Running CFB playoff thread

[I Should Coco]

If Notre Dame and Ol’ Miss each have two losses, it’s the Rebels every time. They played a much, much tougher schedule.

 

[Neutral Corner]

Everyone was putting ND in the playoffs in preseason articles because of their Charmin soft schedule.

 

[Neutral Corner]

 

[playthrough]

Conference championships are all fun and games until you lose one and fall out of the playoff, which might happen to SMU. The conf commissioners outside of the SEC/B1G won't always be able to have both the conference game money grab + arguing for multiple teams in the playoff. Or at least until this thing expands to 32 teams.

 

[tapintoamerica]

Heard Mario Cristobal on the Mandel-Feldman Athletic podcast. Guess they were willing to give him his platform, but I can't find much fault with the committee's logic. Alabama is 3-1 vs. Top 25 foes. Miami is 0-1.
I have said this on here before, but the outrage stems largely from the committee's ESPN-induced obligation to reveal rankings every week in the second half of the season.
The truth is that there aren't many teams with great resumes. Texas, the No. 2 team in the rankings, is also 0-1 vs. the Top 25. Only eight ranked teams have won multiple games against other ranked opponents, and one of them is Syracuse.

 

[MileHigh]

24-3 loss to a bad Oklahoma team. In November. With a win against Mercer and a weak-ass Auburn team. Loss at Vandy. Obviously playing the eight conference games and owning the CFB will continue to benefit the SEC.

It will be fun when Clemson wins this weekend and Alabama stays in and SMU gets pushed out.

The whole thing is a scam.

 

[BTExpress]

If the powers that be deem it necessary that Tennessee travel to Columbus for its playoff game, I will grudgingly accept the use of an alternate uniform.

 

[Neutral Corner]

All it takes is a look at the history to see that they'll get Alabama in if they possibly can. The committee has assured us that teams who are playing league championship games, who are already in the playoff, will not suffer if they lose in that extra game while others do not play and risk nothing.

We'll see if that's true. ****ing over SMU would be even worse than what happened to FSU last season.

 

[SixToe]

All it takes is a look at the history to see that they'll get Alabama in if they possibly can. The committee has assured us that teams who are playing league championship games, who are already in the playoff, will not suffer if they lose in that extra game while others do not play and risk nothing.

We'll see if that's true. ****ing over SMU would be even worse than what happened to FSU last season.

That's what will happen, though.

 

[dixiehack]

Am I the only one of the opinion that SMU stands a very good chance of beating Clemson?

 

[Neutral Corner]

No.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

Am I the only one of the opinion that SMU stands a very good chance of beating Clemson?

I think people have been sleeping on SMU all year.

 

[Neutral Corner]

I hope they kick hell out of Saint Dabo and Clemson.

 

[Chef2]

Alabama has no business being at 11. They didn’t score a touchdown against Oklahoma.
The Ole Miss argument is a dud because that loss AT HOME to Kentucky is bad bad bad.
Miami probably has the biggest gripe, and it wouldn’t be a gripe if their coach knew how many points a touchdown was worth.
The decision to kick that fg and not go for it was Eberflus-esque.

 

[Neutral Corner]

So will teams begin to refuse to play in conference championship games next season, or will it take longer? Once the committee has set the top 12 at the end of the regular season, if a team loses in a championship game it should not see a lower ranked team who did not play jump them, but I have very little trust in that if it conflicts with getting a Power 2 team.

I guess they're playing for the bye that goes to the conference champion, but the risk/reward there is concerning. I think that the calendar will come into play as well. CFB would be better off if the playoff began this weekend so that it does not butt heads with the NFL. It would also be of some help when it comes to hiring and the coaching carousel.

Then again, those championship games generate a lot of cash, and that may (will probably) override any other concerns.

 

[HappyCurmudgeon]

I think the win percentage of Alabama's opponents is .622, which is far and away the best of the disputed playoff teams.

All of these teams are flawed because we're discussing teams with 2-3 losses.

 

[Roscablo]

I think the win percentage of Alabama's opponents, which is far and away the best of the disputed playoff teams.

All of these teams are flawed because we're discussing teams with 2-3 losses.

It's just like basketball, these teams are on the bubble for a reason.

It's a lot different than the four-team tournament when it was pretty clear which teams were the top four and it usually wasn't close -- and when it was, if there was a 12-team field it wouldn't be. But this is more inclusive as it should be, which will naturally lead to more questions about the middle and definitely the bottom. I'm all for it.

 

[MileHigh]

So will teams begin to refuse to play in conference championship games next season, or will it take longer? Once the committee has set the top 12 at the end of the regular season, if a team loses in a championship game it should not see a lower ranked team who did not play jump them, but I have very little trust in that if it conflicts with getting a Power 2 team.

I guess they're playing for the bye that goes to the conference champion, but the risk/reward there is concerning. I think that the calendar will come into play as well. CFB would be better off if the playoff began this weekend so that it does not butt heads with the NFL. It would also be of some help when it comes to hiring and the coaching carousel.

Then again, those championship games generate a lot of cash, and that may (will probably) override any other concerns.

Just need to bump it back a week. This weekend can be Army-Navy. Next weekend would be first round of the playoffs and not go against the NFL. Then roll the quarterfinals on NYD, etc.

I think we'll also see top five conference champions guaranteed a spot but the top four not getting byes. As it is, we're looking at better matchups/games in the first round than the quarterfinals with SMU/Clemson and Boise State (assuming it wins) not having to play the first round. If you had that, you're looking at:

Byes:
Oregon*, Texas*, Penn State, Notre Dame

12. Arizona State* at 5. Georgia*
11. Alabama at 6. Ohio State
10. Boise State* at 7. Tennessee
9. Indiana at 8. SMU*

* -- conference champions

QF:
Rose: Indiana-SMU vs. 1. Oregon
Sugar: Boise State-Tennessee vs. 2. Texas
Peach: Alabama-Ohio State vs. 3. Penn State
Fiesta: Arizona State-Georgia vs. 4. Notre Dame

 

[HappyCurmudgeon]

So will teams begin to refuse to play in conference championship games next season, or will it take longer? Once the committee has set the top 12 at the end of the regular season, if a team loses in a championship game it should not see a lower ranked team who did not play jump them, but I have very little trust in that if it conflicts with getting a Power 2 team.

I guess they're playing for the bye that goes to the conference champion, but the risk/reward there is concerning. I think that the calendar will come into play as well. CFB would be better off if the playoff began this weekend so that it does not butt heads with the NFL. It would also be of some help when it comes to hiring and the coaching carousel.

Then again, those championship games generate a lot of cash, and that may (will probably) override any other concerns.

I think we're heading to something far more complicated. Something like an AFL/NFL thing on steroids with the Big Ten combining with the Big 12, MAC and another conference or two and the SEC swallowing the ACC, American and another conference or two. They will just run separate 64-team leagues with 12-team playoffs that will encompass these championship games and try to each make a mint from the networks and the streamers for all the content.

I actually don't see the Big Ten and SEC joining forces but rather creating their own red team and blue team thing.

 

[Batman]

It'll be fun if UNLV and Clemson win, and suddenly the discussion shifts to which of the three teams that have to play their way in this weekend are suddenly getting byes as the Nos. 3/4 seeds and if Boise State or SMU get to hang in and push Alabama out.
Although I think we all know the answer to that last pondering.