UCF is Awesome! But what's the point......

[APPdiesel]

T-dog that still leaves the chance in the future that a league gets left out if they don't have a top 7 team. Top 6 if Notre Dame is independent and in the mix.

For that reason I especially see the PAC12 and BIG12 pushing for (at least) a 5 - 2 - 1. 5 conference champs, 2 at large, and ideally, if the G5 can muster a compelling argument 1 guaranteed G5 rep.

[bigdaddyg]

The best way for the CFB Playoff to expand is for Bama, UGA, UCF and Notre Dame to be the top four. Four of the five conferences will be left out. Heck, three will likely be left out this year.

I'll take an 8-team playoff with a G5 autobid right now. Eliminate the conference championship game as the TV revenue from the extra round will more than offset CCG revenue losses IMO.

Arguments can be made for any size field but I think the best would be 6 with the top two receiving a bye. That would absolutely put a premium on the regular season and create excitement. I used to think though that the ultimate would be 8 teams - continue with the traditional big 4 bowl games and take the 4 winners that way you allow for a great G5 to get in. If you used that format this year UCF probably makes it

[ah59396]

Folks act like UCF is some nobody that came out of nowhere. Aren’t they one of largest schools in the country? Huge! Plus they are in Florida and probably recruit within a 10 mile radius of the campus- see Houston. The states of Texas and Florida are just different animals. The P5 model is trash. How many schools are P5 simply by association or have been grandfathered in- see Wake,Vandy, Kansas, Indiana, Rutgers for example. Wake has a better chance at the playoff than we do.

This is why i don’t necessarily think UCF will need to sustain continued success (at least at their current level).

We should know better than anyone at this point that on the field play doesn’t matter one bit when it comes to conference affiliation. UCF is a massive university in football hungry Florida, in a market it can control.

It’s one of the few G5 teams that can raise enough of a stink to make the P5 pay attention. But I suspect, instead of letting them in as G5 guest, they’ll find a way to invite them to the P5 club.

90% of the G5 teams are like us, regional mid-sized universities. Even when they have epic years, the noise isn’t nearly as great. See Western Michigan, NIU, etc.

[NeersBy90]

Am I the only one that thinks the playoff is perfect at 4 teams? The CFP Committee has gotten 15 of the 16 teams right thus far (Ohio State in 2016 being the miss) and things generally play themselves out. This year will be no different. An undefeated UCF who's biggest win is Pitt or Cincy will never and should never be considered.

What they've done has been great but its not enough to compete. I have absolutely no interest in seeing them sneak in and get manhandled by Alabama. In an effort to put all their whining to bed I'm going to pull for:

Alabama to win out (they're in, Georgia is out)
Clemson to win out (they're in)
Notre Dame to lose to USC (they're out theoretically although a 1 loss ND should still be in over UCF)
Ohio State to beat Michigan (Michigan is out) and then lose in the Big 10 Championship (OSU is out)
West Virgina beats OU (WVU is already out and now so is Oklahoma)
LSU to lose at A&M (they're out)
UCF to win out (THEY'RE IN)

That way UCF can finally get in and see just how "not top 4" they really are and we can all move on. Until a G5 plays and beats 2 or 3 big name, relevant OOC opponents and runs the table blowing everyone out in their conference, I will never think an undefeated G5 school should be in. Its as simple as that.

[appstatealum]

The top 4 format is fine, but it does offer too many chances for subjectivity. Historically, the Top 6-8 teams all have some credibility and could win on any given Saturday. No offense to Bama last year, but they got in on “merit” subjectively, and won the whole thing. I’m sure if the CFP was expanded out to 8, there would be some 5-8 teams that would absolutely get close or win it all.

