Ducks Attack Message Board Forum

The 4 teams have now been set for the College Football Playoff. #1. Alabama, #2. Clemson, #3. Notre Dame and #4. Oklahoma.

The first 3 teams appeared to be a lock, but the #4 slot was in question, with Oklahoma, Georgia and Ohio State all seemingly deserving. I personally think the committee got it right. Ohio State's one loss (49-20) at Purdue, as well as their up and down, inconsistent season, seemed to give the other 2 teams the nod over them.

Georgia rightly received consideration after playing the closest game of any opponent vs Alabama all year long. The problem for them was a (36-16) loss at LSU earlier this year. In addition, they also weren't a conference champion.

Oklahoma has one of the worst defenses in the country. That said, they also have one of the best offenses. They're a true conference champion and avenged their only loss (to Texas 48-45) in their conference championship game.

I agree with the decision to put Oklahoma in the #4 slot.

Another point that wasn't discussed was if it would have been fair for Alabama (or Notre Dame) if Georgia had gotten in. Alabama would have to again play the team that they just got by in their closest game of the season. They almost certainly wouldn't want to see Georgia again in the semifinals. In addition, it would have been unfair to both Notre Dame and Clemson if Georgia had been seeded #3. Regardless of how the teams are seeded, Notre Dame is still unbeaten and deserved to play the #2 seed vs the #1 seed. Also, it's almost a given that Clemson would much rather see Notre Dame in the semifinals than having to play Georgia.

That said, I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Note: This should guarantee an Ohio State vs Washington matchup in the Rose Bowl. It should also send Georgia to the Sugar Bowl, probably vs either UCF or Michigan. Then again, UCF or Michigan could also be matched up against Washington State in the Fiesta Bowl.

It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Just like I thought it would be, and should have been. Georgia played a valiant game last night, but they lost, and have two losses. Oklahoma lost one, and in beating Texas in their conference championship game, avenged that loss. Georgia probably feels mad right now, but as the saying goes, "Win the game, nothin' to cry about"

Georgia's best win is against Florida. They look like a good team, but they certainly didn't prove it.

This seems to reinforce the idea to me that 4 is still a good number for the playoff.

I think the playoffs definitely need to continue growing, 8 would be perfect and I think 16 would still be super entertaining. Tough for a school like UCF to win 25 straight and still not get a sniff of the playoffs. Outside of the New Years 6 there is really only a few good matchups that people would even consider traveling to watch in person. It would suck to lose the aura of the Rose Bowl for instance but I think they could figure out a way to try and incorporate these big games for the quarter or semifinals. The only reason we watch these mediocre teams play is because nothing else is on tv and football is winding down. They need to do a better job scheduling if they're going to stick with 4, it's essentially two really good days of bowl games with multiple games on that you can't watch all at the same time and the rest are teams that nobody cares about. I think the committee got it right though and I'm excited to watch these teams play each other. Biggest thing is we need to level the playing field and have everyone playing the same amount conference games. I'm not really concerned with ND since they always play a tough schedule and we've seen Alabama and Ohio St. make the playoffs without making the championship game or winning their conference in previous years so that can't be considered a deciding factor. I think the Power 5 should get an auto bid and we take the next best three and the committee can rerank for the playoffs.

It just shows again, like almost every year, that 4 teams is crap. You made an argument for Oklahoma, but the champion of a better conference with the same record is being left out. A team that is on a 21 game win streak including a New Years day bowl win is being left out. Does anyone think Georgia couldn't play toe to toe with any of the 4 teams in the tournament.

Every year it seems like this or worse. Eight teams, conference champs and the next three best, would have worked every year to get every team who deserved final 4 selection consideration in since the beginning of the select 4 method.

I'm not really seeing how over the course of a season that another 4 teams are actually deserving after the past few years of the playoff. This year for instance the P12 is crap. UCF is a nice story but thats it. In an 8-team playoff they'd be 7 or 8 and get stomped and that's another issue, the first round blowouts that would happen to say nothing of the disregard for the student-athlete-free labor disparity that would grow.

Until we end up in a scenario with 5 undefeated P5 Conf Champs and we're selecting who to leave out, I don't see a need to expand. I'd watch of course, but if that's the only reason then why not just expand to a 32 team tournament on top of the 12 game season and get as many games in as possible.

Duck07 wrote:I'm not really seeing how over the course of a season that another 4 teams are actually deserving after the past few years of the playoff. This year for instance the P12 is crap. UCF is a nice story but thats it. In an 8-team playoff they'd be 7 or 8 and get stomped and that's another issue, the first round blowouts that would happen to say nothing of the disregard for the student-athlete-free labor disparity that would grow.

