Byes often mean bye bye

[the nail at the foul line]

Before the NCAA tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1984, there was a 5-year run with byes.

In 1979, Duke and North Carolina, were the only two teams with byes to lose. There was only eight teams with byes that year and a 40 team field.

In 1980, the tournament was expanded to 16 byes (48), and teams with byes went nine and seven. Major upsets included DePaul, Oregon State and North Carolina.

The following year, the tournament stuck with 16 byes and teams with byes went eight and eight. Major upset victims were UCLA, DePaul and KY.

By 1982 and 1983, teams with byes did much better going 13 and 3 both years. However, there were numerous games where the teams with byes seemed to get a late start and have to make comebacks.

So, if you're younger and watching these football playoffs, wondering why these higher rated teams are losing, rust? They will probably go to 16 teams next year to avoid the byes.

6-2
9-7
8-8
13-3
13-3
49-23

DePaul, Oregon State and Carolina were the biggest losers as teams with byes. This was fixed in 1984 by expanding the tournament to 64 teams.

As a footnote, all the 12 seeds had to win a play-in game. So for that year the tournament was 52.

 

[St.PatterSoN-54-]

There’s no substitute for playing. Byes, like it or not, breed complacency.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

There’s no substitute for playing. Byes, like it or not, breed complacency.

What is odd is that it seems not to be as prominent in conference tournaments. It hit zenith prominence with the football playoffs.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

The football playoff has dumb rules. You didn't have the best 4 teams get byes. That's part of the issue.

I dont think any of the teams that won were upsets other than perhaps ND and Georgia was an unknown without its qb playing.

 

[YardCat]

A Bye Week for UK football usually means a loss, somehow the team loses focus and unless they are playing a MAC team they are losing.

 

[Mike-D]

Maybe they go to 16, but it's clear that you don't need anymore than 8 teams. Also, home field advantage has made it possible for more blowouts. This playoff has been bad, overall.

 

[Tf2217]

I think the seeding and metrics for the seeding is bull for the CFP. Some teams got cakewalks over the higher seeds because the under seeded team should've been a top seed.
Just seed teams 1-12 and complete a legit 12 team tournament bracket no byes no nothing seed 1-12 and let's roll.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

I think the seeding and metrics for the seeding is bull for the CFP. Some teams got cakewalks over the higher seeds because the under seeded team should've been a top seed.
Just seed teams 1-12 and complete a legit 12 team tournament bracket no byes no nothing seed 1-12 and let's roll.

You can't have 12 teams and not have byes. You either need 4. 8 or 16.

 

[BlueBomb]

Maybe they go to 16, but it's clear that you don't need anymore than 8 teams. Also, home field advantage has made it possible for more blowouts. This playoff has been bad, overall.

This. Eight teams would be perfect. But, of course, it's a money grab so they won't do that.

And I'd prefer they just seed 1-8 and do away with all this conference champ crap. Just the best eight teams in order.

Oh, and make Notre Dame join a conference.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

Maybe they go to 16, but it's clear that you don't need anymore than 8 teams. Also, home field advantage has made it possible for more blowouts. This playoff has been bad, overall.

I expect osu to blow out Texas by 14 or more and then best ND or Penn state by 20 or more.

We will finish the playoff with a max of 2 games with 1 score finals (if ND and Penn state is close).

 

[crestcat]

Make it 64 teams, when they get finished they can go into spring football.

 

[CrimsonCats]

I expect osu to blow out Texas by 14 or more and then best ND or Penn state by 20 or more.

We will finish the playoff with a max of 2 games with 1 score finals (if ND and Penn state is close).

One sided games happened a lot with the 4 team playoff, and even a fair bit in the old BCS format. College football is just a sport without a whole lot of parity at the top in most years. If the last 3 games do play out how you envision it, there’s no obvious choice for someone who could have given
Ohio State a better game than Oregon or Texas, and I’m not sure it has anything to do with the seeding format.