[bigdaddyg]

Actually if you look at the current top 8 in the AP poll that would be a decent playoff and teams 9 and down really have little argument. That being said those 8 won’t all be there in two weeks most likely. That is why I have always liked using the Rose,Orange, Sugar and Fiesta Bowls as the quarterfinals and by doing so a really good G5 can absolutely work their way in legitimately

[NeersBy90]

The top 4 format is fine, but it does offer too many chances for subjectivity. Historically, the Top 6-8 teams all have some credibility and could win on any given Saturday. No offense to Bama last year, but they got in on “merit” subjectively, and won the whole thing. I’m sure if the CFP was expanded out to 8, there would be some 5-8 teams that would absolutely get close or win it all.

Alabama had 1 loss to Auburn. I don't think a 1 loss Alabama got in on "merit". I'd be okay with 6 teams, tops. An 8 team playoff opens the door to multiple 2 loss teams getting in. The only two (maybe 3) teams that have earned the benefit of the doubt enough to get in with 2 losses are Alabama and Clemson (maybe you could argue for Ohio State). Can you really call a two loss team a national champion in college football? I don't think so.

I also don't like autobids. If it gets to 8 and you autobid a spot to a G5 school, let's say UCF has 1 loss and they're at #19 and are the highest ranked G5 school, do they still get that bid over say a two loss LSU who lost to Florida and Bama? Talk about a flawed system.

[Rick83]

There's a theory that if the playoffs were expanded then you'd see player talent spread around more and not so concentrated into just a few schools. So, if that happened you'd have more parity and less subjectivity, and in my opinion more excitement. I believe once they get comfortable with the current 4 team playoff they'll expand...otherwise people will start getting bored and viewership will decline. The 4 team playoff was a baby step..

[Boonegoon]

The top 4 format is fine, but it does offer too many chances for subjectivity. Historically, the Top 6-8 teams all have some credibility and could win on any given Saturday. No offense to Bama last year, but they got in on “merit” subjectively, and won the whole thing. I’m sure if the CFP was expanded out to 8, there would be some 5-8 teams that would absolutely get close or win it all.

Alabama had 1 loss to Auburn. I don't think a 1 loss Alabama got in on "merit". I'd be okay with 6 teams, tops. An 8 team playoff opens the door to multiple 2 loss teams getting in. The only two (maybe 3) teams that have earned the benefit of the doubt enough to get in with 2 losses are Alabama and Clemson (maybe you could argue for Ohio State). Can you really call a two loss team a national champion in college football? I don't think so.

I also don't like autobids. If it gets to 8 and you autobid a spot to a G5 school, let's say UCF has 1 loss and they're at #19 and are the highest ranked G5 school, do they still get that bid over say a two loss LSU who lost to Florida and Bama? Talk about a flawed system.

I tend to agree with the autobids. But, the autobid would keep the conference championship games relevant. I imagine given the option to miss that game and rest for the playoff would be a huge consideration. I want 8 teams, I think that's the most fair without creating huge ripples down the line. I think UCF would get in this year after the championship games are played.

[T-Dog]

Having a committee decide the top four is dumb, IMO. They have inherent biases. The BCS computers were fine, it's just that the system they ranked teams for was broken.

[huskie3]

I am for 8 teams, 4 more games and a boatload of money for ALL teams.

[appstatealum]

The top 4 format is fine, but it does offer too many chances for subjectivity. Historically, the Top 6-8 teams all have some credibility and could win on any given Saturday. No offense to Bama last year, but they got in on “merit” subjectively, and won the whole thing. I’m sure if the CFP was expanded out to 8, there would be some 5-8 teams that would absolutely get close or win it all.

Alabama had 1 loss to Auburn. I don't think a 1 loss Alabama got in on "merit". I'd be okay with 6 teams, tops. An 8 team playoff opens the door to multiple 2 loss teams getting in. The only two (maybe 3) teams that have earned the benefit of the doubt enough to get in with 2 losses are Alabama and Clemson (maybe you could argue for Ohio State). Can you really call a two loss team a national champion in college football? I don't think so.

