What is your preferred Playoff System?

[throwmonkey]

12 teams

Top 6 ranked conference champions + 6 at large.

Top 4 get byes. All games other than final played at campus sites. Final at neutral site. Organize schedule so the two semi-finals are on January 1.

[J-Unit40]

Quote: Originally Posted by khaled

Top 8 BCS Teams, keep the bowls. I think this is the best way. I made this to show what it would look like this year.

This is what a couple of my friends and I have been in agreement with for a few years. I kind of like it.

I almost think 8 teams is 2 teams too many, but it should work. The last thing I would want to see is a 3-loss team allowed to play for the national title. Just my opinion. Anything more than 8 teams just seems like way too many. I also like the "Plus One" idea.

The embedded image is a nice visual. Thanks!

[Cebby]

Quote: Originally Posted by GoToledo

You act like any contending mid-majors play a top 10 team in their schedule now (weather it is their fault or not). This would continue the trend of everyone padding their schedule as much as possible, which is what happens in our current system.

You aren't thinking the entire situation out.

Your proposal would work fine for the Boise Sts and TCUs, but you're forgetting the MAC, Sun Belt, CUSA, and new WAC teams.

In 2009 Troy went undefeated in the Sun Belt but 0-4 in OoC including a 50 point loss to Florida and a 36 point loss to Arkansas. Under your proposal they would likely fill those spots with 1AA teams in order to make the playoff.

[TheGamingChef]

My proposal:

16 teams. No more than 3 teams per conference, but no automatic qualifiers, either. Top 16 in the BCS ranking formula will make it (unless there's a 4th or a 5th team in a conference in the top 16, in which case we move to the next.) This rule is simply because I don't think 25% of the playoff should consist of one conference. If you didn't even finish in the top three in your conference (according to the BCS), I don't think you deserve a shot at the national title.

Under this system #16 Alabama would be excluded because of three SEC teams ahead of them. #17-18 TAMU and Nebraska are also skipped because of three Big XII teams already in. Therefore the #16 seed would be filled by the first available team in the BCS, Utah.

First and second round matchups are played at the site of the higher seed. There is no bracket system like March Madness - instead, the teams will be matched up each round with the highest seed playing the lowest seed, and on and on. Just as a visual here's what the first round matchups would have been:

#16 Utah @ #1 Auburn
#15 Nevada @ #2 Oregon
#14 Oklahoma State @ #3 TCU
#13 Virginia Tech @ #4 Stanford
#12 Missouri @ #5 Wisconsin
#11 LSU @ #6 Ohio State
#10 Boise State @ #7 Oklahoma
#9 Michigan State @ #8 Arkansas

Second round matchups follow this as well. In the third round (semifinals), games are played at bowl sites. The national championship is also played at a bowl site. Games are one week apart, with two weeks in between the semifinal and the title game. The first round would take place one week after the conference title games.

The bowl system would be reworked to allow each team in the playoff to go to a bowl. Because the four semifinalists would get a bowl guaranteed, there would be six bowl games that would not select teams following conference championships. Instead, these bowls would select teams after they were eliminated from the playoff. These 12 teams would be out by December 18th (using this year's calendar) and to give them time as well as recognize their accomplishment in making the playoff, all six of the games that get to choose playoff teams would be January bowl games.

This keeps the bowl system, and allows every team the chance to play in a bowl, but also maintains home field advantage, allows the fans to see the games but also an opportunity to travel, and will maximize excitement. I would love to see this plan in action.

[WazzuRC]

I think, depending upon how and when they schedule the games, 15 games is the absolute maximum a college athlete should play. They don't train and aren't built like NFL players yet.

Preferably, I'd be happy with a Top 8 scenario, but I'd take a Plus-One.

For the Top 8, I'd leave the AQ's as they are currently, but they have to be in the Top 15 to be eligible. Then seed the other teams as at-large's and base the rankings on current BCS standings.

[rmacteague]

Top 8 BCS:

- Top 4 get homes games in their stadium week after reg season ends

- Winners go to Final Four in one Location with a Saturday Final Four / Thur Champ Game
----This reduceds travel costs for fans and schools
----Final Four will Tickets will come in 3 game Session Package

-Losers of First Round Playoff matchup are added to bowl pool which can go back to perferred traditional tie-ins if so desired.

Final Four Site Rotates -- Can be any location that can handle the event

[GoToledo]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cebby

You aren't thinking the entire situation out. Your proposal would work fine for the Boise Sts and TCUs, but you're forgetting the MAC, Sun Belt, CUSA, and new WAC teams. In 2009 Troy went undefeated in the Sun Belt but 0-4 in OoC including a 50 point loss to Florida and a 36 point loss to Arkansas. Under your proposal they would likely fill those spots with 1AA teams in order to make the playoff.

I am thinking it out. I guess we will agree to disagree on the topic. My point is that teams already pad their non-conference schedules in a ridiculous matter now. Nobody can just schedule 4 1-AA non-conference games as you are suggesting (not literally, I know). If I could change one more thing about college football, though, I would not allow 1-A schools to play 1-AA teams at all. I would rather drop the 12th game altogether.

This is why your scenario doesn't worry me. I went to a smaller school, and one of the biggest sources of revenue for a MAC football school is to get paid a million or so dollars to go and be a warm up game for a Big Ten school, AT LEAST once a season. MAC or Sun Belt teams can not make this kind of money just scheduling home games against opponents worse than they are. Also, if a team from a weak conference skates through and gets in to the playoff - they will go and be demolished by the #1 team essentially rewarding the team for finishing the regular season #1.

Again the benefit is that every undefeated team will get a shot. I think the benefit in this case far outweighs the worst case scenario - which is perhaps the #8 team in the country losing its shot.

[boisejames]

Quote: Originally Posted by rmacteague

Top 8 BCS: - Top 4 get homes games in their stadium week after reg season ends - Winners go to Final Four in one Location with a Saturday Final Four / Thur Champ Game ----This reduceds travel costs for fans and schools ----Final Four will Tickets will come in 3 game Session Package -Losers of First Round Playoff matchup are added to bowl pool which can go back to perferred traditional tie-ins if so desired. Final Four Site Rotates -- Can be any location that can handle the event

So not only do teams have to prepare for the biggest game of their lives in an unfamiliar place that they've never practiced in, but they also don't even have a full week in which to do it?