Playoff Format - A Thread Likely to Continue For Years

[StevensTechU]

The latest - In evaluating a move from 12 teams to 16, the Big Ten wants its league guaranteed 4 playoff spots and the Southeastern Conference wants to have only 5 autobids total with the other 11 going to the next highest ranked teams. Because the schools of the former Confederacy only play 8 conference games, they pack more teams into the rankings and the Big Ten isn't onboard* unless it moves to parity at 9 games like all conferences in the developed parts of the country. This will certainly continue to play out dramatically.

https://www.on3.com/news/sources-big-te ... le-change/

[pezsez1]

The SEC wants FIVE AQs with the other 11 spots being at-large?

[StevensTechU]

The SEC wants FIVE AQs with the other 11 spots being at-large?

While that would be Southeastern Conference-like, the debate is between a "5+11" format, where there are 5 AQs based on conference winners and highest ranked mid major, and a "4+4+2+2" format where the Big Ten gets 4, SEC gets 4, ACC gets 2 and Big 12 gets 2, with the remainder going to at large teams.

I don't like the latter, but I also very much understand and support the Big Ten leveraging this to make scheduling even.

[alxtw]

The SEC wants FIVE AQs with the other 11 spots being at-large?

While that would be Southeastern Conference-like, the debate is between a "5+11" format, where there are 5 AQs based on conference winners and highest ranked mid major, and a "4+4+2+2" format where the Big Ten gets 4, SEC gets 4, ACC gets 2 and Big 12 gets 2, with the remainder going to at large teams.

I don't like the latter, but I also very much understand and support the Big Ten leveraging this to make scheduling even.

I just hope they dont place the conf. Champs in the top spots for the playoffs. We all saw how bad that little experiment ended.

[StevensTechU]

The SEC wants FIVE AQs with the other 11 spots being at-large?

While that would be Southeastern Conference-like, the debate is between a "5+11" format, where there are 5 AQs based on conference winners and highest ranked mid major, and a "4+4+2+2" format where the Big Ten gets 4, SEC gets 4, ACC gets 2 and Big 12 gets 2, with the remainder going to at large teams.

I don't like the latter, but I also very much understand and support the Big Ten leveraging this to make scheduling even.

I just hope they dont place the conf. Champs in the top spots for the playoffs. We all saw how bad that little experiment ended.

That has already been voted on and been adjusted. This year the 12 teams will be seeded based on rank alone.

[greenyellow]

I think the current 12-team format with proper seeding needs more time to see how it works. It may end up being better than any 14- or 16-team format. It's certainly less convoluted and political.

[Duck07]

Go back to a 4-team playoff because this "everybody gets invited" stuff is nonsense.

Tennessee had no reason to be in a national championship playoff last year and while that means the likely winner wouldn't have qualified, WTF was the regular season for?

The sheer amount of money being thrown around right now while I find the "product" less entertaining has me feeling a little contemptuous because I feel like the fans are the ones getting the short end of the stick.

[OregonFan4Life]

Go back to a 4-team playoff because this "everybody gets invited" stuff is nonsense.

Tennessee had no reason to be in a national championship playoff last year and while that means the likely winner wouldn't have qualified, WTF was the regular season for?

The sheer amount of money being thrown around right now while I find the "product" less entertaining has me feeling a little contemptuous because I feel like the fans are the ones getting the short end of the stick.

100% this! Remember when games like the Wisconsin one last season matters? Now if Oregon were to lose that game fans wouldn’t care that much. This new playoff system is ruining the beauty of college football to me.


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[droop10]

Go back to a 4-team playoff because this "everybody gets invited" stuff is nonsense.

Tennessee had no reason to be in a national championship playoff last year and while that means the likely winner wouldn't have qualified, WTF was the regular season for?

The sheer amount of money being thrown around right now while I find the "product" less entertaining has me feeling a little contemptuous because I feel like the fans are the ones getting the short end of the stick.

I would have been fine with 8, but 4 was too limiting, especially with the scheduling inequities between conferences. I hated the subjectivity of conference strength being factored in to who got chosen. At least having automatic bids gives you some control over whether you make it. I do dislike how every sport is itching to constantly keep expanding playoffs.

[wepto]

Go back to a 4-team playoff because this "everybody gets invited" stuff is nonsense.

Tennessee had no reason to be in a national championship playoff last year and while that means the likely winner wouldn't have qualified, WTF was the regular season for?

The sheer amount of money being thrown around right now while I find the "product" less entertaining has me feeling a little contemptuous because I feel like the fans are the ones getting the short end of the stick.

I would have been fine with 8, but 4 was too limiting, especially with the scheduling inequities between conferences. I hated the subjectivity of conference strength being factored in to who got chosen. At least having automatic bids gives you some control over whether you make it. I do dislike how every sport is itching to constantly keep expanding playoffs.

