College Playoff format ( future?)

[MADHAT1]

And people think I'm crazy for wanting a 16 team playoff with all G-6 Champions,
the four P-4 title holders and 6 at large ( with independents in the top 16 auto entrants)
> What does the Big Ten want? <
In Tony Petitti's ideal world, 5-4 Illinois -- the eighth-place finisher in the Big Ten this season -- has the same shot at winning a national title as 9-0 Indiana.

Where things stand with College Football Playoff expansion ahead of 2026 deadline

Though the previous deadline of Dec. 1 came and went a long time ago, it still feels distinctly possible that the Football Bowl Subdivision will have four postseason formats in four seasons.

footballscoop.com

 

[LotusAggressor_rivals]

I don't think they'll ever get this right. Someone will always complain. Illinois lost to Indiana 63-10 this season. The only way they would have an equal chance as Indiana to win a National Championship is if someone hijacked the Indiana team bus

 

[T2Kplus20]

And people think I'm crazy for wanting a 16 team playoff with all G-6 Champions,
the four P-4 title holders and 6 at large ( with independents in the top 16 auto entrants)
> What does the Big Ten want? <
In Tony Petitti's ideal world, 5-4 Illinois -- the eighth-place finisher in the Big Ten this season -- has the same shot at winning a national title as 9-0 Indiana.

Where things stand with College Football Playoff expansion ahead of 2026 deadline

Though the previous deadline of Dec. 1 came and went a long time ago, it still feels distinctly possible that the Football Bowl Subdivision will have four postseason formats in four seasons.

footballscoop.com

How about:

X teams in the playoffs based on the top X ranked teams. No stupid conference championships or automatic qualifying. If you want 12 or 16 teams, just pick the teams by ranking and call it a day. No more garbage in the playoffs.

 

[MADHAT1]

I don't think they'll ever get this right. Someone will always complain. Illinois lost to Indiana 63-10 this season. The only way they would have an equal chance as Indiana to win a National Championship is if someone hijacked the Indiana team bus

That is why U feel the best way is to have all the conference champions in it because once you get past the P-4 ones ( and that's subject to complaints as well) there always be a team considered deserving in some people's minds that were left out and a undeserving team put in instead of them
I'm one of the ones that felt the imitation Irish got the shaft, but not because Miami was chosen but because 3 loss Bama got in.
I also felt LSU in 2007 didn't deserve to be in the national game because they had 2 losses.
Needless to say, they won the 2007 National Championship game

 

[RUShea]

How about:

X teams in the playoffs based on the top X ranked teams.

The reason I disagree with that is the rankings by nature, are all subjective in the first place. They start with a pre-season poll and those positions are the basis for the whole year. Pollsters don't like making dramatic week-to-week moves, so it's hard for teams to rise (or fall) from where they got slotted in to start.
The idea of getting conference champions in was to have it determined on the field, not by a writer who thinks someone is better. I honestly don't have any issue with the current set up. If you're the 13th ream getting left out, oh well.

 

[T2Kplus20]

The reason I disagree with that is the rankings by nature, are all subjective in the first place. They start with a pre-season poll and those positions are the basis for the whole year. Pollsters don't like making dramatic week-to-week moves, so it's hard for teams to rise (or fall) from where they got slotted in to start.
The idea of getting conference champions in was to have it determined on the field, not by a writer who thinks someone is better. I honestly don't have any issue with the current set up. If you're the 13th ream getting left out, oh well.

You would be correct if conferences were all created equal.....or at least close to it. Beyond the SEC and B1G, all other conferences are crap. So, why treat unequals equally?

Polls do a better job of leveling the playing field. Just NO CFP polls ahead of the selection day. Only assess after the season is done.

 

[MADHAT1]

How about:

X teams in the playoffs based on the top X ranked teams. No stupid conference championships or automatic qualifying. If you want 12 or 16 teams, just pick the teams by ranking and call it a day. No more garbage in the playoffs.

