College Football New Playoff Format

[crazylegs777]

What was it like watching TN lose by 25 to OSU?

I’m not a huge fan of UT football but I am of hockey there & other sports. I went to bed. I worked 3am til midnight the night before & 6am to 4:30 pm the day of the game so I was wiped. Tennessee talked too much off the field & not on it

 

[johnndoe]

Oregon D is the weakness. If the O gets off schedule, it's anyone's game

Add as a weakness some really bad 4th down decisions by HC Dan Lanning on his resume at OR that have been game-changing (and game-costing in a couple instances).

 

[johnndoe]

I think Notre Dame will prove out to be their usual fraud. But IU was just so inferior.
Similarly, SMU has been totally exposed today.

If that SMU soph QB (2 self-inflicted pick 6s to open the game after failing to run for a wide-open 4th down conversion deep in the PSU red zone on the opening series while misfiring a short throw instead) enters the transfer portal, that would be criminal. He owes them BIG time. In addition, the back-up transferred to Northwestern hours after the game.

 

[mc140]

If that SMU soph QB (2 self-inflicted pick 6s to open the game after failing to run for a wide-open 4th down conversion deep in the PSU red zone on the opening series while misfiring a short throw instead) enters the transfer portal, that would be criminal. He owes them BIG time. In addition, the back-up transferred to Northwestern hours after the game.

He cost himself at least six figures with that Penn St performance in the tampering market.

 

[corey90]

Add as a weakness some really bad 4th down decisions by HC Dan Lanning on his resume at OR that have been game-changing (and game-costing in a couple instances).

Really they haven’t lost a game this year. Hopefully the Buckeyes can get them an L this week. Hahahaha

 

[johnndoe]

Really they haven’t lost a game this year. Hopefully the Buckeyes can get them an L this week. Hahahaha

I was referring to OR '22 and '23 losses to Washington directly related to highly questionable 4th down decisions including an outrageous fake punt. This year, in every similar situation, my heart skips a beat. Duck defense has come up with a few late-in-game turnovers after bending a lot and letting teams hang around. The pressure will be all on Oregon vs OSU between having beaten them already and having the top seed target on their backs.

 

[CCfan]

Losing Riley Mills will hurt but I think the Irish defense is suffocating and will be too much so for the Dogs to do much barking.

 

[corey90]

Losing Riley Mills will hurt but I think the Irish defense is suffocating and will be too much so for the Dogs to do much barking.

This will be the most physical game ND has been in this year. Bulldogs in a close one.

 

[brucealmighy]

Biggest issue with the format of the playoff was the first round byes for conference winners and the seeding. The top 4 teams should have received the byes. Since they were using the regular season record have such a large impact on the seeding, that would have left some combination of Oregon, Georgia, Penn State, Texas and ND receiving the bye. OSU would have been the 6 seed instead of the 8 and likely some of the matchups would have been more competitive.

It was funny how much people were hating on Indiana after the first game and then they ended up having the smallest margin of defeat.

 

[crazylegs777]

Biggest issue with the format of the playoff was the first round byes for conference winners and the seeding. The top 4 teams should have received the byes. Since they were using the regular season record have such a large impact on the seeding, that would have left some combination of Oregon, Georgia, Penn State, Texas and ND receiving the bye. OSU would have been the 6 seed instead of the 8 and likely some of the matchups would have been more competitive.

It was funny how much people were hating on Indiana after the first game and then they ended up having the smallest margin of defeat.

Only because Notre Dame emptied the bench. Still a fine year for IU

 

[doctor_d]

Only because Notre Dame emptied the bench. Still a fine year for IU

ND won decisively, but the only playoff game that was *maybe* more competitive was Texas/Clemson, and that ended up more lopsided. They were all blow outs.

 

[4Afan]

"No one wants to play Bama in the playoffs"...

 

[PowerI66]

That's why this whole thread is ridiculous

 

[PowerI66]

Oregon D is the weakness. If the O gets off schedule, it's anyone's game

 

[johnndoe]

Someone has to say it, "DUCKS LAY AN EGG IN QUARTERFINALS." Furthermore, in Round 1 all the lower seed visitors lost and so far all the highest seeds with the bye have lost in the QFs. We will see what happens in the GA/ND game if the Bulldogs can break the pattern. If GA also loses, I would consider the 1st year of the 12-team tournament a bust, in its present format.

 

[PowerI66]

Saban said he would rather have a home game than the bye. Says the bye week throws everything off

 

[crusader_of_90]

THAT WAS TARGETTING!!!!!

 

[PowerI66]

Pat Coogan from Marist playing for ND as well

 

[johnndoe]

Someone has to say it, "DUCKS LAY AN EGG IN QUARTERFINALS." Furthermore, in Round 1 all the lower seed visitors lost and so far all the highest seeds with the bye have lost in the QFs. We will see what happens in the GA/ND game if the Bulldogs can break the pattern. If GA also loses, I would consider the 1st year of the 12-team tournament a bust, in its present format.

I have to wonder if the identical format is a lock for next season in the CFP? Anyone know about this?

