OT - 4 Team Playoff for College Football

**wickedsolo** · 06-27-2012, 08:02 AM

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports...-team-playoff/

Glad to finally see this be implemented. It's been too long. I think eventually it should move to a 6 team playoff (with the 1st and 2nd ranked team receiving a bye and teams 3,4,5, and 6 play each other, etc).

**HoustonRaven** · 06-27-2012, 08:06 AM

Lipstick on a pig.

Yes, the powers that be granted us a playoff system of sorts. But take a closer look. They are going to use the top 4 teams as calculated by that dreadful computer program. Schools like Boise State, TCU, etc are still going to get the shaft. And they are being all hush hush about who gets what piece of the financial pie.

And I'd expect the championship game to be played in Cowboys Stadium every other year since the person with the highest bid will receive the championship game every year. Not many folks can compete with Jerry Jones in terms of cash on hand.

**wickedsolo** · 06-27-2012, 08:23 AM

Originally Posted by HoustonRaven

Lipstick on a pig.

Yes, the powers that be granted us a playoff system of sorts. But take a closer look. They are going to use the top 4 teams as calculated by that dreadful computer program. Schools like Boise State, TCU, etc are still going to get the shaft. And they are being all hush hush about who gets what piece of the financial pie.

And I'd expect the championship game to be played in Cowboys Stadium every other year since the person with the highest bid will receive the championship game every year. Not many folks can compete with Jerry Jones in terms of cash on hand.

Good point.

**Ravenswintitle** · 06-27-2012, 08:23 AM

I hate it. It's all about the money and I think it will water down the bowl games which I have always enjoyed.

Once every three years or so there was a team that felt they got slighted by not going to the championship game. Now that there are four teams, it's gonna be more teams feeling slighted. How will they decide? By some unnamed committee again.. I'm sure they love the controversy and attention and it'll quickly move to an 8 team playoff but it's still decided by polls and committees

**DrUnk** · 06-27-2012, 08:25 AM

They finally try to fix it, and still fuck it up. 4 teams is a joke, and what is the criteria for their selection? Should have at least 1 team per conference.

**Ravenswintitle** · 06-27-2012, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by DrUnk

They finally try to fix it, and still fuck it up. 4 teams is a joke, and what is the criteria for their selection? Should have at least 1 team per conference.

If that was the case Alabama wouldn't have made it last year.... and Boise will never get a shot.
They've just set up a system that will have people crying foul all over the place. But they'll make a boatload of money. At least that's my first reaction

**NCRAVEN** · 06-27-2012, 08:39 AM

I think it's better than what there was.

4 teams is enough for me, I mean at the end of the day, how many teams last year had a legitimate gripe to play for the national championship?

**Jayc00** · 06-27-2012, 08:41 AM

It's a move in the right direction, although I think it should have been 8 teams. This is most likely a trial thing and it will get expanded to 8 teams a couple of years after this one starts. I do still hate the way the 4 teams are decided though.

**DrUnk** · 06-27-2012, 08:56 AM

Originally Posted by Ravenswintitle

If that was the case Alabama wouldn't have made it last year.... and Boise will never get a shot.
They've just set up a system that will have people crying foul all over the place. But they'll make a boatload of money. At least that's my first reaction

I would like to see more than 1 per conference, but at least 1 per + the independents.

**wickedsolo** · 06-27-2012, 09:13 AM

They have to consider the implications of having more than a 4 team playoff. Anymore and you run the risk of extending the season into the next semester. These are still students we're talking about here.

I agree it's not perfect, but what I like about it is that it will help define who the actual best team is.

Regarding teams like TCU and Boise...they need to go to a better conference or just accept it. It sucks, yes, but what are you going to do? Could Boise state go undefeated at home for the past however many years (10 years I think?) all while playing in the SEC against SEC competition? Probably not.

**Jayc00** · 06-27-2012, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

They have to consider the implications of having more than a 4 team playoff. Anymore and you run the risk of extending the season into the next semester. These are still students we're talking about here.