Until we end up in a scenario with 5 undefeated P5 Conf Champs and we're selecting who to leave out, I don't see a need to expand. I'd watch of course, but if that's the only reason then why not just expand to a 32 team tournament on top of the 12 game season and get as many games in as possible.

I am fine with the 4 team playoff as well. Georgia had a chance to get in, didn't win. Ohio State shouldn't have lost to Purdue. OK lost to Texas, than beat them in the conference e championship game.
I love college basketball, even before March Madness, but I definitely don't want college football to lessen the importance of every game during the season, which is what expanding the playoffs would do. It is hard to get to play for the championship. It should be.

I don't think it lessens the regular season though. Win your conference championship and you get a chance to play for a National Championship, win 25 games in a row and you should get the chance to play Bama or Clemson as the #7-8 seed. Yes they would be a huge underdog but on any give day one team can beat another, look at Clemson when their QB went down versus Syracuse. Bama opened -14 and Clemson at -11.5 but people are still going to tune in and watch because of the importance of the game. If Georgia wins on Saturday Oklahoma and Ohio St. were getting left out and how is that fair when they lost to LSU by 20. It's not about the student athlete unfortunately it's about money and if D2 and D3 schools can play a legit playoff why can't they put a better system together for D1. Look at the bowl games between 12/14-12/26 and the only game I'm actually interested in watching is ASU versus Fresno St. Every one of those schools will lose 1-2 million dollars eating tickets they can't sell and flying down all the players and putting them up in a hotel for a week plus food and entertainment. Sure the big guys can weather the storm but most of these schools are the sacrificial lamb once a year to play these schools just to help float the athletic departments and their programs. I think 8 is the perfect number, take the power 5 champs and 3 at large.

I think that college football playoff expansion may be inevitable anyway (along with whatever other reasons one comes up with, more games = more $). Personally, I like the idea of a 12-team playoff, with the top 4 getting a first round bye (or 10 and 2 if you like), and utilizing some of the bowl games already in place. There will probably always be debates about who the last team or two should be in any system. But if you're not widely regarded as one of the top 10 of 12 college football teams in the land at the end of the regular season, you really have nothing to cry about.

There will always be an issue when “votes” are required to get into a playoff. League strength perception can be so subjective and driven by TV bias. Teams should be able to know what the pathway is to get in, namely, win your conference and you’re in. If you don’t, that’s on you. Rid us of the beauty contest, please! A few additional at large teams are fine. But winning your conference should earn you a place at the table.

UCF got jobbed. Honestly, winning 25 straight and not getting into the playoffs means that the Group of 5 will never see the playoffs. As such, they need to split off and have their own national championship or something, because this system is built against them.

StevensTechU wrote:UCF got jobbed. Honestly, winning 25 straight and not getting into the playoffs means that the Group of 5 will never see the playoffs. As such, they need to split off and have their own national championship or something, because this system is built against them.

Makes it tough on recruiting too. To get a top rated kid, even one that’s local and a big fan of the program might pass because there is a ceiling.

You can say the P12 was crap this year, but the top team (Wazzu) would hang with or beat all but Alabama IMO. They would outscore Oklahoma due to a better defense, they are on par with ND, Clemson would be a tough ask but they would have a chance. Remember, they lost early to USC on a late missed FG. They play again now and it's a run away win for the Coogs. In the Apple Cup, a blizzard beat them...hard to go air raid in those conditions. They run away from UW in normal conditions.

This is just my opinion, like everyone else in this thread. To me, the differing opinions support the notion that we DON'T have it all figured out by selecting just 4 teams. How do we know who the best teams are when there is minimal inter-mixing between the top teams? Without standardized scheduling to level the playing field and get a bigger sample size of outcomes, we'll never know. It's guess work and a popularity contest. It might as well be gymnastics or a dunk contest...subjective at best.

UCF deserves a shot, whether you believe they would get stomped or not. They've earned it on the field. Every P5 conference champ deserves a shot. An 8 team playoff with regulated scheduling (1 P5 OOC game, 1 G5 OOC game, 1 FCS OOC game and 9 conference games) would NOT diminish the regular season, it would enhance each week with better, more important games. I'm over this system.

StevensTechU wrote:UCF got jobbed. Honestly, winning 25 straight and not getting into the playoffs means that the Group of 5 will never see the playoffs. As such, they need to split off and have their own national championship or something, because this system is built against them.

Ya I feel like UCF deserves a shot at championship. 8 teams would be great if it could somehow happen.