Will we ever see a playoff format in NCAA Football?

[Kevin]

Will we ever see a playoff format in NCAA football.

How about cutting 2 weeks off the season to implement one?

I bet their ratings would go through the roof. I bet it'd surpass march madness in popularity as well.

Your thoughts?

[FearTheRaven]

I think it would be good, but you know certain bowls want there $$$$$.

That's what its all about.

Man I remember when all the damn bowls were played on Jan 1st. used to have an all day event of food and beer.

Now the games are so spread out to make that much more money.

Playoff system would determine the overall best team though.

[bonakid08]

I think it will happen and i think they will figure out how to cash in i mean i know i would be glue to the t.v. for all the games in an 8 team tournament which is what i figure it would be... how could you not be? I guarantee it will be like the ncaa's mens basketball with some upsets i mean the way usc played yesterday they get my vote for number 2 behind ohio state

[JB]

They have already added a week to the end of the season....not playing the last game till 1/8/07. Used to be all games where over on the first. So now that you can go to 1/8 I dont' think you even need to cut.

Take 8 teams (6 confrence champs and two play ins) it would like something like this....

Wake Forest Vs. Ohio State
Oklahoma Vs. Florida
Louisville Vs. Michigan
LSU Vs. USC

Play those games the week of Christmas

The four winners play the week of new years

The championship game is on 1/8/07......

Of course I can already hear it....BUT WHAT ABOUT NOTRE DAME AND BOISE STATE.....well thats the problem. It sure woulda been nice to see what Boise State had in the playoff system...but guess what...they would not have made it. Not with 6 automatic confrence champions. The two play-ins are Michigan and LSU. Can't keep them out.

So....I guess thats the problem.....

But there still has to be a way to get it done. I got no problem seeing Boise State and Notre Dame in the Capital One Bowl or whatever ya know.......

[patrick7033]

Ya, but that idea is WAAAAAAY too easy. You're proposing an enjoyable, fair format at a resonable schedule. This is college football we're talkin' about here. Gotta make things more complicated then that.

[Daws1089]

they could keep the bowl's names by maybe making each game a designated bowl name but it would still be a playoff game. so say wake and louisville were in the orange bowl, the winner would be crowned orange bowl champ but they would still advance to the next round. each first round playoff game could have a different bowl name.. i.e. rose,orange, fiesta, sugar...etc. that way the sponsers dont cry about it.

[after hours]

A playoff would kill college football. We already have proof 5x over that a playoff waters down the regular season. CF is all about the cutthroat regular season, which people often allude to as the "playoff".

Implementing a playoff is purely a myopic solution.

[NittanyLions94]

Originally posted by after hours
A playoff would kill college football. We already have proof 5x over that a playoff waters down the regular season. CF is all about the cutthroat regular season, which people often allude to as the "playoff".

Implementing a playoff is purely a myopic solution.


Someone tell the teams that missed the playoffs by 1 game in the NFL that every regular season game isn't extremely important. Or how about Auburn a few years back? They did their job and won all their games and didn't get a crack at the title just because they didn't start high enough in pre-season polls. It's the only way to bring justice to NCAA football and stop crowning a national title based on what a bunch of voters have to say.

The "it will water down the regular season" argument makes no sense to me.

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

Originally posted by NittanyLions94
Someone tell the teams that missed the playoffs by 1 game in the NFL that every regular season game isn't extremely important. Or how about Auburn a few years back? They did their job and won all their games and didn't get a crack at the title just because they didn't start high enough in pre-season polls. It's the only way to bring justice to NCAA football and stop crowning a national title based on what a bunch of voters have to say.

The "it will water down the regular season" argument makes no sense to me.

:thumbs: Exactly...

[Stifler's Mom]

I don't like the idea. As unjust as the system is sometimes, I think a playoff would change things too much, and like has been previously mentioned, water down the regular season too.

And, I don't believe a playoff would change anything to the way it SHOULD be anyway. So yea...teams like USC and Michigan would have gotten their shot, which is ok, but a team like Boise, who is now what? 13-0? And only one of two remaining undefeateds in the nation (yes, they're in the WAC, but hey, they can only beat who they play against). So, Boise goes undefeated and STILL would probably NOT have gotten a shot in an 8 team playoff, assuming Michigan and LSU get in, plus the BCS conference champions USC, Ohio St, Florida, Oklahoma, Wake Forest and Louisville.....which is contrary to March Madness where teams who clearly don't belong anywhere near the tourney get in just by winning their crappy little conference.....so there is still no comparison between March Madness and anything they could possibly implement in college football.

