game in the playoff draw in ratings? And suppose we got CBS to broadcast it at Bryant Denny Stadium? That's what an 8 team playoff promises.

"...most are designed to pick a conference championship,.." It's as if they should be called conference championship games or something like that, right?

Should they? Alabama came into the CCG undefeated and Georgia came in with one loss. Which team could have been declared the champion after the 12th game and move on to more important things? Like an 8 team playoff with, again, 2 SEC teams.

It's hughly successful for the SEC, a cash cow each and every year, and then we have things like this in addition...

Now we get to the crippling issue with you, where's my money. To get these wonderful paydays it's the public that has to be subjected to the Pac 12 missing in action bowl every year that usually doesn't decide anything for the playoffs. The B1G didn't matter. The ACC got to play a 7 and 4 Pitt team. Let me sum it up this way: CCGs are tits on a bull. And it's embarrassing a lot of the time to allow these matchups to even decide their own conference. All of these champions could have just as easily been decided accurately and fairly after the 12th game. So what Conference is going belly up without the payday? The Pac 12 and Big 12 and B1G literally had to have their arms twisted to have their own CCG. And just a few years ago. Why weren't they worried about all this money they were missing out on by not having one?

So, we're scraping any semblance of a Christmas break for the players. We're forcing them to change their academic schedule completely (versus that of the rest of the student body.) We're dropping the number of games per season. We're eliminating huge pay days for the conference as a whole. And, we're taking away the one, sometimes two, weekend(s) the team has off (thankfully, we don't see key injuries in DI play or the need for a team to get some rest, right?)

What does the basketball team do, the NBA, the NFL do around the Holidays? The 13th game only a week after the barner game requires a lot more attrition emotionally, physically, coming on the heels of a long grueling season. Could be why we are having trouble playing 4 quarters in the CCG. And the best thing about the 8 team playoff is we all have to play a credible team. The best teams will not have any problem with that. Especially if the higher seeds get home field advantage.


And finally, it's only working for Bama because they have the talent and depth to overcome it. They didn't need it in 2011 and we didn't need it in 2017 to win a natty. Ohio State didn't need it in 2016, and it didn't help them in 2017 and 2018, even when they won it. And Notre Dame doesn't need it. Face it, CCGs are tits on a bull.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

100 % in favor of 8 team....
A...the lag between ccg and first playoff is 2 long...26-27 days or something....stupid....

5--Where/when are you going to play the quarterfinals? Unless you change the college football calendar, the playoffs this season would start on Dec. 15 with the top four teams hosting games on campus. Specifically:
No. 8 UCF at No. 1 Alabama
No. 7 Michigan at No. 2 Clemson
No. 6 Ohio State at No. 3 Notre Dame
No. 5 Georgia at No. 4 Oklahoma
The semifinals would remain on Saturday, Dec. 29 while the championship game would still be on Jan. 7.
Looks pretty exciting right?
But how do you execute it?
Well, let’s take Alabama. Final exams in Tuscaloosa are Dec. 10-14. Do players get exempt from final exams in order to concentrate on the game? Do they go through their regular exam schedule, squeeze in football preparations and then play football on Saturday? Do you play the game a week later or a week earlier? Do you move final exams to accommodate the playoffs?
By the way, Fall Commencement at Alabama is Dec. 15. Do you move graduation day for a football game?
By the way, National Signing Day is Dec. 19. Are you going to tell Nick Saban that he has to babysit recruits while trying to prepare a team for a playoff game?
Just sayin'.

So, how do you respond to this? Are you suggesting the player don't get a week, or more, off after the regular season? Are you suggesting they move the finals? Graduation? The ENSD? Christmas?

B....if you win power 5 conference....you should get a shot....a few runner uppers also... past that ..no automatic bids

Why? What gives a three loss Washington team—that lost to the team that finished 9th in the SEC—a seat at the table? They don't deserve one.

C....bowl games are becoming joke...even star players dont wanna play..Will Grier, LSU Dback....etc... if they dont wanna play...why should we wanna watch.. fans like playoffs

Bowl games have become "a joke" as a direct side effect of the playoff system. But, let's expand the original problem?

D....committee is fine....whatts better....

The BCS.