I also don't like autobids. If it gets to 8 and you autobid a spot to a G5 school, let's say UCF has 1 loss and they're at #19 and are the highest ranked G5 school, do they still get that bid over say a two loss LSU who lost to Florida and Bama? Talk about a flawed system.

Yeah, I don’t know how to approach the “auto bid thing”. For sure, it should be the P5 Conference Champions, 2 other “deserving” and I really don’t mind the G5 getting an auto bid, I guess. Reality is, the G5 schools are always going to get “underrated” and people are just going to assume there are other teams that are better because they are p5. If you look at this year, I would argue there are a lot of P5s ranked that really are not that good. Ohio State, Kentucky, Penn State, Pitt to name a few. The “starting point” for evaluating College Football teams is all over the place, there is simply no way to properly evaluate who is the best without some type of “any given Saturday” Battle it out on the field. Is 24 too much, sure. Is 16 too much, probably. But based on history, 8 is certainly reasonable. Including the highest rated G5 means that the said G5 team probably had some quality wins over ranked or former ranked P5 or strong G5 and more than likely, they are undefeated. Sure, a P5 school will get left out, but if they only lost their Conference Championship game and still look like a favorite, they probably get one of the two other spots. Most years, it will be an independent (mainly Notre Dame) and an SEC school having to worry about one of the extra 2 spots.
Big 10- most years, its only 2 decent teams. Just because you run through a weak bottom half of your conference and lose in a championship game, it shouldn’t ensure you a spot.
PAC 12- I stay up late and watch them a lot, they will rarely have an opportunity to have 2 legit contenders
Big 12- same as above, but they may have a second team vying more often than the Pac12
ACC- it’s usually just Clemson as of late.
SEC- obviously, they will always have a case for a few schools to get in, but the name of the game is to win your Conference. The way the system is now, winning a conference title isn’t all that important depending on your regular season.
G5 and Independent- do your best to schedule some quality games and smash your competition each week.

[appstatealum]

There's a theory that if the playoffs were expanded then you'd see player talent spread around more and not so concentrated into just a few schools. So, if that happened you'd have more parity and less subjectivity, and in my opinion more excitement. I believe once they get comfortable with the current 4 team playoff they'll expand...otherwise people will start getting bored and viewership will decline. The 4 team playoff was a baby step..

YES......

I made this exact statement on here last month after saying the same thing to some local radio guys here in Charlotte. I absolutely think this would happen. Think about all of the 3-4 star athletes riding the pine at Alabama or Clemson that are hoping for that one year of playing time.....

[ggasu]

Am I the only one that thinks the playoff is perfect at 4 teams?

Yes...I think you might be

[Black Saturday]

Am I the only one that thinks the playoff is perfect at 4 teams?

Yes...I think you might be

And I'm the only one that would like to see a G5 playoff, so APP has a chance of a NC again. Even if it is 8 teams, there is still no chance if APP did get in an 8 team because of the talent disparity of the top handful of schools like an earlier post said.

[AppinVA]

Am I the only one that thinks the playoff is perfect at 4 teams?

Yes...I think you might be

And I'm the only one that would like to see a G5 playoff, so APP has a chance of a NC again. Even if it is 8 teams, there is still no chance if APP did get in an 8 team because of the talent disparity of the top handful of schools like an earlier post said.

Yes...I think you might be.

[NeersBy90]

There's a theory that if the playoffs were expanded then you'd see player talent spread around more and not so concentrated into just a few schools. So, if that happened you'd have more parity and less subjectivity, and in my opinion more excitement. I believe once they get comfortable with the current 4 team playoff they'll expand...otherwise people will start getting bored and viewership will decline. The 4 team playoff was a baby step..

I hadn't even considered this until you brought it up. Very interesting take on it. I dont disagree but don't you think the talent element of this argument could be made for the current system to though for players and schools gunning for Bama and Clemson?