 

[brucealmighy]

I have to wonder if the identical format is a lock for next season in the CFP? Anyone know about this?

I think I saw it will be discussed. My guess is the automatic bye for conference winners will be removed and the top 4 will get the byes. Maybe the top 4 conference winners are guaranteed a bye or home game.

 

[4Afan]

I think I saw it will be discussed. My guess is the automatic bye for conference winners will be removed and the top 4 will get the byes. Maybe the top 4 conference winners are guaranteed a bye or home game.

Then the byes would have gone to Oregon, Georgia, Texas, and PSU. Two of those had byes and lost.

12 is too many, 8 playoff teams is the right number. No byes and just play it out. Using the CFP rankings this year regardless of conference winners the matchups would have been...

#1 Oregon vs. #8 Indiana
#2 Georgia vs. #7 Tennessee
#3 Texas vs. #6 OSU
#4 PSU vs. #5 ND

Two of those matchups are the Semifinals and the other two likely would have been blowouts.

 

[jha618]

Then the byes would have gone to Oregon, Georgia, Texas, and PSU. Two of those had byes and lost.

12 is too many, 8 playoff teams is the right number. No byes and just play it out. Using the CFP rankings this year regardless of conference winners the matchups would have been...

#1 Oregon vs. #8 Indiana
#2 Georgia vs. #7 Tennessee
#3 Texas vs. #6 OSU
#4 PSU vs. #5 ND

Two of those matchups are the Semifinals and the other two likely would have been blowouts.

Well Oregon wouldnt have been paired with OSU in their first game. And Georgia was missing their starting QB.

12 seems like a good number. They just need some changes to how the bracket is setup.

 

[SiuCubFan8]

It’s year 1, they will make adjustments.

 

[lurker74]

Similar to the arguments we have every year about the IHSA playoffs, there is no system that will eliminate the blowouts. Football (sports, in general) is full of blowouts. The last championship game that was a 1-score finish was 2017.

4 teams, 8 teams, 12 teams, 16 teams... it's not about finding the perfect system, it's about more meaningful football, which means more money.

Personally, I'd go with 16 teams and eliminate the byes. Top 5 conference champs aren't guaranteed top 5 seeds, but do get top 8 so they have a home game. I'd like to see the P4 have 2 guaranteed spots, but the people controlling the money seem to want the 6th place SEC team to get their chance.....

 

[PowerI66]

There were blowouts when there we only 4 teams. The number of teams does not matter.

 

[colin2229]

Similar to the arguments we have every year about the IHSA playoffs, there is no system that will eliminate the blowouts. Football (sports, in general) is full of blowouts. The last championship game that was a 1-score finish was 2017.

4 teams, 8 teams, 12 teams, 16 teams... it's not about finding the perfect system, it's about more meaningful football, which means more money.

Personally, I'd go with 16 teams and eliminate the byes. Top 5 conference champs aren't guaranteed top 5 seeds, but do get top 8 so they have a home game. I'd like to see the P4 have 2 guaranteed spots, but the people controlling the money seem to want the 6th place SEC team to get their chance.....

That is my takeaway as well. 16 teams and no byes.

The best thing about the playoffs so far has been the first round home games. Let’s see more of that.

Let’s also rank these teams 1-12 (or 16) to get the best possible tournament.

I would imagine the viewership for all the non-playoff games has to be waaaaay down. I don’t know how they fix that. I haven’t watched one of those games bc of players opting out.

 

[lurker74]

I would imagine the viewership for all the non-playoff games has to be waaaaay down. I don’t know how they fix that. I haven’t watched one of those games bc of players opting out.

People like football, people like betting, and a few of the matchups have been really solid. Four non-playoff games still featured both teams in top25. Best game also featured a trophy with a built-in toaster (Go Cyclones!).

Bowl game audiences are breaking decades-old records for ESPN

Viewership for multiple bowl games in 2024 are breaking records that have stood for over a decade on ESPN and ABC.

awfulannouncing.com

 

[ramblinman]

I think Notre Dame will prove out to be their usual fraud.

You were saying?

 

[ClownBaby]

There is too much down time either stick at 12 or go to 16 but eliminate the conference championship games and start the playoff the first week of December with the first 2 rounds on campus, Semifinal neutral site and the Championship on New Years Day. A 4pm NYD game would draw a monster rating and would mimic the Super Bowl. Also, I would start the season for all teams the last week of August so you can build in bye weeks.

 

[Alexander32]

Then the byes would have gone to Oregon, Georgia, Texas, and PSU. Two of those had byes and lost.

12 is too many, 8 playoff teams is the right number. No byes and just play it out. Using the CFP rankings this year regardless of conference winners the matchups would have been...

#1 Oregon vs. #8 Indiana
#2 Georgia vs. #7 Tennessee
#3 Texas vs. #6 OSU
#4 PSU vs. #5 ND

Two of those matchups are the Semifinals and the other two likely would have been blowouts.

Then you might as well just have the top four teams in the Big Ten Conference play the top four teams in the Southeastern Conference. All others need not apply... there is no room for the likes of you.

Arizona State from the Big Twelve Conference provided a very competitive and entertaining game this year.