A less drastic take on an expanded playoff bracket

Printable View

12-08-2025, 08:29 PM
Quaoarsking

A less drastic take on an expanded playoff bracket
https://i.imgur.com/O3LfeLD.png
- 16 teams, with autobids for the top 5 conference champions.
- Notre Dame, BYU, Texas, and Vanderbilt get the extra bids
- No byes, everyone plays every round.
- All campus sites until the final game if possible, or at least until the semifinals. The teams with the better regular seasons earned the homefield advantage.
- Rather than a straight 1-16 seeding, have 2 each of 1, 2, 3, etc. This way, we can avoid rematches before the final when possible, and keep teams geographically closer if possible so that road fans have an easier time getting there.
- Play it in December and have the championship game at a neutral site on the first Saturday of January. No more stretching until January 20 or so.
Would this eliminate controversy? No. Now in this bracket Utah and USC fans would be upset. But it wouldn't be on the level we're seeing today. Notre Dame would have had a legitimate shot to win the title. Personally, I think Vanderbilt could have made a deep run too, and while I don't think BYU had a legitimate shot, I can sympathize with a team who went 11-1 in the regular season feeling like they deserve a chance. I don't think Utah and USC would inspire the same level of outrage.

There's no such thing as a perfect system, because every year is different, and you could still have 10-2 P4 teams getting left out some years, and in others you might have a bunch of 9-3 teams get in. There's no way to avoid that, and that's fine. But I think this system would generally cause less controversy, and that opening weekend would be a lot of fun every year. Even the Indiana-James Madison matchup is compelling despite being an obvious blowout given Cignetti's history.
12-08-2025, 09:22 PM
DownwardDawg

I like this. Good job. But I really think they're going to 24-28 teams. Like next year!!
12-08-2025, 09:45 PM
Tater

Quote:

Originally Posted by DownwardDawg

I like this. Good job. But I really think they're going to 24-28 teams. Like next year!!

I really want my long winded 28 team proposal to get adopted from the other thread. That and the calendar change cover every base. All teams have a path to the championship and going undefeated gets you in (except for ND / UConn until they join a conference - but being ranked in the top 18 of people who don't win a conference championship is easy if you're undefeated). And portal shenanigans / people quitting would get solved. Don't understand why someone hasn't sat down and written it out like a constructive drunk.
12-08-2025, 09:54 PM
EdwardDrayton
Quote:
Originally Posted by Quaoarsking

https://i.imgur.com/O3LfeLD.png

16 teams, with autobids for the top 5 conference champions.
Notre Dame, BYU, Texas, and Vanderbilt get the extra bids
No byes, everyone plays every round.
All campus sites until the final game if possible, or at least until the semifinals. The teams with the better regular seasons earned the homefield advantage.
Rather than a straight 1-16 seeding, have 2 each of 1, 2, 3, etc. This way, we can avoid rematches before the final when possible, and keep teams geographically closer if possible so that road fans have an easier time getting there.
Play it in December and have the championship game at a neutral site on the first Saturday of January. No more stretching until January 20 or so.

Would this eliminate controversy? No. Now in this bracket Utah and USC fans would be upset. But it wouldn't be on the level we're seeing today. Notre Dame would have had a legitimate shot to win the title. Personally, I think Vanderbilt could have made a deep run too, and while I don't think BYU had a legitimate shot, I can sympathize with a team who went 11-1 in the regular season feeling like they deserve a chance. I don't think Utah and USC would inspire the same level of outrage.

There's no such thing as a perfect system, because every year is different, and you could still have 10-2 P4 teams getting left out some years, and in others you might have a bunch of 9-3 teams get in. There's no way to avoid that, and that's fine. But I think this system would generally cause less controversy, and that opening weekend would be a lot of fun every year. Even the Indiana-James Madison matchup is compelling despite being an obvious blowout given Cignetti's history.
I like it but can't have a nine game conference schedule and add four postseason games too. Gotta at least trim back to eight conference games and maybe an eleven game season also.
12-08-2025, 10:01 PM
Quaoarsking

Quote:

Originally Posted by EdwardDrayton

I like it but can't have a nine game conference schedule and add four postseason games too. Gotta at least trim back to eight conference games and maybe an eleven game season also.

That should be on the table, but note that Alabama will do that this season if they make it the championship game. 12 regular season games (10 against P4), a conference championship game, and potentially 4 playoff games. That would be 17 games, 15 against P4 teams.
12-08-2025, 10:11 PM
DownwardDawg

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tater

I really want my long winded 28 team proposal to get adopted from the other thread. That and the calendar change cover every base. All teams have a path to the championship and going undefeated gets you in (except for ND / UConn until they join a conference - but being ranked in the top 18 of people who don't win a conference championship is easy if you're undefeated). And portal shenanigans / people quitting would get solved. Don't understand why someone hasn't sat down and written it out like a constructive drunk.

I think you may be close!