So, using this year's teams, the problem i have with this is that while I don't think Boise would be as fortunate against USC or Ohio St as they were against an Oklahoma squad that isn't as good as USC or Ohio St, I do believe they are better than Wake Forest, probably about as good as Louisville....and they've already beaten Oklahoma....yet they still don't even get a shot?

I just don't see how anyone could justify that a team like Wake should get a shot ahead of Boise after seeing what happened in their bowl games....or even prior.

I mean come on! The WAC mustn't suck THAT much. Boise did beat the Big 12 champion, Nevada by all rights controlled the game against Miami too and should have won had they not given up 2 huge plays and quite honestly fallen victim to some pretty bad calls, and Hawaii went wild on Arizona St too (who admittedly wasn't all that great this year)....but still, all 3 of these WAC teams had better than respectable showings against bigger conference schools.

So having an 8 team playoff still solves nothing IMO, and would most certainly cause even more problems than we have now.

[after hours]

Originally posted by NittanyLions94
Someone tell the teams that missed the playoffs by 1 game in the NFL that every regular season game isn't extremely important. Or how about Auburn a few years back? They did their job and won all their games and didn't get a crack at the title just because they didn't start high enough in pre-season polls. It's the only way to bring justice to NCAA football and stop crowning a national title based on what a bunch of voters have to say.

The "it will water down the regular season" argument makes no sense to me.

Of course it is important, but it doesn't generate nearly the buzz as BIG games in CF regular season. Ever wonder why? Think about it a little deeper and you'll realize that a playoff system INHERENTLY marginalizes relevance to respective conferences. Games in CF are HUGE and generate enormous buzz and excitement because (1) 1-loss means a great deal and (2) the games have NATIONAL implications.

The BCS isn't perfect but the one GREAT quality about it is that it forces teams to schedule tough, which obviously creates more competitive games. Auburn CHOSE to schedule Division-IAA teams in '04-'05 and were penalized as a result. They can whine all they want, but they chose their own destiny. It's a plain meritocracy.

It doesn't make sense to the people who don't think beyond the surface level and think deeply about the implications.

Once again, a myopic solution.

[saidzeppelin]

It seems rather simple to me. Make the "Bowl Championship Series" a real "Bowl Championship series". Take the 8 teams from the 4 major bowls and let them square off with the top seed playing the lowest seed and so forth until you are down to 2 and then play on a Saturday or Sunday rather than a freaking Monday so you don't screw the people on the east coast that have jobs to go to in the morning. Keep all the meaningless bowls to allow medicore coaches justify their existence and compulsive gamblers get their fix.. We can still keep the "floating turd bowl" and yet find a way to come far closer to determining a "TRUE" national champion. Yes I know, "what about the poor teams which don't make the major bowls but get hot late". I am pulling out my crying towl now! Take care of business and you won't have to worry about it. I had to listen for weeks to all the Michigan cry babies as to why they deserved to play OSU again because they were the "second best team in the land" and then they got rolled by USC as I thought they would and then it became time to call for Carr's head and conjur up excuses for what has been the same song and dance for the last 4 plus years. TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AND YOU WILL HAVE A SHOT TO WIN IT ALL, real simple concept!!!! The National CASH Athletic Association can still make truck loads of dough on all the stupid bowls and make a ton more which will rival the NCAA B-ball if they create a real championship playoff series.. AHHHHH but logic has no place with them.

[after hours]

Originally posted by saidzeppelin
It seems rather simple to me. Make the "Bowl Championship Series" a real "Bowl Championship series". Take the 8 teams from the 4 major bowls and let them square off with the top seed playing the lowest seed and so forth until you are down to 2 and then play on a Saturday or Sunday rather than a freaking Monday so you don't screw the people on the east coast that have jobs to go to in the morning. Keep all the meaningless bowls to allow medicore coaches justify their existence and compulsive gamblers get their fix.. We can still keep the "floating turd bowl" and yet find a way to come far closer to determining a "TRUE" national champion. Yes I know, "what about the poor teams which don't make the major bowls but get hot late". I am pulling out my crying towl now! Take care of business and you won't have to worry about it. I had to listen for weeks to all the Michigan cry babies as to why they deserved to play OSU again because they were the "second best team in the land" and then they got rolled by USC as I thought they would and then it became time to call for Carr's head and conjur up excuses for what has been the same song and dance for the last 4 plus years. TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AND YOU WILL HAVE A SHOT TO WIN IT ALL, real simple concept!!!! The National CASH Athletic Association can still make truck loads of dough on all the stupid bowls and make a ton more which will rival the NCAA B-ball if they create a real championship playoff series.. AHHHHH but logic has no place with them.

