2022-2023 NCAA Football Thread

[SamCdbs]

What we see in this discussion is the basic problem with the playoffs. An answer to a question no one asked.

Who should be the 4th team with a shot at the national championship? No one, there are not four teams that deserve such a shot. But the dumb playoff system demands four teams (soon with demand something like 12 and make the regular season totally meaningless).

 

[Yespage]

You keep saying that, but it isn't remotely true. People had been demanding a playoffs for a while.They got the BCS. The fans were not pleased. Then the 4 team playoff. Which is better, but doesn't resolve the ranking issue. And the ranking issue is doomed due to the ridiculous schedules all the teams play. Some more ridiculous than others.

 

[Jimbo]

Bama won’t get in unless TCU and/or USC(w) lose.

TCU lose and the Buckeye could get in ... they only have 1 loss to the number 2 team, 3 at the time.
Bama has 2 losses already, you'd think they would take a 1 loss team first ... then again, it could be Bama ... Ugh

If USC or TCU don't both lose, it should go to one of them.

 

[SamCdbs]

You keep saying that, but it isn't remotely true. People had been demanding a playoffs for a while.They got the BCS. The fans were not pleased. Then the 4 team playoff. Which is better, but doesn't resolve the ranking issue. And the ranking issue is doomed due to the ridiculous schedules all the teams play. Some more ridiculous than others.

The ratings say otherwise. Feinbaum had a good discussion on the subject on Tony Kornheiser’s podcast a few weeks ago. Blunt fact is that these mid-January playoff games have not resonated with the public and the other “meaningless” bowls have collapsed.

But ESPN will get its way, and pretty much NOTHING that happens in the regular season will matter. Not for the 20 or so teams that will make the 12 team playoffs regularly, and not for the entire rest of the division, which never will.

 

[AZ.]

But ESPN will get its way, and pretty much NOTHING that happens in the regular season will matter. Not for the 20 or so teams that will make the 12 team playoffs regularly, and not for the entire rest of the division, which never will.

I have read this a few times....Why would regular season not matter? You still have to qualify? What a team with zero wins gets a chance at title? Common man.
Many years we had teams who were undefeated left out. And why? They would say they played a weak division. It will give opportunities to more teams and Im fine with that!

Anyone who remembers life before the CFP knows how stupid it was...Team A had to pulverize team B so you could get the votes to be National Champion! Rarely a consensus of who was best hands down.

 

[Yespage]

The ratings say otherwise.

Well, if you say so. Looking at the ratings, they don't seem to actually say anything, other than the teams playing have a decent impact on the ratings. Also, pointing to ratings and saying no one wanted a playoff for some finality as to an actual national champion is silly. People wanted a playoff. One of the problems is, the Cartels are so protective of their cash cows, they have been dragged into the playoffs. The BCS was one of the shadiest "amateur" sport maneuvers ever. It is also why they want TCU to be #4 so bad, because TCU doesn't bring in the ratings.

One interesting point, however, is that the desire for a playoff could be noted in the ratings as being a desire of college football teams not in the championship to have a chance at being in the championship. B10 and SEC fans always making excuses for why their team should be considered despite *insert reason to overlook record*. And if their team isn't in it, they don't watch. Kid of juvenile.

Blunt fact is that these mid-January playoff games have not resonated with the public and the other “meaningless” bowls have collapsed.

The other meaningless bowls aren't meaningless... the majority of the bowl games, which over expanded and are effectively tax fraud schemes have always been meaningless. There are still the other bowls that have history. They don't matter as much, but they really only ever mattered to the teams playing it, not the rest of Division I.

But ESPN will get its way, and pretty much NOTHING that happens in the regular season will matter.

For the life of me, I have no idea why people don't seem to target the lack of competitive schedules as a reason for the regular season not mattering.

 

[Derwin0]

TCU lose and the Buckeye could get in ... they only have 1 loss to the number 2 team, 3 at the time.
Bama has 2 losses already, you'd think they would take a 1 loss team first ... then again, it could be Bama ... Ugh

Ohio State got blown out by Michigan at home, while both of Alabama's losses were away games and at the last second with either game easily going the other way (Last second field goal to Tennessee and OT to LSU). Nick Saban has been advocating based on that, and it'll be the excuse the committee uses to elevate Alabama over Ohio State.

