NCAA Football Playoff possibilities

[cybok0]

Basketball and football are two different sports. I played both as well as baseball. If you are fit, baseball and basketball are not straining on the body like football is. After playing a football game, you are in physical distress for a few days following your games. That in turn takes a toll on your mental fitness over the course of a season. This is why players come into a new season all primed and ready to go. Because they have had adequate physical and mental rest.

This is why no league all the way down to rocket football play games within a week of each other. The only exception I have seen is in the NFL on the rare occasion a team plays a Sunday game and a Thursday game. But they are granted almost the entire time between off physically from practice.

Football is very hard on the body no matter what position you play on the field. Taking hits and getting your head banged around is not good for you at all.

Basketball is 90% an endurance sport.

What does that have to do with a playoff system?

They play one game a week during the playoffs on the weekends...Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. Were not saying play the whole playoff in one week. I'm saying BB plays more tournaments than football and still have time for their classes.

 

[joedekock]

What does that have to do with a playoff system?

They play one game a week during the playoffs on the weekends...Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. Were not saying play the whole playoff in one week. I'm saying BB plays more tournaments than football and still have time for their classes.

What it has to do with a playoff system is like I said before. By the time the end of December and early January rolls around the overall physical and mental "tank" is at its limit. This physical and mental strain will be over the limit if a few teams have to go and play three to four more games like you are suggesting. If they do that, they will be at an NFL schedule of 16 games. Ask any NFL player and they will tell you how hard it is on their body and mentality once they reach the 14th game. The one player that spoke the most about that was Jerome Bettis. He talked of how even early in his career he could not walk up and down stairs the following day of a game.

College kids come from High School where the game is not near as physical as college. They also only play 9 games, and if they make it to the playoffs they play 13. In college the players are hitting harder, and you are demanding more from your body mentally and physically. Any college player will tell you how at the end of the season they are looking forward to the extended rest.

I hope I am explaining that in a way that makes sense.

 

[Ramy]

What it has to do with a playoff system is like I said before. By the time the end of December and early January rolls around the overall physical and mental "tank" is at its limit. This physical and mental strain will be over the limit if a few teams have to go and play three to four more games like you are suggesting. If they do that, they will be at an NFL schedule of 16 games. Ask any NFL player and they will tell you how hard it is on their body and mentality once they reach the 14th game. The one player that spoke the most about that was Jerome Bettis. He talked of how even early in his career he could not walk up and down stairs the following day of a game.

College kids come from High School where the game is not near as physical as college. They also only play 9 games, and if they make it to the playoffs they play 13. In college the players are hitting harder, and you are demanding more from your body mentally and physically. Any college player will tell you how at the end of the season they are looking forward to the extended rest.

I hope I am explaining that in a way that makes sense.

You still haven't answered me. How does the Divsion I-AA do it then and has done it for years?

 

[mdonnelly]

If there's going to be a playoff, then I say do away with the conference championship games. That opens up a weekend.

Good idea, Jimbo.

 

[Ramy]

If there's going to be a playoff, then I say do away with the conference championship games. That opens up a weekend.

Yeah and do away with the 12th game too.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

A playoff system prevents too much strain on college kids' bodies physically. To expect the few players who would go deep in the playoffs would be too much.

They do still have school to focus on too. The NCAA would have to create new academic rules to see that the kids still have the best opportunity to complete their educational responsibilities accordingly.

So how do the other NCAA divisions manage to pull off playoff's? Isn't it a strain on their bodies and schooling?

Oops, my bad. Ramy already beat me to the punch.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

Quick question. How many conferences are there in Div. 1?

 

[Ramy]

11 I think.

 

[Derwin0]

11 I think.

Which makes it easy.
Go to 16 teams, 1 slot for each conference champion, and 5 at larges. Use a selection committee like in basketball to determine the at large bids and seeding.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

There you go. Now we just got to convince the NCAA, and all those bowl commitees. Although they can still play all those Mickey Mouse bowls if they want, unless you're team is playing in one, or you're in some kind of bowl pool, who cares.

 

[joedekock]

You still haven't answered me. How does the Divsion I-AA do it then and has done it for years?

If you are asking how division I-AA win a national championship, the answer is they have their own way of championship games. App state who beat Michigan in week one are repeat National Champs of I-AA.

 

[boston area dtv]

Taken a few hit over the years huh Joe?

Every other football division has a playoff system. Every other sport in the NCAA has a playoff system.