Do you really think that's the solution? Did you ever stop and think, "Man, the solution is so simple and easy! There must be something I'm leaving out..."

Just to clue you in, the playoff format is the least cause of concern regarding a change to a playoff system. Also it is the universities themselves NOT the NCAA who make up the group of money interests. You have not mentioned once how your purported "solution" addresses the logistical issues (i.e. what fanbase is going to travel/pay for 3 bowl games?). What about the bowls themselves? How are you going to divvy up which games are played where and who gets to host the BCS NC game? You do realize that if you take the top 8 teams and seed them, that eliminates the conference tie-ins right? How are you going to make that work?

The world isn't so simple my friend.

[saidzeppelin]

Originally posted by after hours
Do you really think that's the solution? Did you ever stop and think, "Man, the solution is so simple and easy! There must be something I'm leaving out..."

Just to clue you in, the playoff format is the least cause of concern regarding a change to a playoff system. Also it is the universities themselves NOT the NCAA who make up the group of money interests. You have not mentioned once how your purported "solution" addresses the logistical issues (i.e. what fanbase is going to travel/pay for 3 bowl games?). What about the bowls themselves? How are you going to divvy up which games are played where and who gets to host the BCS NC game? You do realize that if you take the top 8 teams and seed them, that eliminates the conference tie-ins right? How are you going to make that work?

The world isn't so simple my friend.

Yah, I doubt they can work that out! They play 64 team tourneys in basketball and the fans that choose to travel do, those cannot or won't don't, the seats will be full and they still make TV's. Logistics and "conf tie-ins" are irrelevant. This is about money and a more logical system at the end, plain and simple and if they can play 64 teams in b-ball they can coordinate 8 in f-ball. I am at a loss in what your point is but thanks for your feedback.. This is a mutli-layer issue but what they have now is less than acceptable and this to me would be the logical next step to a better final solution. They simply refuse to talk about a playoff which defies logic..

[MacDaddy]

Well said SaidZeppelin.

After years of debate over this issue, I am surprised that us pro-playoff, rational thinking, common sense driven, true believers of sport have gone so far as to offer only 4 and 8 team playoff scenarios for the non-believers.

There is absolutely no rational reason why the NCAA couldn't run a true 16-team or even 24-team playoff system. The networks would feast off of the advertising dollar it brought in as would the NCAA. I-AA does it without the money and a true champion is crowned each year. Your mid-majors would be included along with all conference champions and remaining Top 20 teams. Shorten the season a couple of weeks. We would have to miss the all important late November Florida/Western Carolina matchup but if that's what it takes, some sacrifices are needed.

If travel requirements or ticket sales of the competing teams are an issue, then please explain why Cincinnati and Western Michigan are playing in a bowl game in Toronto.

The battle of bowl games vs. a playoff system can be compared to the battle of greed vs. common sense. I love the Big 10, but Commish Delaney is a big reason why the public is being deprived of a playoff system. The big boys don't want to take a chance on the Boise States of the world cutting into their power and money. Take this a step forward and it now makes sense as to why the NCAA won't allow college athletes to be paid. This would open up a free market allowing David to steal away a few top notch athletes from Goliath.

Just thinking with my head, not my ego.

[saidzeppelin]

Originally posted by MacDaddy
Well said SaidZeppelin.

After years of debate over this issue, I am surprised that us pro-playoff, rational thinking, common sense driven, true believers of sport have gone so far as to offer only 4 and 8 team playoff scenarios for the non-believers.

There is absolutely no rational reason why the NCAA couldn't run a true 16-team or even 24-team playoff system. The networks would feast off of the advertising dollar it brought in as would the NCAA. I-AA does it without the money and a true champion is crowned each year. Your mid-majors would be included along with all conference champions and remaining Top 20 teams. Shorten the season a couple of weeks. We would have to miss the all important late November Florida/Western Carolina matchup but if that's what it takes, some sacrifices are needed.

If travel requirements or ticket sales of the competing teams are an issue, then please explain why Cincinnati and Western Michigan are playing in a bowl game in Toronto.

The battle of bowl games vs. a playoff system can be compared to the battle of greed vs. common sense. I love the Big 10, but Commish Delaney is a big reason why the public is being deprived of a playoff system. The big boys don't want to take a chance on the Boise States of the world cutting into their power and money. Take this a step forward and it now makes sense as to why the NCAA won't allow college athletes to be paid. This would open up a free market allowing David to steal away a few top notch athletes from Goliath.