A good solution, four team playoff set-up between the top 4 ranked teams.
Make the major bowl games worthwhile again with the leftovers getting invites base on their rankings.
Other than that playoffs would always have something someone would be able to find something to object to about it haveing an undeserving team in it.
Just let the coach's poll and AP have programs rated higher then one or more of who the selection committee picked and you'll see the bitching will start .
Let the College Football Playoffs take a page out of" March Madness" and give all conference champions auto entry.
Then let the selection committee decide who we can argue deserved to me included, or not , when the 6 wildcards are named

 

[RUShea]

You would be correct if conferences were all created equal.....or at least close to it. Beyond the SEC and B1G, all other conferences are crap. So, why treat unequals equally?

Polls do a better job of leveling the playing field. Just NO CFP polls ahead of the selection day. Only assess after the season is done.

Fair. I've just never liked the idea that you're telling a smaller conference team that they have zero path to the playoff, from the get go. Unless you start mandating scheduling, they don't always get a shot to improve their schedule. I like the idea that they get a seat at the table.

 

[MADHAT1]

You would be correct if conferences were all created equal.....or at least close to it. Beyond the SEC and B1G, all other conferences are crap. So, why treat unequals equally?

Polls do a better job of leveling the playing field. Just NO CFP polls ahead of the selection day. Only assess after the season is done.

The NCAA Basketball tourney puts the bad and ugly conference champs in with the good and that works out well .
When the field is more than 4 , that's when the arguments begin.
So just put in conference champions some consider garbage with the prime cut P-4 and let the games begin instead of letting also-rans play for a national championship when they weren't good enough to win their own conference. title.

 

[Rutgers Chris]

For someone that watches every game, that 24 team graphic is a thing of beauty…

 

[PSAL_Hoops]

Fair. I've just never liked the idea that you're telling a smaller conference team that they have zero path to the playoff, from the get go. Unless you start mandating scheduling, they don't always get a shot to improve their schedule. I like the idea that they get a seat at the table.

Personally I think 24 with a bye week for some is stupid. If they want to go that high may as well run with a clean bracket of 32 teams, and mirror the March madness selection format. Auto bids for all 10 FBS conference winners. Basically just more revenue for everyone. Does anyone think OSU would have trouble filling its stadium to watch them clobber the MAC winner in the round of 32?

 

[LeapinLou]

If there were only the top 8 teams selected, Miami wouldn't have made it. And now they are in the championship. So if you have to include non-P4 schools, 12 or 16 is the right amount. But if they did go to 16, I would be in favor of eliminating conference championship games.

 

[RUGuitarMan1]

I think there is a good chance they move to a 16 team playoff for next season. The SEC format with 5 champs and 11 at large with no byes would be very good. The B1G needs to agree and I don’t know why they wouldn’t. If the two conferences agree, it should get approved by the other conferences.

 

[rutgersguy2]

Posted this in the semifinals thread.

It’ll be 12 next year unless the B10 and SEC can compromise and they may. 16 for 2-3 years on the way to 24.

I don’t think there’s as much opposition to 24 lately compared to before, especially if no huge amount of auto bids are given beyond 1 for each of the 5 parties.

I feel like 24 was more of shock to the system at first but with time it seems like the notion is becoming more digestible to some admins and the like but we’ll see.

 

[NickRU714]

Fair. I've just never liked the idea that you're telling a smaller conference team that they have zero path to the playoff, from the get go. Unless you start mandating scheduling, they don't always get a shot to improve their schedule. I like the idea that they get a seat at the table.

They basically have zero path now.
The current setup says "1 of you have a guaranteed path regardless of how good you actually are".

While a Top 16 make it removes the "guaranteed path" it makes it more equitable for all of CFB.
It removes the guaranteed path for everyone.

Now, give every conference champ a guaranteed path? That makes more sense then picking and choosing which conferences get one.

 

[Caliknight]

How about:

X teams in the playoffs based on the top X ranked teams. No stupid conference championships or automatic qualifying. If you want 12 or 16 teams, just pick the teams by ranking and call it a day. No more garbage in the playoffs.

What rankings? Pre or post conference championships? What about Notre Dame?

 

[T2Kplus20]

What rankings? Pre or post conference championships? What about Notre Dame?

ND is always excluded!

