If they had 16 and all played, how often would the top 8 win every game. If tgey dont win, they shouldn't have been in the top 8 to begin with.
What's the problem with the current format other than a few lopsided games? That's going to still happen with an 8 or 16 team field. Honestly, 12 teams seems about right. I don't have a problem with the conference champs being guaranteed a bye either. They all had to tough out their conference championship game while the others sat at home and rested. It's not a perfect setup, but if the rub are the lopsided games, that's going to be a thing. Two of our natties came with margins of victory at 32 and 27 respectively. We lost a national title game by 38. Sometimes the lopsided outcome isn't so much a spread in talent as it is which team comes in with the superior game plan, is feeling it that night and are mentally prepared to do what it takes to win.
If they go to 16 teams, they have to get rid of the campus games and use the neutral sites of 8 lesser bowl games for the first round. The campus slaughters were bad enough without the best 4 and 4 even worse teams involved.
I think the campus games are awesome. Think of the possibilities in the future. Gives the home fans a bonus game.
All fair. Folks forget how often the semifinals in the 4-team playoff era were blowouts. Too early to completely abandon the current format, but we do need to recognize this format was agreed to before the latest conference realignments that created not only more imbalances between conferences, but also within the larger P4 conferences as well. So I think some things need to be reviewed. I wouldn't mind a tweak where conf champs are guaranteed top 8 seeds (i.e. a home game in first round) but not necessarily a bye. I love the fact that conference races all matter. Maybe expand the field to 14 where only two teams get byes, i.e. the B1G and SEC champs most years, and maybe we don't end up with another scenario where everyone is asking themselves "why is Boise getting a bye?".
The only fair way to do it is to give the P4 conference champs the byes. If you remove the automatic bye for the conference champs, that'll really hurt the SEC and B1G championship games most years. Is the prospect of home field advantage for the first round worth grinding out the conf championship game when both teams know they're in the tourney win, lose or draw said conf championship game? I'd be inclined to rest my players and get them healthy for the tournament. So you sort of have to reward the conference champs with a bye and the other two P4's will never sign off on only the SEC and B1G champs getting byes.
The Big Whatever? I know this. They've been owning the SEC for a year now. So, The Big Ownage I guess.
Agree and I've said this about the byes since this structure was presented. My contention was that the bye is too big of an advantage in a 12-team playoff. Now we are finding that certain teams didn't deserve those seeds. While SMU and Boise had terrific seasons, PS sure got the easiest path to the semifinal (just a besides the pt observation). Generally, I'm in favor of more playoff football than less and wouldn't mind a 16-team. 8-team might be good too, but 16 generates a bit more interest and involves more teams/fanbases. It's kinda sad that the Gators have yet to be in a playoff. Something to look fwd to. But yeah, let's get rid of the stupid byes.
So. . . We were saying. . . If ASU wants to get to the QF by virtue of winning a first round game, fine. But how about we eliminate guaranteeing QF bids to clearly overmatched teams moving forward.
I get some advantage to byes, but I'd still rather have the money from a home playoff game. Plus, I just love the thought of one of those in BHG one day.
Boise State being in the top 4 was a joke. Their combined opponents record was 50-75. They fought hard but obviously were outmanned. Kind of like what is going on in the NFC. The Lions and the Vikings are the 2 best teams but whoever loses Sunday drops to the 5th seed! I do believe 8 teams makes the most sense but still think it will always be flawed. Hoping Georgia gets beat and that notre dame doesn't make it to the final game. Hoping!
Taking the top 12 teams regardless of conference champs and seeding them as they were at the end of the regular season would be a great start.
Getting a top seed even without a bye is very likely an easy win. Lose and you get another team that is a similar seed.
In the inaugural year of the playoffs when I thought I'd have the most interest, I found I have the least. Tonight's games are the only ones I might watch. The playoffs have been a big bust.
In a 16-team format you could still host home games, then maybe have a FF in a couple venues. I know that blows up the big bowls (Rose, etc.), but tradition be dammed.
Conference champs not guaranteed a bye. Boise did not deserve one. What weight was given to strength of schedule in the selection process? Needs to be a major component.