Personally I think 2 losses is still worse than 1, and Ohio State should get the edge of Alabama, but the committee will due what's in the best interest of ESPN (and it's SEC partnership).

If USC or TCU don't both lose, it should go to one of them.

One of them? If USC(w) and TCU both win, they should both get the #3 & #4 slots with neither Alabama or Ohio State getting in, as TCU will be undefeated and USC(w) will have a conference championship giving them the edge over Ohio State and Alabama.

If they both lose, then Ohio State and TCU should get in, base on only 1 loss (coupled with a conference championship in TCU's case), whereas Alabama still has 2. But again, the committee will do what the committee does.

 

[Ronnie-]

Ohio State got blown out by Michigan at home, while both of Alabama's losses were away games and at the last second with either game easily going the other way (Last second field goal to Tennessee and OT to LSU).

And by a combined 4 points.

I am not saying Bama should make it this year, but I could definitely see the argument of them over OSU, and I am sure Jimbo could see the argument for them over Bama.


In any case, both teams just had to win to keep it from being a discussion, and they didnt.

 

[Derwin0]

And by a combined 4 points.

I am not saying Bama should make it this year, but I could definitely see the argument of them over OSU, and I am sure Jimbo could see the argument for them over Bama.

Nick Saban was advocating based on that in a press conference the other day.

In any case, both teams just had to win to keep it from being a discussion, and they didnt.

Agreed, lose a game and pay the consequences.

 

[Ronnie-]

Nick Saban was advocating based on that in a press conference the other day.

As I would expect any coach with a team on the cusp to be doing.

Agreed, lose a game and pay the consequences.

Bingo.

 

[Derwin0]

Looking at the conference championship matchups, I noticed that USC(w) is playing Utah, the only team that has beaten them (by a single point). Winning the rematch should remove any doubt of USC(w) being in there.

TCU is playing Kansas State, who they easily beat earlier this season, so in theory shouldn't have an issue.

Michigan is playing 4 loss Purdue (is the Big Ten West really that bad?), so Michigan also shouldn't have an issue.

Georgia is playing 3 loss LSU. This game is pretty meaningless as Georgia is in no matter what, but LSU is a team that Georgia has had problems beating in the past (Georgia's record against LSU is not unlike Ohio State's against the SEC).

 

[SamCdbs]

You ask why the regular season won’t matter in a 12 (eventually 16, perhaps 24, which is what I-AA FCS does) and then we have the answer in the discussion. Alabama is making a 12 team playoff. Every year. So is Georgia. So is Ohio State. Thus a game like Ohio State-Michigan means about as much as Browns-Bengals in mid-October. Maybe a little more important to fans than, say Bengals-Jaguars, but not really determinate of anything. Meaningless.

 

[AZ.]

You ask why the regular season won’t matter in a 12 (eventually 16, perhaps 24, which is what I-AA FCS does) and then we have the answer in the discussion. Alabama is making a 12 team playoff. Every year. So is Georgia. So is Ohio State. Thus a game like Ohio State-Michigan means about as much as Browns-Bengals in mid-October. Maybe a little more important to fans than, say Bengals-Jaguars, but not really determinate of anything. Meaningless.

I have no idea what you are trying to say? Are you aware the NFL has a playoff system already? Works just fine for me.

 

[Yespage]

Okay, so Utah, Purdue, LSU, and Kansas State win... we get the best ever playoff lineup ever!

Oh wait.. if Purdue wins, that doesn't mean anything for Purdue... nor Utah or LSU or Kansas State... making this game more of a road block for the ranked teams than a game that actually matters, like most of the rest of the schedule.

So, for the giggles, I'm pulling for TCU, USC, LSU, and Purdue (because Michigan can't be reduced to a three letter acronym). Granted, even if Georgia loses, they are arguably #1 still. Again, kind of making the Conference game meaningless. So... that'd be Georgia, TCU, USC, and I have no idea who #4 would be (assuming not Purdue... despite beating the "#2" team in the nation).