Whey not the big boys. Because of money. The bowl games pour in money for something like 70 teams. Is your team 6-5 ..here you go have some money. Does your team not suck so much? Here you go have some money.

Outside of the top twenty schools who would be for it?(besides the fans we dont count)

So you take a vote and lets say you are a solid team like BC ( I hate them though) Anyway every year BC has a solid squad and they never get any money...While the likes of lets say Ohio State get the revenue from all of those extra games. Not just one extra game but 3 or 4 extra games.

"I know but Boston DTV guy BC can play in the pepto bowl in Boise", you will say and "make money. "

But to that I say those bowls will be even more worthless than they are now. Worse then the NIT tourney.

I got $7.95 and a some land maybe I could host a game? Maybe we should have the satguys Bowl?!?!?!

If all 80 thousand members donated 200 bucks we could give a way 1.6 million to the teams!

Who's in?

 

[Ramy]

If you are asking how division I-AA win a national championship, the answer is they have their own way of championship games. App state who beat Michigan in week one are repeat National Champs of I-AA.

So why can't I-A do it the same way?

 

[joedekock]

Taken a few hit over the years huh Joe?

Every other football division has a playoff system. Every other sport in the NCAA has a playoff system.

Whey not the big boys. Because of money. The bowl games pour in money for something like 70 teams. Is your team 6-5 ..here you go have some money. Does your team not suck so much? Here you go have some money.

Outside of the top twenty schools who would be for it?(besides the fans we dont count)

So you take a vote and lets say you are a solid team like BC ( I hate them though) Anyway every year BC has a solid squad and they never get any money...While the likes of lets say Ohio State get the revenue from all of those extra games. Not just one extra game but 3 or 4 extra games.

"I know but Boston DTV guy BC can play in the pepto bowl in Boise", you will say and "make money. "

But to that I say those bowls will be even more worthless than they are now. Worse then the NIT tourney.

I got $7.95 and a some land maybe I could host a game? Maybe we should have the satguys Bowl?!?!?!

If all 80 thousand members donated 200 bucks we could give a way 1.6 million to the teams!

Who's in?

Great post and great insight! I am still laughing!c

 

[scottc98]

A Playoff systems is what they need. It will be so much better. Look at the match ups if the playoffs started today with the top 16 teams. GOTTA LOV IT!
I will go with the AP rankings:
1 USC vs 16 ARKANSAS
2 LSU vs 15 GEORGIA TECH
3 OKLAHOMA vs 14 NEBRASKA
4 WEST VIRGINIA vs 13 RUTGERS
5 FLORIDA vs 12 PENN STATE
6 TEXAS vs 11 UCLA
7 WISCONSIN vs 10 OHIO STATE
8 CALIFORNIA vs 9 LOUISVILLE

Here is my take on this subject: If you are going to go with a playoff, EVERY team must have a shot at the title. The second you move away from a BCS title game or a plus one format and move towards a I-AA or march madness atmosphere, then you've got to be sure to guarentee a spot for the underdog.

Not saying that a non bcs school should be automatic period, but if they meet certain criteria, they should.

Thats why taking the top 16 period would not work. Look at the rankings above. 3 pac 10, 3 big ten, 3 big 12, 3 big east, 3 sec, 1 ACC. Granted, the rankings would be different at the end, but what does it say about a reg season when a 3rd place conf team gets a title shot? hell, the SEC could have 4-5 teams in the top 16 at season end.

So here is my proposal:

12 team playoff: top 4 teams gets bye into the next round (reward for reg season). 5v12, 6v11, 7v10, 8v9. 1st rd at home of high seed.

2nd rd: reseed! (like NHL playoffs). Top team gets the lowest remaining team (i.e if 12 beats 5 the week before, they have to play the top seed). Games are played at the higher seeds (which means that the games are at the top 4 schools whom would have weeks to prepare for). Once again, it rewards the reg season. Plus, if your the 12 seed and run the table, you would have the hardest path.
Semi and finals in existing BCS bowl sites, with two week gap between. Since there are 4 BCS sites, you could do a runner up game (like the WC)or fill it with the best non-playoff teams in a reg bowl game.

Qualifing: BCS rankings to be used for seeding. BCS conf champ guarenteed spot as long as they are top 16 (not going to reward a conf who can't field a top 25 team even if they are a BCS conf; like the BE a couple years ago). Top Non-BCS/independant team guarenteed spot if top 16 and no more than two losses. Other non-BCS/ind can qualify (no limit) if it finishes top 12.

