Topic: Watching the college playoff

[banker]

Reinforces my opinion that we need to break from the P4 and have our own playoff.  The talent difference between the top 6 teams and the next 6 is just glaring. The top of the second tier of the P4 can?t even compete with the bottom of the first tier.

This just confirms the P2. Alabama should have been in over SMU or Clemson. SMU and Indiana just lucked into easy conference schedules, missing other top teams.

[Johns1124]

SMU and Indiana just lucked into easy conference schedules, missing other top teams.

That's the problem with superconferences. Indiana played 5 out of the bottom 6 in the 10. When they did play OSU, they were destroyed.

There is a break away, its called FCS.

[Johnnyherd]

Just shear size and resources of these programs now that schools can pay players is almost insurmountable.   With basketball you can put together 7-8 talented athletes and make a run to the sweet sixteen or elite eight.  Football you need 45,

Even if we run the table during the regular season and somehow make it in. We?ll be a high seed and have to go on the road against some Goliath program.

I think a G5 championship would actually elevate and bring excitement to mid major football.

[GreenDaddy]

Just shear size and resources of these programs now that schools can pay players is almost insurmountable.   With basketball you can put together 7-8 talented athletes and make a run to the sweet sixteen or elite eight.  Football you need 45,

Even if we run the table during the regular season and somehow make it in. We?ll be a high seed and have to go on the road against some Goliath program.

I think a G5 championship would actually elevate and bring excitement to mid major football.

Great post and I agree for the most part. However, I don't want to completely break away from the CFP. I do think setting up a small G5 playoff to determine a G5 "Champ" for the auto bid into the CFP could create some excitement for us G5 fans. It'd be a good way to get some eyeballs on the G5 prior to the CFP starting.

[Johnnyherd]

I agree, but realistically if we ever want to actually put a crystal trophy in our case it?s going to be a G5 tournament.  And, that won?t be easy by any means.

It used to be just getting to a  New Year?s 6 bowl was everything.   Now you have a special season and you go on the road against Georgia then Texas then Ohio State and winning all those games, that?s just not going to happen in our lifetime.

[herdfan429]

What I've taken from this is that the playoff needs to go to 8 teams.

[Johnnyherd]

If I had the reins I would basically broadcast the G5 tournament games just before the P5 tournament games on the same night and piggyback the excitement, ala March Madness type of excitement and also you would get great ratings because people would be watching waiting on the big boys to play.

Basically the same concept of boxing, with a co main and main event.

[HoPPy785]

As the bowl games lose relevance I think it wouldn't be a terrible idea to pitch an NIT style tournament to the bowl operators. It would give some relevance to the bowls again and be a fun tournament for G5's and lower level P4's.

[herd2win]

Just go back to the BCS with o LY 2 teams.  We have seen blow outs in the 4 team playoff and the games this weekend have been terrible.

G5 playoff is the answer for Marshall.

[elginherd]

Just go back to the BCS with o LY 2 teams.  We have seen blow outs in the 4 team playoff and the games this weekend have been terrible.

G5 playoff is the answer for Marshall.

Please, no LY 2. I mean NO!
The horsesh!@ SEC propaganda machine ruled that with undesiervng Alabama teams winning after not winning the SEC championship game & again after not qualifying for their CCG. So much for 'every game counts' unless it's an SEC loss. And nearly every SEC team plays a FCS or lower cast FBS team for their late season game before their tough rivilary game instead of a 9th game. So their 'tough schedule' argument is shear hypocrisy.

So today, some of the talking head politborohas been going off on IU's "bad" losses to OSU & ND while trumpeting Alabama should've been in...?????? The 'bama losses WERE WORSE!

[herdfan129]

What I've taken from this is that the playoff needs to go to 8 teams.

No. They need to abolish the bowls and expand the playoffs to at least 16 teams and possibly 24 like FCS.

It will take a few years but more teams having a real shot will start to create more parity. The blue bloods are still benefitting from years of being the only ones.

[banker]

Please, no LY 2. I mean NO!
The horsesh!@ SEC propaganda machine ruled that with undesiring Alabama teams winning after not winning the SEC championship game & again after not qualifying for their CCG. So much for 'every game counts' unless it's an SEC loss. And nearly every SEC team plays a FCS or lower cast FBS team for their late season game before their tough rivilary game instead of a 9th game. So their 'tough schedule' argument is shear hypocrisy.

So today, some of the talking head politborohas been going off on IU's "bad" losses to OSU & ND while trumpeting Alabama should've been in...?????? The 'bama losses WERE WORSE!

I understand this sentiment, but the difference to me is that Alabama at least has the players to beat anyone. Indiana doesn?t have the players to beat Ohio State, Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame, etc. if you made up a conference of the top 12 teams this year Indiana would be lucky to win a game. Alabama would likely go 6-6.

[MUther]

Please, no LY 2. I mean NO!
The horsesh!@ SEC propaganda machine ruled that with undesiring Alabama teams winning after not winning the SEC championship game & again after not qualifying for their CCG. So much for 'every game counts' unless it's an SEC loss. And nearly every SEC team plays a FCS or lower cast FBS team for their late season game before their tough rivilary game instead of a 9th game. So their 'tough schedule' argument is shear hypocrisy.

So today, some of the talking head politborohas been going off on IU's "bad" losses to OSU & ND while trumpeting Alabama should've been in...?????? The 'bama losses WERE WORSE!

The field is still political and biased but I also like seeing it earned.  Before it was a poll consensus that decided who the top two were.  At the very east now the top two had to play a few games to get there.  Wish this system had been in place in 1999.  I've never been convinced that we were not on a level with VT and possibly FSU. 