I agree it's not perfect, but what I like about it is that it will help define who the actual best team is.

Regarding teams like TCU and Boise...they need to go to a better conference or just accept it. It sucks, yes, but what are you going to do? Could Boise state go undefeated at home for the past however many years (10 years I think?) all while playing in the SEC against SEC competition? Probably not.

I think they could tweak the Bowl schedule to prevent that and not have the games spread out so much. It would also prevent the teams in the National Championship from having a month off before they play the game.

I agree about them changing confrences though. You want to be ranked with the big dogs, then play with the big dogs.

**Ravenswintitle** · 06-27-2012, 09:44 AM

What choices do teams like Boise and TCU have regarding conferences? Boise announced they were joining the Big East (hardly a football powerhouse) and now there are rumblings that they'll stay in the MW. These contracts have serious financial penalties if broken

**NCRAVEN** · 06-27-2012, 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by Ravenswintitle

What choices do teams like Boise and TCU have regarding conferences? Boise announced they were joining the Big East (hardly a football powerhouse) and now there are rumblings that they'll stay in the MW. These contracts have serious financial penalties if broken

The contracts do expire though. So if or when they expire and a team wants to move conferences there are plenty of choices. Either one of those teams would fit perfectly in the Pac 12 or Big 12.

**wickedsolo** · 06-27-2012, 09:53 AM

Originally Posted by Ravenswintitle

What choices do teams like Boise and TCU have regarding conferences? Boise announced they were joining the Big East (hardly a football powerhouse) and now there are rumblings that they'll stay in the MW. These contracts have serious financial penalties if broken

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Big East dissipate anyway. Now that Pitt, Cuse, and UCONN have joined the ACC and WVU has joined the Big 12 there really is no big program bringing in $$$ to the Big East. Now, if the Big East could coax Army, Temple, Notre Dame, and potentially Penn State then they may have something.

**RavensNTerps** · 06-27-2012, 09:58 AM

UCONN didn't join the ACC, we'd never have them.

**Cj34** · 06-27-2012, 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by Ravenswintitle

I hate it. It's all about the money and I think it will water down the bowl games which I have always enjoyed.

Truth be told I haven't enjoyed the bowls since the old format where there were a ton of meaningful games all on New Years Day. That made it one of the best days of the year. I hate having all the decent games being spread over a two week old period. Now it's tough to see all the good games because of schedules, obligations, etc.

**wickedsolo** · 06-27-2012, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by RavensNTerps

UCONN didn't join the ACC, we'd never have them.

Weren't they joining or considering it?

I know Cuse and Pitt joined...for some reason I thought there was 1 more Big East team to leave for the ACC...

**alienrace** · 06-27-2012, 10:44 AM

This doesn't solve anything.

Instead of people whining about the #3 team getting left out, they'll now be whining about the #5 team. Same thing will happen no matter how many teams they put in the playoff. The last spots will always be debated.

There is no cure-all fix for college football championships. It's subjectively determined, always has been, always will be, because of the nature of it's structure. The sooner people realize this the better off they will be.

**Mista T** · 06-27-2012, 10:45 AM

I lost interest in national level NCAA football (i.e. beyond Terps & Navy) many years ago, after the 1-2-3 punches of the BCS "Championship", the college OT system, and 15 yard pass interference rule. Instituting a 4 team playoff system is a small step in the right direction, but not enough to recapture my support.

Should be an 8 game playoff system: six conference champs + two at large highest remaining ranked teams.

**34wassmooth** · 06-27-2012, 12:37 PM

Not perfect, but a great improvement that will eventually lead to an 8 team playoff. It's amazing how many people dwell on the negatives around this development. The selection process for four teams can't possibly be worse than the BCS selection process. Unlike basketball, I think a group of monkeys could identify the 8 best college football teams every year. With four, there might be some years where there's a legit argument. But so what? This will be much more interesting.