Also, like the BCS now, a conf CAN NOT field more than two playoff teams! A playoff must be balanced if it is going to be creditable.

Look at last season for an example (Based on reg season final BCS rankings) using this criteria:

1 Ohio State (B10)
2 Florida (SEC)
3 Michigan (B10)
4 LSU (SEC)
5 USC (PAC10)
6 Louisville (BE)
7 Wisconsin (B10)
8 Boise St (IND)
9 Auburn (SEC)
10 Oklahoma (B12)
11 ND (IND)
12 Wake Forest (ACC)

Note that all 6 BCS champs are included (wake finished 14th but gets bid for top 16 and winning ACC). 2 non BCS (inc ND) are included and earned!

Based of the auto bids, only 10 spots could be filled. This is where a 3rd team from a conf can fill in. That would leave Wisconsin (7) and Auburn (9) After the auto bids, the top remaining teams should fill in IMO. Some years if will get more teams from BCS conf, others it will lock them with 2.

You can expand to 16, but I think 12 will do the trick. A top team would have a easier road and one less game, keeping the integraty of the reg season.
Every team, from ANY conf, can get a shot!

 

[Derwin0]

To guarantee everyone a shot, you have to include all conference champions in automatic bids (same as is done in basketball).

First, set a minimum qualification for conferences, ie. minimum 8 teams in a conference.
Allow all conferences to have a championship game (now restricted to conferences with 12 teams), with the winner getting the conferences automatic bid (same as is done with conference basketball tournaments). This would generate even more interest in the conference championship games, as the playoff bid would be on the line. If the conference doesn't want the game, then give the bid to the best record. Might have to go back to 11 games a season to accommodate the championship game.

Right now, there are 11 conferences. This allows 11 automatic bids. The other 5 slots (in a 16 team playoff) are available for at large bids. The at large bids would allow a way for independents to get in, and a second team from a conference to make the playoffs. A selection committee can dole them out, same as is done in basketball. Same committee can set up seeding.

If a conference decides to split up, then do like they did in basketball, and make the 2 new conferences have a play-in game, or not have an automatic bid for x number of years. This will prevent someone (for example, the SEC) from splitting on paper in order to get 2 automatic bids.


The problem with this scenario, and any playoff scenario is that playoff money would mostly split evenly with all the conferences (same as is done with basketball). The conferences with big money tie-ins (6 BCS conferences) with the bowls would lose that money advantage to the conferences without the tie-ins (5 non-BCS conferences). That prevents them from voting for a playoff model. There may be more money overall with a playoff system, but it would be less money for the big money conferences.

 

[scottc98]

With a 65 team bracket like NCAA basketball, every conf champ getting a bid works. Do you honestly believe that the Sun Belt conf champ deserves a title shot every year? The WAC and MVC are probably the two non bcs conf that might have some beef here. Its rare to have a great team come from a non bcs conf. When there is one, they are normally top 12. Look at the past:

2006: boise st (8th)
2004: Utah (6th), Boise st (9th), Louisville (10th) (they weren't BE then)
2003 Miami Oh (11th)
1999: marshall (12TH)
1998: tulane (10th)

Great teams will get a shot!

 

[Derwin0]

With a 65 team bracket like NCAA basketball, every conf champ getting a bid works. Do you honestly believe that the Sun Belt conf champ deserves a title shot every year?

Why not? With 5 at-large bids, almost every BCS conference will have 2 teams anyway.

 

[cybok0]

What it has to do with a playoff system is like I said before. By the time the end of December and early January rolls around the overall physical and mental "tank" is at its limit. This physical and mental strain will be over the limit if a few teams have to go and play three to four more games like you are suggesting. If they do that, they will be at an NFL schedule of 16 games. Ask any NFL player and they will tell you how hard it is on their body and mentality once they reach the 14th game. The one player that spoke the most about that was Jerome Bettis. He talked of how even early in his career he could not walk up and down stairs the following day of a game.

College kids come from High School where the game is not near as physical as college. They also only play 9 games, and if they make it to the playoffs they play 13. In college the players are hitting harder, and you are demanding more from your body mentally and physically. Any college player will tell you how at the end of the season they are looking forward to the extended rest.

I hope I am explaining that in a way that makes sense.

If they want to be big time collegiate athletes, than they better suck it up and play, or go back to mommy.

 

[cybok0]

So why can't I-A do it the same way?

I don't think he has a logical answer for you.