Quaoarsking
12-06-2014, 06:07 PM
Clay Travis argues this today: http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/outkick-the-coverage/end-conference-title-games-expand-playoff-to-eight-next-year-120314
His argument is that Alabama, Oregon, Florida State, (Marshall, Boise State, etc.) are already obviously the best teams in their conference, so why make them play another "championship" game? CCGs have much more often screwed teams over than helped get them into the top 2/4, and teams often feel like they're better off sitting out and not playing in the CCG rather than going and risking a loss (like many of us were a couple weeks ago).
Instead, abolish divisions and the CCG. The SEC can have 3 permanent opponents and 5 rotating, meaning you play everyone home and away at least once in a 4-year period. If two teams finish tied atop the standings, then use tiebreakers or declare them co-champions (which was very common before 1992).
Make everyone wrap up their conference seasons by the last week of November, and then instead of playing CCGs the first week of December, expand the playoffs to 8 and play the first round then. That way, no one can claim use the "too many games" or "too much class missed" arguments. Let the quarterfinal losers still play in bowls, and let each of the five major conferences have an automatic bid to the playoffs.
Thoughts? I think he's right on. I also think the Committee would have done the rankings a little differently if the Big 12 had already wrapped up its schedule and they knew the top 8 all made it, so I think we probably would have made it in ahead of Michigan State or Arizona. Plus, if the whole country had played a different schedule with no divisions, who knows what everyone's record would be.
His argument is that Alabama, Oregon, Florida State, (Marshall, Boise State, etc.) are already obviously the best teams in their conference, so why make them play another "championship" game? CCGs have much more often screwed teams over than helped get them into the top 2/4, and teams often feel like they're better off sitting out and not playing in the CCG rather than going and risking a loss (like many of us were a couple weeks ago).
Instead, abolish divisions and the CCG. The SEC can have 3 permanent opponents and 5 rotating, meaning you play everyone home and away at least once in a 4-year period. If two teams finish tied atop the standings, then use tiebreakers or declare them co-champions (which was very common before 1992).
Make everyone wrap up their conference seasons by the last week of November, and then instead of playing CCGs the first week of December, expand the playoffs to 8 and play the first round then. That way, no one can claim use the "too many games" or "too much class missed" arguments. Let the quarterfinal losers still play in bowls, and let each of the five major conferences have an automatic bid to the playoffs.
Thoughts? I think he's right on. I also think the Committee would have done the rankings a little differently if the Big 12 had already wrapped up its schedule and they knew the top 8 all made it, so I think we probably would have made it in ahead of Michigan State or Arizona. Plus, if the whole country had played a different schedule with no divisions, who knows what everyone's record would be.