Ohio State and Alabama both provide a good argument for belonging in the playoff, as they both had a hard time beating good teams. Ohio State has unquestionable national ratings potential while Alabama provides great ratings in Alabama, like 100%. They are followed by Penn State, who lost to the only good teams they played. Tennessee actually beat good teams, but lost to them too... and South Carolina. South Carolina beat both Clemson and Tennessee! But they have 4 losses. Like everyone else, they were beat by Georgia, but they also lost to some unranked programs.

So, in the end, what seems to matter most is the L number. Not even the W's. Because when your schedule includes beating up the MAC and the SWDSAC empirical data is nonexistent.

 

[Yespage]

You ask why the regular season won’t matter in a 12 (eventually 16, perhaps 24, which is what I-AA FCS does) and then we have the answer in the discussion. Alabama is making a 12 team playoff. Every year. So is Georgia. So is Ohio State. Thus a game like Ohio State-Michigan means about as much as Browns-Bengals in mid-October.

Or a Ohio State v Ohio University game? Come on man! The college football schedule is mostly puff pastry designed to ensure as few potential losses as possible, while still maintaining a good gate number. The importance of the regular season? Watching big tier programs play the University of Akron or Kent State or SW by NE Lousiana Tech Vocational Summer Program State is so very compelling. *rolls eyes* People show up to those games because of inertia, not because the game is ever in doubt and it'll be good.

The wider a playoff, the more a season actually matters! It provides an avenue for a Tennessee like program which won hard games and lost other games to be able to show they are potential national champions. It'd get Alabama and OSU fans to finally shut up, as both teams would be in the playoff and we'd get to see them either rise or fall and not require arguments based on legacy for being admitted into the 4-team playoff.

Another aspect is a wider playoff also allows for a potentially more honest schedule as well. Because 1 loss isn't taking you out of the title contention unless the entire Div I system has a breakdown... like it did this year. What does that mean? It means more games actually start mattering as 1 loss and 2 loss teams are still in the hunt!

Sure, it might make the Go-Daddy.com Bowl seem less important... but that really is only true under the mistaken guise that the Go-Daddy.com Bowl ever mattered in the first place.

 

[Derwin0]

SEC Shorts are on top again this week.

 

[Derwin0]

I have no idea what you are trying to say? Are you aware the NFL has a playoff system already? Works just fine for me.

And people still watch the regular season, with ratings still being high.

 

[SamCdbs]

Meaning of Michigan - Ohio State in a 12 team playoff:

Zero.

Alabama - Tennessee:

Zero.

Florida - Georgia:

Zero.

I could go on.

The regular season in college football is the most meaningful thing in sports, because the goal is to WIN EVERY GAME. Thus every game is meaningful, and the once a year rivalry games for silly trophies like Paul Bunyan’s Axe or the Old Oaken Bucket, are great.

Or you can have the same remix of 12 of about 20 teams, every year, and everybody else does not matter at all.

 

[Yespage]

Meaning of Michigan - Ohio State in a 12 team playoff:

Zero.

Alabama - Tennessee:

Zero.

Florida - Georgia:

Zero.

I could go on.

You probably will. BoSox and Yankees games mean something despite the entire season not hinging on the game's outcome. Michigan v OSU will still matter. It will always matter ever since the war between Michigan and Ohio... over Toledo. The winner of the game always gets control over the city which is why Ohio lost a House seat, because it went to Michigan when they won Toledo for a year.

The regular season in college football is the most meaningful thing in sports, because the goal is to WIN EVERY GAME.

...mostly against colleges that barely have functional college football programs.

Thus every game is meaningful, and the once a year rivalry games for silly trophies like Paul Bunyan’s Axe or the Old Oaken Bucket, are great.

Meaningful to whom? Purdue? Tennessee-Chattanooga? The teams that are the jobbers for the OSU's, Alabama's, etc...?

Or you can have the same remix of 12 of about 20 teams, every year, and everybody else does not matter at all.

If it spills to 12, that provides openings to non-cartel teams.

 

[Derwin0]

If it spills to 12, that provides openings to non-cartel teams.

Exactly, it allows teams like Utah which should have played for the title in 2008 and Boise State the following year. Or even Penn State back in 1994.