I'm also a fan of 8. Getting left out as a conference champ is BS. 5+3 just makes sense.

[alxtw]

Go back to a 4-team playoff because this "everybody gets invited" stuff is nonsense.

Tennessee had no reason to be in a national championship playoff last year and while that means the likely winner wouldn't have qualified, WTF was the regular season for?

The sheer amount of money being thrown around right now while I find the "product" less entertaining has me feeling a little contemptuous because I feel like the fans are the ones getting the short end of the stick.

I would have been fine with 8, but 4 was too limiting, especially with the scheduling inequities between conferences. I hated the subjectivity of conference strength being factored in to who got chosen. At least having automatic bids gives you some control over whether you make it. I do dislike how every sport is itching to constantly keep expanding playoffs.

I'm also a fan of 8. Getting left out as a conference champ is BS. 5+3 just makes sense.

Also a supporter of the 8. Conference champs of the big10, sec, and acc (depending on how good Clemson is that year) would not be left out in that size of a playoff structure. Also, no advantages/disadvantages of a bye week for higher seed teams.

[SuperDuck]

Go back to a 4-team playoff because this "everybody gets invited" stuff is nonsense.

Tennessee had no reason to be in a national championship playoff last year and while that means the likely winner wouldn't have qualified, WTF was the regular season for?

The sheer amount of money being thrown around right now while I find the "product" less entertaining has me feeling a little contemptuous because I feel like the fans are the ones getting the short end of the stick.

I would have been fine with 8, but 4 was too limiting, especially with the scheduling inequities between conferences. I hated the subjectivity of conference strength being factored in to who got chosen. At least having automatic bids gives you some control over whether you make it. I do dislike how every sport is itching to constantly keep expanding playoffs.

I'm also a fan of 8. Getting left out as a conference champ is BS. 5+3 just makes sense.

Also a supporter of the 8. Conference champs of the big10, sec, and acc (depending on how good Clemson is that year) would not be left out in that size of a playoff structure. Also, no advantages/disadvantages of a bye week for higher seed teams.

I think 12 is about right. Having only 4 wasn't fair because one Power 5 team always got left out and, as has already been mentioned, it was too subjective.

The problem with 8 teams, in my opinion, is that it doesn't leave much wiggle room after the first 5 are selected. If Notre Dame qualifies then you've got an automatic 6. That only leaves 2 at large teams. But what if the SEC and Big-10 have more than 2 qualified teams to claim those final spots? Keeping it at 12 would allow enough room for the playoff to get enough qualified teams in to be fair. I also think the seeding must be fixed, though.

[Duck07]

I think 12 is about right. Having only 4 wasn't fair because one Power 5 team always got left out and, as has already been mentioned, it was too subjective.

The problem with 8 teams, in my opinion, is that it doesn't leave much wiggle room after the first 5 are selected. If Notre Dame qualifies then you've got an automatic 6. That only leaves 2 at large teams. But what if the SEC and Big-10 have more than 2 qualified teams to claim those final spots? Keeping it at 12 would allow enough room for the playoff to get enough qualified teams in to be fair. I also think the seeding must be fixed, though.

There are only 4 Power conferences as it is now and choosing the top 4 ranked conference winners regardless of league affiliation is the easiest way to do it.

Expanding past 4 teams is just another form of "welfare for the rich" as we saw and while we're likely to benefit from that in future seasons, last year it was in fact to our detriment and our regular season meant nothing in the end because a 2-loss team got put into a favorable situation.

[SuperDuck]

I think 12 is about right. Having only 4 wasn't fair because one Power 5 team always got left out and, as has already been mentioned, it was too subjective.

The problem with 8 teams, in my opinion, is that it doesn't leave much wiggle room after the first 5 are selected. If Notre Dame qualifies then you've got an automatic 6. That only leaves 2 at large teams. But what if the SEC and Big-10 have more than 2 qualified teams to claim those final spots? Keeping it at 12 would allow enough room for the playoff to get enough qualified teams in to be fair. I also think the seeding must be fixed, though.

There are only 4 Power conferences as it is now and choosing the top 4 ranked conference winners regardless of league affiliation is the easiest way to do it.

Expanding past 4 teams is just another form of "welfare for the rich" as we saw and while we're likely to benefit from that in future seasons, last year it was in fact to our detriment and our regular season meant nothing in the end because a 2-loss team got put into a favorable situation.

So it's okay if Notre Dame or a mid-major team knocks out a power-4 team?

I respectfully disagree, but everyone has a right to their opinion.

[Duck07]

So it's okay if Notre Dame or a mid-major team knocks out a power-4 team?

I respectfully disagree, but everyone has a right to their opinion.

In a given year if they had a better resume yes. The ACC this past year was pretty lame as an example.

I'm on the losing side of this argument, I know that much but I can't justify these changes and things like the dissolution of the Pac 12 to what we have now as being something that my "fandom" sees as being a positive thing.