So would the BCS have provided a Bama-FSU title game?
- Thread starter ukdesi
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What amazes me is that people actually thought that a playoff system would alleviate the controversy that we had previously. Basketball lets in half of the league into their tournament and there is always tons of controversy with who is let in/out, and where everyone is seeded.
The Outback and Orange Bowl were half filled, if that. Peach Bowl did not sell out for first time in 17 years. Did not watch the Citrus Bowl but the announced attendance was only 48,000, meaning probably 30,000 or so actually in the stands.
Even the Rose Bowl had to do some extra marketing to sell out, which is unheard of. Part of it was the playoff and the other part was that Fla State played there last year, and their fans were hoping to go to Dallas next week.
Moral to the story is "Be careful what you wish for". Many have said over the years that a playoff would kill the rest of the bowls. I hope that proves incorrect.
I know I didn't care about the other bowls. I'm sure a lot of fans, players and coaches felt the same way.
I for one do not like the playoff system--never did, and never will
In my view it takes a BCS system where you had maybe 30 or more "winners" afterwards into a system where one team is the supposed "best"
And that elimination system narrows interest in the sport and attendance of the bowl games...the only definitive thing that can be said of it as opposed to the BCS process
Just like in basketball, the "best" team depends on where you are standing and who you root for; so why would you minimize the number of people--coaches, players, fans, casual viewers--who feel their team is the "best" and leave them with a bad taste in their mouth for six months?
It's another case of the bean-counters at ESPN screwing up a system that worked for years and years, just so they can stuff some more moolah into their pockets
And, no, it does not eliminate controversy...not at all. You've already got people lining up to scream that it needs to be 8 teams, and then it will be 16, and before you know it we'll just have football all year long in one big watered-down slop trough
I DO NOT LIKE IT
In my view it takes a BCS system where you had maybe 30 or more "winners" afterwards into a system where one team is the supposed "best"
And that elimination system narrows interest in the sport and attendance of the bowl games...the only definitive thing that can be said of it as opposed to the BCS process
Just like in basketball, the "best" team depends on where you are standing and who you root for; so why would you minimize the number of people--coaches, players, fans, casual viewers--who feel their team is the "best" and leave them with a bad taste in their mouth for six months?
It's another case of the bean-counters at ESPN screwing up a system that worked for years and years, just so they can stuff some more moolah into their pockets
And, no, it does not eliminate controversy...not at all. You've already got people lining up to scream that it needs to be 8 teams, and then it will be 16, and before you know it we'll just have football all year long in one big watered-down slop trough
I DO NOT LIKE IT
No it doesn't. What the playoff shows is the best teams will not always play for the Championship just like the NCAA tourney. It's arguably the 4 best teams but the top two will not always make it out of the semi.
Brad Edwards says the BCS would've been FSU number 1 and Bama number 2 for the title - and I'm not sure what's horrible about that? All that means is those two teams would've been ranked first and second at the end of the regular season. It's not like anyone or anything was guaranteeing that they would not lose to other teams. I'm sure there were plenty of years where the top 2 teams that met for the title could have lost to the number 3 or 4 or 12 teams if they had played.
If it had been Bama vs. FSU, then the playoff is an improvement. Obviously now, neither Bama or FSU should be in title game. The only controversy now is TCU. Frankly, TCU would be outside looking in under the BCS system, so any way you cut it, the playoff is an improvement.
The question now becomes, "Is 4 the right number?". It's not as simple as saying TCU should not have been left out. Are you really going to exclude FSU from the playoff after going undefeated. Are you going to leave Bama out of the race--They were rated #1. Everyone thought that OSU should have been left out. They proved last night that they belong.
So, do you make it a six team deal with two teams getting a bye? Somehow that doesn't seem right, but it does reward the regular season top two, but oops, who are the top two this year going in?
So, do you make it 8? That seems like a lot of teams, and frankly, I don't know that there were 8 teams that deserve to be in it.
If you go beyond 8, then it gets absolutely ridiculous.
One crazy thought I had was this: Just play the bowl games, and then after the bowl games are played, pick the 4 playoff teams.
This year, it MIGHT look like Oregon, OSU, TCU, and Michigan St. I guess in a round about way, that makes it an 8 team playoff, but in terms of number of games after the regular season, but it also uses both conference play as well as at least one major out of conference game to help select the best 4 teams.
The question now becomes, "Is 4 the right number?". It's not as simple as saying TCU should not have been left out. Are you really going to exclude FSU from the playoff after going undefeated. Are you going to leave Bama out of the race--They were rated #1. Everyone thought that OSU should have been left out. They proved last night that they belong.
So, do you make it a six team deal with two teams getting a bye? Somehow that doesn't seem right, but it does reward the regular season top two, but oops, who are the top two this year going in?
So, do you make it 8? That seems like a lot of teams, and frankly, I don't know that there were 8 teams that deserve to be in it.
If you go beyond 8, then it gets absolutely ridiculous.
One crazy thought I had was this: Just play the bowl games, and then after the bowl games are played, pick the 4 playoff teams.
This year, it MIGHT look like Oregon, OSU, TCU, and Michigan St. I guess in a round about way, that makes it an 8 team playoff, but in terms of number of games after the regular season, but it also uses both conference play as well as at least one major out of conference game to help select the best 4 teams.
I agree with all of this. FSU vs Bama would have awarded a national title to the team that is clearly not the best, and so the playoff is big improvement over that.
I would add that I've looked at the prior 5-6 years, and 6 teams generally encompasses all of the undefeated or 1 loss teams. 8 teams allows you to include a cinderella (like Boise State this year probably) and another team that may or may not be deserving. For this year, as an example, you could have added TCU, Baylor, Boise State, and then the 8th team would be Mich. State or Miss. State (based on final rankings), but both those teams had 2 losses and probably undeserving (although Mich State would have been the best choice based on how the bowls turned out).
Not sure how it could work logistically, but I'd like to see 6 teams to eliminate almost all controversy (because most seasons all undefeated and 1 loss teams would have a chance for the title, and if you have 2 losses, no legit gripe).
I think six or eight would be the right number. Anything above that would water it down. TCU was probably good enough to have a shot to win it. Once you get down to the Miss. St or Michigan St. level then you are probably including teams with no shot to win it. I don't know what the magic number is, but it needs to at least include every team with a realistic shot to win it.
I read on this board that in the FCS (Div IAA) playoffs, that last four rounds, often times the winner is the team that has the fewest injuries during the playoffs. These are college kids, asking them to play a 12 game season, plus a conference championship, plus four more for the two championship teams, is ridiculous to begin with, and often times does not identify the best team, only the one that has the least injuries.
I like Fred's idea of having the bowls like usual, then the playoffs afterward. The only thing I would change would be to just take 2 teams to play for the championship. Playing a 12 game schedule, conference championship, bowl game and 2 playoff games would just be too many games.
With so many games, I think fan attendance would be way down.
With so many games, I think fan attendance would be way down.
They never were designed as a postseason system. They were designed to get people to travel during the holidays, to promote interstate commerce, and give football teams somewhere different to go play. They were exhibitions. Do some research before posting next time.
It has nothing to do with fans, schools, records or justice. It has only to do with The Dollar. At the end of the season there will be an accounting of the total dollar value of the playoff. If it shows increased value over the BCS method, there will likely be an
eight-game playoff. If not, the powers will point to empty seats in all the bowl games and call the four-game playoff a failure and retreat to BCS standings.
It's all about The Money. Nothing else.
eight-game playoff. If not, the powers will point to empty seats in all the bowl games and call the four-game playoff a failure and retreat to BCS standings.
It's all about The Money. Nothing else.