As to top teams, both of them were undefeated as well and are nothing compared to that in the last decade, plus.  Those top teams rotate over time.  LSU and Colorado were top teams after VT and FSU.  Hardly hear anything about them now except for Colorado's big mouth arrogant new coach.  USC after that a few seasons until what's his name went to Seattle.  With Saban gone, Alabama will rotate in and out but not be a mainstay.  Things change but it takes years.  I mean would anyone have even predicted SMU and Indiana would be in the playoffs.  They'll likely only get better.  They might be teams we're talking about as dynasties in a few years. 

Clemson was a crap team for decades but got the right coach and made the playoffs a lot.  No one predicted that.  Georgia used to be an SEC joke and Florida was the team to beat.  Just the opposite now.  It will still rotate around with more opportunity to unseat the "untouchables" with a real playoff format.

[gochneaur645]

The main takeaway from today is that home field is a massive advantage in these games.

The SEC was beating their chest about how they deserved more teams in after Indiana and SMU looked bad, but then their teams ended up being the least dominant winner and the most embarrassing loser.

[banker]

SMU has proven effective when they have the opportunity spend unlimited oil money. They are made for NIL.

As far as teams rotating, yes, but it?s a pool of the same 20 teams that rotate. The teams winning championships now are the same ones that have been winning them for the last 60 years.  Only 22 teams have won a national championship in the last 60 years and the number is only that high due to years with split championships. In the last 80 years it?s only 25 teams.

If Alabama would have made it instead of SMU the 12 teams in the playoff would have held 22 of the last 40 titles and that?s with Boise, Indiana, Arizona State and SMU having zero.

This is why I would like a G5 playoff. The complete dominance of 10 teams plus the occasional up year for second tier SEC or Big 10 schools means no one else will ever win.  Nobody outside of the current Big 10, SEC or ACC (plus Notre Dame) has won a national title in 34 years and hasn?t won an outright title since BYU in 1984.

[herdfan429]

No. They need to abolish the bowls and expand the playoffs to at least 16 teams and possibly 24 like FCS.

It will take a few years but more teams having a real shot will start to create more parity. The blue bloods are still benefitting from years of being the only ones.

20 years ago,absolutely, now the gap between the top 8 and everyone else is so wide that it would be a waste and nothing but blowouts

[elginherd]

The main takeaway from today is that home field is a massive advantage in these games.

The SEC was beating their chest about how they deserved more teams in after Indiana and SMU looked bad, but then their teams ended up being the least dominant winner and the most embarrassing loser.

One of the most beautiful sounds recently heard was UT's players & coaches being serenaded off of the field by the chants of SEC, SEC, SEC. Some of the UT players thought it was beautiful, too, as they were moved to tears...

[svherd]

I watched the FCS semis yesterday. That's college football and I miss those playoff days - fun times

[elginherd]

I understand this sentiment, but the difference to me is that Alabama at least has the players to beat anyone. Indiana doesn?t have the players to beat Ohio State, Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame, etc. if you made up a conference of the top 12 teams this year Indiana would be lucky to win a game. Alabama would likely go 6-6.

Maybe.
But, bama's conference record this season, along with two BAD losses and scheduling a weak FCS the game before Auburn (IIRC) should have excluded them from any consideration at all by the ESPN talking heads or the committee.

The same is true when the 'qualified' for playing in the 2 team or 4 team versions after not winning conference, because the same argument can be made regarding other teams in other conferences.

[elginherd]

I watched the FCS semis yesterday. That's college football and I miss those playoff days - fun times

The atmosphere at my brother's home stadium at MSU was electric.

[GreenDaddy]

I watched the FCS semis yesterday. That's college football and I miss those playoff days - fun times

I did too. Everyone says if we split that we will be forgotten about in the world of college football. I'm not sure we are really thought about as it is now.

Those FCS semi final games were on ABC and I believe the championship is as well. Not bad exposure for the games that matter.

[banker]

Maybe.
But, bama's conference record this season, along with two BAD losses and scheduling a weak FCS the game before Auburn (IIRC) should have excluded them from any consideration at all by the ESPN talking heads or the committee.

The same is true when the 'qualified' for playing in the 2 team or 4 team versions after not winning conference, because the same argument can be made regarding other teams in other conferences.

So if the two best teams are in the same division of the same conference, one should be left out even when it?s obvious to everyone?

[Flat Tire 2]

I did too. Everyone says if we split that we will be forgotten about in the world of college football. I'm not sure we are really thought about as it is now.

Those FCS semi final games were on ABC and I believe the championship is as well. Not bad exposure for the games that matter.

FYI: The games yesterday had one game on ABC and the other game on ESPN+.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/43065735/college-football-2024-fcs-semifinal-montana-state-north-dakota-state-south-dakota-south-dakota-state

The Championship game will be ESPN on January 6 at 7:00PM
https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2024-12-21/2024-25-fcs-football-championship-selection-show-info-bracket-dates

[VA Herd Fan]

Maybe.
But, bama's conference record this season, along with two BAD losses and scheduling a weak FCS the game before Auburn (IIRC) should have excluded them from any consideration at all by the ESPN talking heads or the committee.

The same is true when the 'qualified' for playing in the 2 team or 4 team versions after not winning conference, because the same argument can be made regarding other teams in other conferences.

The SEC schools have scheduled easy games prior to their rivalry games for years. I don't see why that matters. Pretty smart I think. Yes Bama had bad losses but they also had good wins. Indiana and SMU were ranked higher than they should have been. IMO, the committee backed themselves into a corner. The system has been screwed up by money and power. Neither of which will be given up easily.

I think the first round games should be at neutral sites and top 4 should play at home in round 2. The top bowls would never concede to that format.

[Tim Hensley]

Yes, it is still political.  The Big 10 or whatever it is now is not only running -- but increasing -- it's share of the show.