(It's quite ironic to see a lot of people talking about how Notre Dame should join a conference and we see a lot of these same people rail against the BCS formula—a formula that would have left them out (due to not having a CCG) and would have put more pressure on their administration to do just that...join a conference, full time.)

E.....to many games scream the un informed opposed fan...oooops ..other divisions have that many games.....players do their finals.... couple of schools have extra game...what 2-4 schools outta 128....

Uninformed fans? Uhh...what, now?

Other divisions, your cited example, have already started their playoffs. Div II started theirs the 17th of November—the same week Bama played The Citadel. You'll find teams having only played nine games at that point. As example, HIllsdale beat Kutztown in round one. Kutztown finished the season 9-1. A nine game regular season finished off with a playoff loss.

In the finals Valdosta State (just played their 13th game) and Ferris State are about to play for the DII title. Ferris St. has played 15 so far—without a week off this season.

These "uninformed fans" are pointing to teams that are playing fewer games, going through seasons without having a bye week, and are in a system that has a big discrepancy in a mere staple of a season—the same number of games played—and that's a system that should be adopted?

So, we're scraping any semblance of a Christmas break for the players. We're forcing them to change their academic schedule completely (versus that of the rest of the student body.) We're dropping the number of games per season. We're eliminating huge pay days for the conference as a whole. And, we're taking away the one, sometimes two, weekend(s) the team has off (thankfully, we don't see key injuries in DI play or the need for a team to get some rest, right?)

While all of this has been working to the favor of the SEC and Alabama for the last...how many years now?

"So we scraping any resemblance of a Christmas break for the players"
Seriously... scrap Christmas breaks for military. Pro sports. Bowl games ( dont think this year ). Emergency workers. Non profit workers. Dont think Bama players from long way off are sacrificing being with family at Christmas...
Families adjust for holidays.
Whatever though.

 

[We All Bleed Crimson]

We can barely find 4 most years. The 4 best. I'm not concerned about being politically correct and including g5 teams that play jr college schedules and cry that they aren't getting the respect that they deserve. This year, I'm not sure we have the correct top4, but we'll find out. Going to 8 teams will only dull the quality of the playoffs and go further in lessening the value of regular season, bowls ,and players sitting out post season games.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

We can barely find 4 most years. The 4 best. .

"Barely fine 4 most years. The 4 best". What year was that?

 

[PurlJam]

I'm thinking more of a 6 team playoff where us and whoever is #2 gets a first round bye.

 

[TUSKtimes]

We can barely find 4 most years. The 4 best. I'm not concerned about being politically correct and including g5 teams that play jr college schedules and cry that they aren't getting the respect that they deserve. This year, I'm not sure we have the correct top4, but we'll find out. Going to 8 teams will only dull the quality of the playoffs and go further in lessening the value of regular season, bowls ,and players sitting out post season games.

Given that the #4 team has won the title twice and the #1 team not once, might suggest there is more value in the top 8 than otherwise, we're admitting, or at least considering.

 

[UAgrad93]

Give me the Top 4 using the old BCS formula.

 

[musso]

We can barely find 4 most years. The 4 best. I'm not concerned about being politically correct and including g5 teams that play jr college schedules and cry that they aren't getting the respect that they deserve. This year, I'm not sure we have the correct top4, but we'll find out. Going to 8 teams will only dull the quality of the playoffs and go further in lessening the value of regular season, bowls ,and players sitting out post season games.

Given that the #4 team has won the title twice and the #1 team not once, might suggest there is more value in the top 8 than otherwise, we're admitting, or at least considering.

No, I don't think that's what is suggested at all. We've been living during the last decade or so in an era of three dynasties, but only one program is called such due to how separated it is from the rest. Besides Bama under Saban, Urban and Dabo have had the kind of success that without Saban would be routinely referred to as dynasties. So give Meyer and Saban a month to prepare against anyone regardless of what their ranking is, and they will usually win. Clemson under Dabo is in the same category.

No one remotely literate in college football would seriously make a case for the number 5, 6, 7 or 8th ranked teams at the end of the season to endure a play-off undefeated, unless it was any of these three aforementioned programs. Kirby has brought UGA into the same caliber of programs where they would be favored over almost anyone regardless of their rank.