Just thinking with my head, not my ego.


I agree a larger playoff scenario would be great and give a wider group of good teams at all levels a shot but with the mentality they have now, asking for that much to start may be a stretch. If they would consider the 8 team plan or a similar plan to start, it may lead to bigger and better things down the road. Like I said, let them keep the meaningless bowls if that is what they want but a playoff system is a must. There is no logical reason it cannot be worked out at a minimal level as I describe leading to something much larger as the end result. These teams do not need conf championship games so that is 1 game easily eliminated along with at least 1 or 2 other sleeper games which start the season. Hell I would be happy if they even started talking about it in a progressive manner..

[after hours]

Originally posted by saidzeppelin
Yah, I doubt they can work that out! They play 64 team tourneys in basketball and the fans that choose to travel do, those cannot or won't don't, the seats will be full and they still make TV's. Logistics and "conf tie-ins" are irrelevant. This is about money and a more logical system at the end, plain and simple and if they can play 64 teams in b-ball they can coordinate 8 in f-ball. I am at a loss in what your point is but thanks for your feedback.. This is a mutli-layer issue but what they have now is less than acceptable and this to me would be the logical next step to a better final solution. They simply refuse to talk about a playoff which defies logic..

First off, in basketball you are filling a ~18,000 capacity stadium with 16 fanbases (it is segmented by region). In CF you are filling a ~80,000 capacity stadium with two teams. I'm not sure how you just simply come to the conclusion that "the seats will be full". How? I am a die-hard CF fan and there is absolutely no way I would be able to go to 3 different cities. Even if you have the money - which most people don't - how are you going to find the time?

My point was that you're basing your argument on the least important facet of a system change. The issue is not format, it is how you come up with a system that adheres to the tradition, academic, and financial concerns of all the parties involved. Your supposed solution addresses none of that.

[after hours]

Originally posted by MacDaddy
If travel requirements or ticket sales of the competing teams are an issue, then please explain why Cincinnati and Western Michigan are playing in a bowl game in Toronto.

The battle of bowl games vs. a playoff system can be compared to the battle of greed vs. common sense. I love the Big 10, but Commish Delaney is a big reason why the public is being deprived of a playoff system. The big boys don't want to take a chance on the Boise States of the world cutting into their power and money. Take this a step forward and it now makes sense as to why the NCAA won't allow college athletes to be paid. This would open up a free market allowing David to steal away a few top notch athletes from Goliath.

Just thinking with my head, not my ego.

Fresh off the Yahoo article huh? Next week you'll read an article on why the Cincy vs. WM playing a bowl game in Toronto was a GIANT mistake.

I'm sorry but your post is completely baseless. The whole big boys being scared of Boise State is ridiculous. I'm tired of writing, so I'll address it after I finish my argument with Zep.

[saidzeppelin]

Originally posted by after hours
First off, in basketball you are filling a ~18,000 capacity stadium with 16 fanbases (it is segmented by region). In CF you are filling a ~80,000 capacity stadium with two teams. I'm not sure how you just simply come to the conclusion that "the seats will be full". How? I am a die-hard CF fan and there is absolutely no way I would be able to go to 3 different cities. Even if you have the money - which most people don't - how are you going to find the time?

My point was that you're basing your argument on the least important facet of a system change. The issue is not format, it is how you come up with a system that adheres to the tradition, academic, and financial concerns of all the parties involved. Your supposed solution addresses none of that.

Dude, You really are making this more difficult than it needs to be and in as much as you suggest I am over simplifying it, you are over complicating it. Traditions can be and do change. Academic is irrelevent if you reduce the number of games, they won't play any more games than they do now and as for financial, give me a break.. The money generated by these games would be astronomical and the schools get a large chunk of it. As far as filling seats, you are crazy if you think each and every game will not be sold out regardless of where it takes place, whether or not the teams fans choose to travel to them all. College football is as big or bigger than Pro football in terms of popularity.The "tradition" you speak of is a broken system which needs to be fixed plain and simple. If you don't agree that is your prerogative but you have made no points which cannot be overcome. Your missing the main point here and that is constructive dialouge to move this to some type of playoff system which probably 90% of the public and many coaches want. This dialouge is not taking place and if it is I am not hearing about it.

[after hours]

Originally posted by saidzeppelin
Dude, You really are making this more difficult than it needs to be and in as much as you suggest I am over simplifying it, you are over complicating it. Traditions can be and do change. Academic is irrelevent if you reduce the number of games, they won't play any more games than they do now and as for financial, give me a break.. The money generated by these games would be astronomical and the schools get a large chunk of it.

