I don’t agree that the 5 P5 champs should get autobids
The 7 highest ranked P5 teams along with the highest ranked G5 team should be the way it goes
The fact that an 8-3 team has a chance at playoffs if they defeat an undefeated team in the CCG against their opposing division is not justifiable when you consider the perspective OOC games.
Having autobids eliminates the purpose of OOC games. A non-NCAA operated college football playoff system will always hold more importance than winning your conference. Conference championships really hold no purpose other than hanging banners in your school
Say UH wins every game next season (OU/Wazzu), but loses the conference championship to 8-3 UCF or Cincy. Also say that Boise State wins the MWC with a 10-2 record with a easier OOC schedule. Who deserves to be the highest ranked G5 here? Conference championships should not determine who makes the playoffs especially if the NCAA doesn’t run the CFP system.
16 teams is way too much at the D1 level. Networks aren’t going to want to have #1 Alabama play #16 Sun Belt team. It’s a waste of time, money, and energy. Not saying that upsets can’t happen, but it’s not reasonable otherwise every 5* would just commit to Sun Belt teams and dominate. That would kill the College Football brand.
8 team playoffs with the top 7 P5 and highest ranked G5 is the way to go purely based on record and strength of schedule. Winning your conference could only help your chances, but it shouldn’t be a deciding factor.
Well the outrageous money is what drives conference affiliation. Take that money out (they are amateurs, after all) and it will make more sense for conferences to be regional again. Then it will make sense to go with champions, especially as the p5-g5 split will evaporate.
Also, you won’t get rid of auto bids because the playoff is based on contracts with the six bowls, four of which have specific contracts with conferences. You just try to take that money away from those guys.
The problem is, there is no chance the top ranked G5 gets in unless all P5 conferences are guaranteed a spot, which is easiest done placing each conference’s champ in. I have no problem with the conference championships because you can look at them as the 1st round of the playoffs. Only issue is a year like this one where if Northwestern wins, they get in with 4 losses, which I don’t think should happen. That didn’t happen and most years wont, so not a huge issue.
How would in a G5 not get in with 7 highest ranked P5 teams and the highest ranked G5?
The Pac 12 in the current system doesn’t even have a chance.
It’ll always be 2 SEC, 1 ACC, and either OU or Texas. Maybe a B10 can slip in there.
8 teams gives every P5 a shot. 8 teams will improve college football recruiting all around the board because recruits will know they have a legit better shot
I just feel that if conference championships determine your playoff elgibility, then there shouldn’t be anymore OOC games.
What’s the point of OOC games if winning your conference gets you in? You could lose to Citadel or Alaska State community college and still make the playoffs?
Every other division of college football and the NFL put in conference or division champions and at large or wild cards, it works, FBS football should be no different.
Either the CCGs are the first round of the playoffs or they are meaningless, in which case drop them as they just make for another loss and injury opportunity.
12 team playoff. All conference champions and 2 at large. Committee determines the seeding with the proviso that the at large teams are seeded 11th and 12th. Top 4 seeds get a buy. The playoff starts the week following the conference championship week. This adds a maximum of 1 game if one of the top 4 wins the championship and a maximum of 2 games if one of the bottom 8 wins.
You could do it with 12 just give the top 4 a week off. Then #1 plays the lowest seed, #2 the next and so on. It is two weeks cut back the season to 10 games plus conference championships.
You are looking at it wrong. If conference champs were an automatic in then it removes the P5’s risk associated with playing a G5 that just might beat you. OOC games are also where you get ready for the conference schedule. Playing Podunk U is little value to you because you should want to play competition that will challenge you. Get you ready for your conference games. Great opportunity for old rivalries also. It also makes the polls mute. They are garbage anyway.
Did Georgia win a conference championship? Winners get big shiny things and losers don’t. If They are afraid to play UAB they don’t belong in the championship series.
I understand you wanting an equal playing field, but you are doing the opposite and rewarding weaker teams in that system. Not sure how 3 loss UAB is considered a winner and 2 loss Georgia is considered a loser. Georgia beat Middle Tenn by 42, who played UAB twice splitting those games (one a blowout win for Midd Tenn). If with some miracle there ever is a system with all FBS conference champs getting in, it sure wont allow a team with a worse record from a weaker conference to be a higher seed and host the game. FCS doesn’t even do that for conference champs.
Are you in favor of the NCAA basketball tournament being set up that way? That could be interesting. We would probably been like a 12 or 13 seed then.
What is the harm in App State playing Bama in the first round? 16 teams with all conference winners and 6 at large covers all the bases. Let the PLAYERS decide it on the field!! FBS football would explode! Imagine March Madness for football? The money would be insane!
BTW, does anyone doubt if they expanded it to an invitational with 8 teams this past year…UCF would have ended up being ranked 9th and not 8th? Having UCF be ranked 8th this year helps ESPN advocate for 8 teams in the future, but they will still try and keep the G5 out.
My feeling is that an expansion would go to 6 teams with the top 2 getting a bye in the opening round (this is similar to the NFL now). 3 would host 6 and 4 would host 5. (This year Notre Dame would host Ohio State and OU would host Georgia). After that the current bowls play just like they do now. The losers would play each other in a BCS bowl (similar to a 3rd place game in soccer or NCAA basketball 3rd place game- although technically it would be for 5th place).
This would in effect likely keep G5 out, reward Alabama or other top 2 teams by not having to play another game, but most importantly add 2 very high profile games that would be extra $$$$ for all involved. It would also be great fodder for the sports shows, etc. due to there being TWO discusssion break points- one at 2-3 on who gets a bye and one at 6-7 on who gets into the playoff…additional clicks and tv time to be had there.
It’s possible a jump to 8 with a G5 auto spot is made if a lawsuit is brought in but I don’t think that will happen since we currently (and still will) have an auto spot in the BCS games.
FWIT, I am personally in favor of 8 teams with 5 P5 champs, top ranked G5 and two at-larges. Top 4 host first game and at larges can’t be seeded 1-4 (can’t host game in the opening round).