I would say there was a reasonable amount of parity this year, despite this season basically going chalk with Bama and Clemson at the top again. It is rare that the Pac12 is mentioned this late and we've got Washington State hanging on. Washington and Oregon were both in the hunt until they played themselves out of it. The Big 10 is still up for grabs with Michigan and Ohio State. Penn State and Wisconsin were also in the discussion before a couple bad losses. ND looks like their in. SEC still has Georgia with a shot and if LSU had beaten Alabama they would be in. From the BigXII, until WVU lost they had a shot and Oklahoma still does with some help and potentially two big games with WVU.

The tops of these conferences will for the most part always be there. I dont think its realistic to ever expect many outsiders (especially this late in the year) from those listed to contend no matter how much more parity we get because this late in the year there will always be only a few left. Its attrition. The current system puts way more emphasis on winning these rivalry games late in the year making this is the most exciting weekend of football year in and year out. To expand the playoff would diminish that and I think it would be a travesty.

[spacemonkey]

I wish the G5 teams would give up bowls for a 16 team NIT tournament in Football. All home games at the highest ranking team. It would be great if we could get the all conferences to be willing to put 1 team in from each conference plus 6 at large bids. P5 conference champion loser and G5 champions. If not that, G5 champions and whatever the other conferences would agree to. Maybe the AAC 2, SEC 5 or 6, ACC 4, Big 3, big 12 3, PAC 3, .....G5's should fight for an equal payout to the rest of participants.

[ah59396]

Am I the only one that thinks the playoff is perfect at 4 teams?

Yes...I think you might be

And I'm the only one that would like to see a G5 playoff, so APP has a chance of a NC again. Even if it is 8 teams, there is still no chance if APP did get in an 8 team because of the talent disparity of the top handful of schools like an earlier post said.

I’m not interested. I’m not oblivious to the reality that we may never win one again, but we won the JV national championship 3 times. It doesn’t diminish how special they were, but I think creating a national championship because we can’t win the one in front of us makes it a championship by name and nothing more.

I’d rather win an NY6 bowl than a hypothetical G5 natty.

[appstatealum]

There's a theory that if the playoffs were expanded then you'd see player talent spread around more and not so concentrated into just a few schools. So, if that happened you'd have more parity and less subjectivity, and in my opinion more excitement. I believe once they get comfortable with the current 4 team playoff they'll expand...otherwise people will start getting bored and viewership will decline. The 4 team playoff was a baby step..

I hadn't even considered this until you brought it up. Very interesting take on it. I dont disagree but don't you think the talent element of this argument could be made for the current system to though for players and schools gunning for Bama and Clemson?

I would say there was a reasonable amount of parity this year, despite this season basically going chalk with Bama and Clemson at the top again. It is rare that the Pac12 is mentioned this late and we've got Washington State hanging on. Washington and Oregon were both in the hunt until they played themselves out of it. The Big 10 is still up for grabs with Michigan and Ohio State. Penn State and Wisconsin were also in the discussion before a couple bad losses. ND looks like their in. SEC still has Georgia with a shot and if LSU had beaten Alabama they would be in. From the BigXII, until WVU lost they had a shot and Oklahoma still does with some help and potentially two big games with WVU.

The tops of these conferences will for the most part always be there. I dont think its realistic to ever expect many outsiders (especially this late in the year) from those listed to contend no matter how much more parity we get because this late in the year there will always be only a few left. Its attrition. The current system puts way more emphasis on winning these rivalry games late in the year making this is the most exciting weekend of football year in and year out. To expand the playoff would diminish that and I think it would be a travesty.

You have to understand, a lot of multistar kids get recruited by the premier programs with the "possibility" of being a starter. They may wait a year or two for someone to graduate, just to be leap frogged by a 5 star stud just coming in. They might not be more than a special teams player for their 4-5 years. If there was a larger playoff format, a lot of these types of kids would take the opportunity to start for a lower P5 or G5 knowing that they have a chance to win something of more relevance than the DG Bowl and be "noticed".