Running CFB playoff thread

[Gutter]

So out of the 11 playoff games, there was one that was legitimately dramatic (Az. State-Texas), one competitive with a late decisive play (OSU-Texas), one kinda upset (ND-Georgia), and the rest blowouts.

You left out Notre Dame-Penn State.

 

[User 4332]

So out of the 11 playoff games, there was one that was legitimately dramatic (Az. State-Texas), one competitive with a late decisive play (OSU-Texas), one kinda upset (ND-Georgia), and the rest blowouts. In the 10 NFL playoff games so far, there have been three wildly dramatic games decided in the last two minutes (Commies-Bucs, Bills-Ravens, Eagles-Rams), one big upset (Commies-Lions), and the rest snoozers or absolute blowouts. That really looks like random difference to me. And yet, I get more interest in the NFL playoffs as they go on, while the college playoff is eerily like its March Madness equivalent. I was more interest at the start than at the finish.
Is this me, or is it an experience endemic to college sports?

I enjoyed the college football playoff considerably this year. I watched four full games and half of two others. It's been many years since I watched that much of the college football postseason. A lot of years, I might've watched only one or two bowl games. I think the last title game I watched was Clemson's first championship over Alabama.

To me, the 12-team playoff format resulted in the first legitimate national championship of my lifetime (gross that it had to be tOSU, but whatever). I definitely think it could stand some improvements - particularly with the seeding and the determinations about who gets the byes. I've long had a love-hate relationship with football, but now that there's a real playoff I find myself more interested in college football than I have been in a very long time.

 

[BurnsWhenIPee]

So out of the 11 playoff games, there was one that was legitimately dramatic (Az. State-Texas), one competitive with a late decisive play (OSU-Texas), one kinda upset (ND-Georgia), and the rest blowouts. In the 10 NFL playoff games so far, there have been three wildly dramatic games decided in the last two minutes (Commies-Bucs, Bills-Ravens, Eagles-Rams), one big upset (Commies-Lions), and the rest snoozers or absolute blowouts. That really looks like random difference to me. And yet, I get more interest in the NFL playoffs as they go on, while the college playoff is eerily like its March Madness equivalent. I was more interest at the start than at the finish.
Is this me, or is it an experience endemic to college sports?

Not just you. I watched and enjoyed the college football playoffs, primarily for gambling reasons - thank you, Ohio State, for that late field goal! Covered the -8.5 for me and got me a $475 payday for the pick'em pool I won.

But it didn't change my college football bowl game/playoff interest. I follow the teams I have a vested interest in and am a casual observer for the rest. Always have been that way.

The NFL playoffs are much more appealing to me. You can inject things like Bills-Ravens, Bills-Chiefs, even Eagles-Packers, directly into my veins.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

You left out Notre Dame-Penn State.

Fair enough. That was also a good competitive game. Come to think of it, more evidence for the proposition that as games, the two playoffs haven't been that different.

 

[dixiehack]

Ohio State fans not only want to win 85 pervent of their games, beat Michigan and win the national title. They want you to be an unrepentant asshole while doing it. And they expect you to be from Ohio. So John Cooper and Ryan Day, no matter how much success they have, can never be Paul Brown, Woody Hayes, Jim Tressel or Urban Meyer.

It’s an insane standard. He should stay one or two more years and then cash in at an NFL or less pressure-filled college program that will still pay him like a top five coach with a 10-year contract and treat him like a king.

At least on radio, the postgame interview prompts to players brought up “the adversity you faced” and the pressure their coach was under without naming what the adversity and pressure specifically was: a fan base having a psychotic break because of four of their coach’s 10 losses in a 6-year career. But God forbid we talk about the actual storyline. I’m sure it was the same way on TV.

 

[Webster]

If OSU lost, those two really iffy DPI calls would be a talking point.

 

[Songbird]

JD Vance will never have a wetter dream kind of day than January 20, 2025.

 

[HanSenSE]

1) My biggest complaint about the playoff is it seemed too long, then got lost in the shuffle when the NFL playoffs started. Wonder if there was a way to start in early December? It seems they're locked into late January finales for a couple of years, however. And spare me the "must give the student-athletes time to take finals" talk, schools on the quarter system like Stanford have been able to juggle both during March Madness. As it is, the start of the spring term is just a few weeks away in many places.

2) Eventually, I think we'll see a divorce between the CFP and the bowls. Don't know what happened in other games, but it was kind of sad to see Rose Bowl week traditions like the Beef Bowl and trips to Disneyland swept aside. In the case of the Granddaddy, the romanticism of B1G vs. Pac-?? is gone. Would it be that much of a killer to let, say, Boise State and Northwestern enjoy the sunset and let the power schools have their own games?

3) Wondering how much of the convicted felon's appearance is related to the settlement his people reached with ABC? Wonder if we might see him on the Manningcast next fall?

 

[Roscablo]

So out of the 11 playoff games, there was one that was legitimately dramatic (Az. State-Texas), one competitive with a late decisive play (OSU-Texas), one kinda upset (ND-Georgia), and the rest blowouts. In the 10 NFL playoff games so far, there have been three wildly dramatic games decided in the last two minutes (Commies-Bucs, Bills-Ravens, Eagles-Rams), one big upset (Commies-Lions), and the rest snoozers or absolute blowouts. That really looks like random difference to me. And yet, I get more interest in the NFL playoffs as they go on, while the college playoff is eerily like its March Madness equivalent. I was more interest at the start than at the finish.
Is this me, or is it an experience endemic to college sports?