 

[RUTGERS95]

And people think I'm crazy for wanting a 16 team playoff with all G-6 Champions,
the four P-4 title holders and 6 at large ( with independents in the top 16 auto entrants)
> What does the Big Ten want? <
In Tony Petitti's ideal world, 5-4 Illinois -- the eighth-place finisher in the Big Ten this season -- has the same shot at winning a national title as 9-0 Indiana.

Where things stand with College Football Playoff expansion ahead of 2026 deadline

Though the previous deadline of Dec. 1 came and went a long time ago, it still feels distinctly possible that the Football Bowl Subdivision will have four postseason formats in four seasons.

footballscoop.com

overly simplistic
Tony, who sucks by the way and should be removed, is trying to maximize the cash for the conference and protect tv which is what he should be doing

While Ill can't beat IU, Ill can beat some of the teams on the bubble and in CFP this year

 

[NickRU714]

There are two different items that people keep combing.

1. Format
The top 16 teams, regardless of conference, is unquestionably the fairest format.
Alternatively, if you want to value "Conference Champions” then include all of them.
It’s a league of 10 conferences. Not 4. Not 5.
10
Every single problem with college athletics begins with the premise of each conference out for themselves instead of acting together as 1 league.

2. Team Selection and Seeding process
Examples would be:
A. win-loss record then tiebreakers (unreasonable with 130 teams)
B. Computer formula (old BCS style)
C. Humans (current weekly rankings and CFP committee)
D. If “Conference Champions” matter then they all get into the field and seeded from there (NFL gives division championships highest seeds regardless of other factors)

once you figure out #1 then you can figure out #2

But they don’t impact the decision for each other
Don’t say “Can’t do Top 16 get in because the polls are biased”.
Then fix the selection process. Don’t scrap the format.

 

[bac2therac]

24 would be atrocious

 

[rutgersguy2]

Even at 24, it’s a lower percentage of teams that make the postseason than the NFL and other major sports. That’s whether you take it as the P4 and ND and even more so if all of FBS.

I’ll take more meaningful playoff games with real stakes on the line over bowl games that are just exhibitions.

 

[RUTGERS95]

16 is too high and will lead to bad football. Even 12 is a little too much
either way, this will all change in a few years again as the network negotiations begin and we'll see a different format

 

[bac2therac]

Even at 24, it’s a lower percentage of teams that make the postseason than the NFL and other major sports. That’s whether you take it as the P4 and ND and even more so if all of FBS.

I’ll take more meaningful playoff games with real stakes on the line over bowl games that are just exhibitions.

4 loss schools should not be making a college playoff nor 2 schools from CUSA

 

[LotusAggressor_rivals]

The number of teams isn't the issue. The way they're being chosen is the issue.

 

[Krup062]

How about:

X teams in the playoffs based on the top X ranked teams. No stupid conference championships or automatic qualifying. If you want 12 or 16 teams, just pick the teams by ranking and call it a day. No more garbage in the playoffs.

That would be horrible based on how the SEC always has teams that end up over ranked,

 

[NickRU714]

That would be horrible based on how the SEC always has teams that end up over ranked,

So then fix the ranking process.
That has nothing do with the format.

 

[PSAL_Hoops]

4 loss schools should not be making a college playoff nor 2 schools from CUSA

I hate everything about 24 but 12 is just as awkward. The bye thing is dumb and makes the bracket awkward. They are not going to downsize so it should just stop at 16.

24 makes no sense, at which point it may as well just be a standard 32 team bracket with 4 regions and AQs for every conference winner like March Madness and a selection committee to pick the other 22 at large teams. Four 1-8 seeds. 6/7 seeds are your bubble. The 8-4 teams sweat it out like the 19-14 teams in basketball.

 

[NickRU714]

If your only argument against "Top X make it" is "rankings are flawed. SEC and ND are overrated" then EVERY playoff format will be flawed to you.

So then remove all the rankings and create objective rules.
Only conference champs make it?

 

[Rutgers Chris]

16 is too high and will lead to bad football. Even 12 is a little too much
either way, this will all change in a few years again as the network negotiations begin and we'll see a different format

Look at the possible second round of 16 matchups there, outside of an Indiana blowout, there’s no bad football matchups there.