It really IS that difficult my friend, use some common sense. I'm sorry, tradition is not that easily expendable. If you reduce the number of games that takes away revenue from the NON-BOWL participants. There is absolutely no way the playoff can generate enough money that it can be split amongst the 9 or so other teams in the conference and make up the for the revenue lost from shortening the regular season. It's not even close.

Originally posted by saidzeppelin
As far as filling seats, you are crazy if you think each and every game will not be sold out regardless of where it takes place, whether or not the teams fans choose to travel to them all. College football is as big or bigger than Pro football in terms of popularity.

I'm crazy huh? Funny how you can't go in detail on why stadiums would magically fill up. Look at March Madness, they have trouble selling out most of their games and they are segmented by region. But CF is an inexplicable anomaly right?

Also your assertion that CF is as big or bigger than Pro football? Look at the TV ratings and tell me it is even remotely comparable. CF as whole has more fans cause they have 100+ teams while NFL has 32, but on a per capita basis it's not even close.

Originally posted by saidzeppelin
The "tradition" you speak of is a broken system which needs to be fixed plain and simple. If you don't agree that is your prerogative but you have made no points which cannot be overcome. Your missing the main point here and that is constructive dialouge to move this to some type of playoff system which probably 90% of the public and many coaches want. This dialouge is not taking place and if it is I am not hearing about it.

Again using baseless facts? 90%? Funny how yesterday's Yahoo exclusive on Delaney of the Big-10 implicitly stated that the percentage actually was between 50-60%.

How in the world is tradition and the system intermixed? The tradition of CF is the history of the bowls, the pageantry, the intense rivalries, etc. Like Jim Delaney said, to paraphrase, the risk/reward ratio of a playoff isn't worth it. College Football's popularity has never been higher despite a supposed "broken system". If the system was defunct, people would stop watching. And we want to risk this for what? A playoff has historically shown to be a mediocre system in crowning "the best team". Those obsessed with seeing the "true champion" are clueless to this.

[saidzeppelin]

Originally posted by after hours
It really IS that difficult my friend, use some common sense. I'm sorry, tradition is not that easily expendable. If you reduce the number of games that takes away revenue from the NON-BOWL participants. There is absolutely no way the playoff can generate enough money that it can be split amongst the 9 or so other teams in the conference and make up the for the revenue lost from shortening the regular season. It's not even close.



I'm crazy huh? Funny how you can't go in detail on why stadiums would magically fill up. Look at March Madness, they have trouble selling out most of their games and they are segmented by region. But CF is an inexplicable anomaly right?

Also your assertion that CF is as big or bigger than Pro football? Look at the TV ratings and tell me it is even remotely comparable. CF as whole has more fans cause they have 100+ teams while NFL has 32, but on a per capita basis it's not even close.



Again using baseless facts? 90%? Funny how yesterday's Yahoo exclusive on Delaney of the Big-10 implicitly stated that the percentage actually was between 50-60%.

How in the world is tradition and the system intermixed? The tradition of CF is the history of the bowls, the pageantry, the intense rivalries, etc. Like Jim Delaney said, to paraphrase, the risk/reward ratio of a playoff isn't worth it. College Football's popularity has never been higher despite a supposed "broken system". If the system was defunct, people would stop watching. And we want to risk this for what? A playoff has historically shown to be a mediocre system in crowning "the best team". Those obsessed with seeing the "true champion" are clueless to this.

Whatever dude. Stick to your tradition and I will look forward to a system that is based on more logic and some form of playoff. You are obviously stuck in the past and I sure it is a happy world with fuzzy bunnies and Santa.. You have your opinions I have mine and mine did not include using words like "clueless' and other uncalled for dialouge. Funny how well the playoff system works in Divsion II & III and I and millions of others don't find it mediocre. I am at a grand loss as to how you comprehend a real bowl series would be mediocre but based on most of the things you have contended so far, it is not a big surprise. Viva the advent of a "mediocre" playoff and crowning of a true champion and all the millions of "clueless" people who will watch it not to mention the hundreds of millions in revenue it will generate. Your contention that people would stop watching something they love like NCAA f-ball playoffs if they don't agree with the way it is conducted makes no sense. That is like saying we don't like the way some of the Pro football players act so we will stop watching it. I don't think teams with a 500 record or 1 game over should be rewarded with a bowl game but I will still watch because I love the game of football. Maybe others here get your point but being clueless as I am, I don't...