I think the problem with the college tournaments, both the new football format and basketball, is the scheduling is all over the place. Basketball has a little more of a sidenote with the fact that upsets can and do happen in the first rounds, plus there are all to wall games, so people really love that first weekend.

But other than New Year's Day, there was no way to know when games were going to be. Traditional Saturday to start, a Tuesday and Wednesday, a Thursday and Friday, and then a Monday. And it took a month. Basketball finishes on a Monday when no other tournament games are played on Mondays. But I guess it has always been that way so we are used to it, but it still is actually odd based on the rest of the schedule. Basketball wouldn't lose much if you did the Final Four on Thursday-Saturday I don't think, but they probably would never do it.

Football is stuck with the NFL, but I wonder if they could tweak it to make the final like a Thursday night before an NFL weekend? I think that would be better than a Monday. They also could say screw the New Year's Day thing, but that is probably way down the road.

Overall I really enjoyed the college football playoff. I'd change the seeding and who gets byes, but I don't think that ultimately impacted anything. It will only get better. People will figure out the weird schedules too, I think.

 

[Webster]

I’m more of a college football casual and I just think that playing a game Monday night after 2 straight days of NFL playoffs significantly dents my interest.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

I think the problem with the college tournaments, both the new football format and basketball, is the scheduling is all over the place. Basketball has a little more of a sidenote with the fact that upsets can and do happen in the first rounds, plus there are all to wall games, so people really love that first weekend.

But other than New Year's Day, there was no way to know when games were going to be. Traditional Saturday to start, a Tuesday and Wednesday, a Thursday and Friday, and then a Monday. And it took a month. Basketball finishes on a Monday when no other tournament games are played on Mondays. But I guess it has always been that way so we are used to it, but it still is actually odd based on the rest of the schedule. Basketball wouldn't lose much if you did the Final Four on Thursday-Saturday I don't think, but they probably would never do it.

Football is stuck with the NFL, but I wonder if they could tweak it to make the final like a Thursday night before an NFL weekend? I think that would be better than a Monday. They also could say screw the New Year's Day thing, but that is probably way down the road.

Overall I really enjoyed the college football playoff. I'd change the seeding and who gets byes, but I don't think that ultimately impacted anything. It will only get better. People will figure out the weird schedules too, I think.

Until the mid-70s, 1976 I think, the Final Four was Thursday-Saturday,

 

[Batman]

She must be from Michigan.

 

[Big Circus]

 

[Cosmo]

They've already basically killed New Years, turning it into only three playoff games only. There used to be seven or eight games back in the day, and there was prestige in going to a "New Year's Day Bowl." Now there's no definition to what is a prestigious bowl. I don't think any non-playoff bowls can fit that bill any more. And when did the Peach all of a sudden become a great bowl? ****ing Jesus Chicken money buying love.

Example, 1993-94 season, my freshman year at VT.

January 1 had...
11 a.m. -- Hall of Fame Bowl (Tampa)
1 -- Citrus Bowl, Fiesta Bowl
1:30 -- Carquest Bowl (which eventually morphed into what the Pop Tarts Bowl is today)
4:30 -- Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl
8 -- Orange Bowl
8:30 -- Sugar Bowl

These being television products now, though, ESPN is loath to put one game against another. It wants all eyes on one game at once, which saps a bit of the joy from the whole thing. I loved being able to channel surf on NYD and watch a bunch of games. We're never going back.

As for the answer, I don't know. Nothing is realistic. With these bloated conferences, I'd be good to make sure that everyone plays eight league games and three non-conference games. Kill the cupcake game that everyone plays. Sure, that ****s the FCS, but that can't be a consideration. The list of FCS teams beating a P4 team is pretty short of late -- Sac State over Stanford in '23, Southern Illinois over Northwestern in '22, none this year. Three non-conference games gives you a chance at one opponent at your level, one G5 game, and it leaves you with room to still have that traditional rivalry game, a la FSU-UF, GT-UGA, Clemson-Cocky, OU-OSU, etc. The conference championship games are still pretty necessary considering the bloat in these leagues, so those can't go.

Next, sorry Army-Navy, but you can't have a week to yourself any more. You can still ensure that they play at 3:30 eastern on the week after conference championship games, but the playoffs have to start that week as well. Two games on Friday, a nooner on Saturday leading into Army-Navy, then the nightcap afterward. Then you can have the quarterfinals the next week. The semifinals can be on New Year's Day, still and maybe you ensure the Rose is a permanent semifinal host, to appease the ******* sunset crowd. Championship game is set for the following Friday night, leading into an NFL playoff weekend. If we had that in place this year, we'd be done by Jan. 10 and the title game wouldn't have been a total afterthought.

You can't compare college to the NFL. College is still far too regional, and you had a team from Ohio playing a team from Indiana last night, and the rest of the country probably only cared because they could bet on it.

 

[Batman]

 

[Della9250]

The Heisman has to move then also.

 

[Cosmo]

Push it to the Saturday before New Year's.

 

[playthrough]

The Heisman can be an email.

 

[Neutral Corner]

Well, now I understand the Alabama AD crying poor and begging for NIL money. A twenty million dollar payroll just won the National Championship. Wonder what the budget will be for next year's winner?

 

[playthrough]

Well, now I understand the Alabama AD crying poor and begging for NIL money. A twenty million dollar payroll just won the National Championship. Wonder what the budget will be for next year's winner?

Down the football food chain, Indiana's athletic department just laid off a dozen people because more money's gotta be freed up for players. I enjoyed this season as much as any other alum but can also recognize it was likely a unicorn, but now the department's gotta chase it and having it cost people careers makes me effing sick.