Opening round of a I-A playoff

[Bill McBlueState]

Maybe it's trite to play this "what if" game, but here's a playoff system I've been thinking about for major college football. The 16 teams include the 11 conference winners and 5 at-large teams. The at-large teams are the highest-ranked non-conference-winners in the BCS, and the seedings are by BCS rankings (or Jeff Sagarin's rankings for conference champions without a BCS ranking). The top eight seeds would host the bottom eight seeds in the first round, which would have been over the weekend.

Probably the most unusual aspect of this system is to grant automatic bids to all 11 conference champions. The downside is that some teams in the middle of the BCS rankings (Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech, etc.) get leapfrogged for lower-ranked conference champions. The upside is that it upholds a principle important in other leagues: Winning your division or conference should lead to postseason play. I wouldn't object to awarding fewer automatic bids, but the determination of which conferences get them needs to be based on some kind of objective standard, not the current system that gives special privileges to the big-money conferences (compare the ACC and the Mountain West).

These would be the first-round games under this scenario, where "AL" is an at-large team.

16. Troy (Sun Belt) @ 1. Oklahoma (Big 12)
15. Buffalo (MAC) @ 2. Florida (SEC)
14. East Carolina (C-USA) @ 3. Texas (AL)
13. Virginia Tech (ACC) @ 4. Alabama (AL)
12. Cincinnati (Big East) @ 5. USC (Pac-10)
11. TCU (AL) @ 6. Utah (Mtn West)
10. Ohio State (AL) @ 7. Texas Tech (AL)
9. Boise State (WAC) @ 8. Penn State (Big 10)

And these are the four highest-ranked teams in the BCS standings that get left out:

13. Oklahoma State
14. Georgia Tech
15. BYU
16. Oregon

[Condem]

1. Nice piece, Bill

However, the more I think about it, the more I'm with Captive. Who cares if the Bigs don't have a playoff. That's what makes it unique. Tell me that college hoops hasn't suffered from March madness. Wake me up when we get there. College Football is 13 weekends. That's it. You poll the players- with the exception of the Top five every year, where do they want to be? A nice, sunny, warm spot. Us Iowans appreciate that. So, let us argue over WHO is the best. Give me the bowls. See ya in Tampa!!

[Upton]

2. Hey I've got a great idea

since you bring up March Madness, lets just stop playing when we reach the sweet sixteen, other than a few rather arbitrary head to head matchups that is.. Then we just can sit around arguing over who's the best in college basketball. I mean who cares about crowning a real champion when you can be unique instead.

[Condem]

4. Again, and as always, Upton

You miss the point. I have yet to meet a SEC fan who wasn't a tool. I think Florida will win, however, I sincerely hope OU wins just to shut assholes like you up. Better watch what you wish for. You wouldn't want your pansy SEC playing in the bitter cold of the Midwest in January.

[BOSSHOG]

8. The weather argument is always good for a laugh

And pansys are winter plants, they can stand freezing temperatures and then bloom real pretty for ya the next day. Do you really think if a very good Oklahoma team beats a very good Florida team that the fans of the best college football conference will shut up?

Can ya come up with a better alleged equalizer then the horrible weather of the frozen tundra of the big ten? Maybe like talent on the field? But I do appreciate the laugh.

[Condem]

9. C'mon, BOSS

You mean to tell me that the weather here (13 degrees presently) wouldn't be a factor? You don't know because it has never happened. Nor, will it. $$ will NEVER let these games be played under those conditions. I'll agree with you on one thing. Like your teams in the SEC who never shut up on the field, your fans cannot be expected to do the same. Like the LSU fans at the CapOne in 05. Pure assholes before, during and especially after they lost. Class is one word you'll never hear describe the SEC.

[BOSSHOG]

10. It depends on who's doing the describing

So the best thing the Big Ten's got going is the weather?

And you are an example of a classy big ten fan?

[Condem]

11. Yes, BOSS. I am.

If you were visiting our historic Kinnick Stadium, win or lose, BOSSHOG in his Razorback sweater would be invited over for a beer at our tailgate. Of this I can be sure. Because we do it every game. And not just our tailgate. I don't enjoy being screamed at after a game. As for the weather ask the Packers or Giants if the cold had any effect in last years NFC championship.

[KamaAina]

12. The one that the road team from a somewhat warmer climate won?

ask the Packers or Giants if the cold had any effect in last years NFC championship.

:shrug:

[Condem]

13. Somewhat warmer climate???

Yes, indeedy. New York's a peach in the wintertime. Kama, surely you can come up with something better than that.

[KamaAina]

14. True, but Green Bay's a frozen peach cobbler.

It seldom gets below zero in NY. Rarely even in the single digits in daytime hours.

There's a reason Lambeau is called "the Frozen Tundra" and Giants Stadium isn't.

[Condem]

15. Now, Kama, think for a moment.

The NFL is made up of players from every region in the country. Put a team made up of, oh, whats U of Fla make-up? 90% Floridians? How do they handle it? They've never seen snow in their lives. It's a huge factor.

[KamaAina]

16. Actually, I just did.

I remembered that you're the one who first brought the NFL into this.

Peace out. :hippie:

[Condem]

17. That cold WAS the game.

It affected every single play. Again, put a warm weather college team in that environment. What happens?

[Redbear]

7. Why sweet sixteen? Just play the first round

That way 32 teams can end their seasons as winners instead of just one.

[Bill McBlueState]

6. I can sort of appreciate this argument

I can appreciate the sentiment that we don't need a true national champion. What gets tiresome are claims that the current system is a suitable way to determine a true national champion. If we can't have a playoff, I'd rather go back to the old arrangement of traditional conference bowl tie-ins that may or may not result in a consensus #1 than continue with this artifice.

[Ptah]

3. Playoffs::

- Friday, December 19, 2008 -
8:00 PM ET
Montana (14-1, 7-1 Big Sky)
Richmond (12-3, 6-2 CAA)

NCAA DIVISION I FOOTBALL

CHAMPIONSHIP

[Bill McBlueState]

5. exactly!

My alma mater UMass was in the Division I championship game a few years ago. To me, the excitement of their run was good evidence that a playoff is the way to go in the so-called FBS as well.

I was surprised that five of the sixteen teams in this year's field came from the CAA -- is that typical?

[joeybee12]

18. I like this...and as you note the four left out, really can't complain

that they were gipped.