 

[RUTGERS95]

Look at the possible second round of 16 matchups there, outside of an Indiana blowout, there’s no bad football matchups there.

all things look good on paper until rubber meets the road

 

[rutgersguy2]

4 loss schools should not be making a college playoff nor 2 schools from CUSA

7-9, 8-8 team have made the NFL playoffs. 4 loss teams aren’t going to win it all and might not advance much but it’s a notable accomplishment for the season and better than a couple of 3-4 loss teams playing in an exhibition bowl.

G6 schools likely won’t get more than 1 possibly 2 bids in a year. People don’t seem to get that of you can’t exclude these schools otherwise you invite outside interference (gov’t) so there will always be some inclusion. If they lose or get blown out so what. I saw the score of the Steelers game last night and the NFL is still alive and kicking.

 

[NickRU714]

Probably better as its own thread:

Who SHOULD (and SHOULDN'T) make the CFP?

• "G5" Conference Champs?
• 3 loss teams? 4 loss teams?
• Conference Championship Game lovers? (Alabama, BYU? What about OSU?)
• Teams who didnt even make their conference championship game? (Miami?)

The more you create these "barriers" you'll realize that nobody actually "deserves" to make the CFP.

 

[rutgersguy2]

The number of teams isn't the issue. The way they're being chosen is the issue.

Choosing is less of an issue with a larger number. Seeding would be the main quibbles. At 16 or 24 anyone whoever has a legitimate shot to win the title will be in. For the rest, it’s a notable accomplishment for the season and gives them a postseason with real stakes.

 

[WhiteBus]

For someone that watches every game, that 24 team graphic is a thing of beauty…

I hate the current FBS format. First of all the top four teams do not get a home game. While 5-8 get a home game and all the big $ that comes with and only a portion of ticket prices goes into the playoff payoffs. Ticket, parking, concessions, $ is all theirs.
The top 4 get nothing except a week off.
12 is a stupid amount. 8 teams was the number to settle. No guarantee for non Power 4 conference. Make the Conference Championships mean something or get rid of them. If they keep them (of course they will, $)
That means Notre Dame only chance is to get one of the lower 4 spots remaining. That might finally push them to joining a conference.

 

[Anon1754923206]

16 should be the limit…no byes…no on-campus games…this isn’t basketball where 12-15 seeds win…in football you usually just have 8-12 teams with a legitimate chance each year.
24 is a BAD idea…like caroo ill-advised money grab bad!

 

[bac2therac]

Look at the possible second round of 16 matchups there, outside of an Indiana blowout, there’s no bad football matchups there.

No

 

[bac2therac]

7-9, 8-8 team have made the NFL playoffs. 4 loss teams aren’t going to win it all and might not advance much but it’s a notable accomplishment for the season and better than a couple of 3-4 loss teams playing in an exhibition bowl.

G6 schools likely won’t get more than 1 possibly 2 bids in a year. People don’t seem to get that of you can’t exclude these schools otherwise you invite outside interference (gov’t) so there will always be some inclusion. If they lose or get blown out so what. I saw the score of the Steelers game last night and the NFL is still alive and kicking.

17 game season too

 

[bac2therac]

Probably better as its own thread:

Who SHOULD (and SHOULDN'T) make the CFP?

• "G5" Conference Champs?
• 3 loss teams? 4 loss teams?
• Conference Championship Game lovers? (Alabama, BYU? What about OSU?)
• Teams who didnt even make their conference championship game? (Miami?)

The more you create these "barriers" you'll realize that nobody actually "deserves" to make the CFP.

The common sense says everything beyond 16 is stupid. Oh i want to see a 1 seed play a 24 in the 1st round and win by 50

 

[Rutgers Chris]

No

Great analysis

 

[bac2therac]

Choosing is less of an issue with a larger number. Seeding would be the main quibbles. At 16 or 24 anyone who has a legitimate shot to win the title will be in. For the rest, it’s a notable accomplishment for the season and gives them a postseason with real stakes.

We have a regular season and conference championship to sort this..you are arguing 25 wouldnt have a case to be left out. The cutoff spot will always be someone bitching

Lets face it there is a substantial drop off beyond top 15