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Sound off: How much controversy will the new playoff system bring?

11:03 AM - June 27, 2012 by RaychelSnr

Since 1936, college football fans have watched the polls.

Because the polls meant everything.

In 2014, suddenly all of that quits mattering. The polls will mean absolutely nothing in regards to who is the best team in college football. A paneled selection committee will decide the fate of the National Championship with (what is reported to be) emphasis on conference championships and strength of schedule. This is undoubtedly going to really tick off some fans. There are numerous examples of the top four teams in the final BCS rankings likely not being the Top four picked as playoff contestants with those things in mind.

So let's have at it. The playoff is good, but will the controversy be more or less under the new system?

Sound off!

Member Comments

# 1 cgalligan @ 06/27/12 11:08 AM

Boise St vs Oklahoma... That is the only thing you need to say when talking about controversy... Sure, the people that say Boise doesn't play the level of Competition throughout the Season are correct... If that bars them from having a chance to play for the Nation Championship, then so be it...

However...

That game, and others, have proved that "little" schools, Regardless of who they play throughout the Season can in fact, defeat anyone, on any given day... The real question is, should they be given the opportunity to do so?

In my opinion, NCAA Hoops does it best... 65 teams, some small, some large... EVERYTHING is decided on playing field / court... I'm not saying Football should do a 65 team tourny, but I think 8 or 12 would be better than just 4.

# 2 lonewolf371 @ 06/27/12 11:11 AM

I think someone did some analysis on the Big Ten blog about this and found that the one major case where a conference champion would be favored over a higher ranked team for the #4 spot was Oregon over Stanford last year, which really makes sense since Oregon beat Stanford 53-30 and won the Pac-12.

The controversy will still be big because of regional bias. People will see a team from one region or conference get in and say the committee is biased because of such-and-such, which may be true. The playoff will probably need to be expanded a little bit to accommodate the major conference champions. After that the controversy will die down to a level where it may be sustainable.

# 3 Petey B @ 06/27/12 11:20 AM

I'm sure controversy will ensue-Imagine a solid Irish squad not making it because they didn't have a chance to win a conference championship-but what I really wanna know waking up to this news today is a question to EA... IS IT IN THE GAME?

# 4 Iceman87GT @ 06/27/12 11:35 AM

Well considering how many times 3 teams have been worthy of a trip to the National Championship game we've definitely solved a big problem. Yes there will still be debates about whether the 5th or 6th team in the country had a legitimate case to be in the playoffs but that's better than the 3rd best (and arguable 2nd best in the country) team not playing for a title. 2004 Auburn, 2008 Texas, 2009 Boise and TCU (both had cases, but in the end weren't even able to prove they could beat a BCS conference team because they got stuck playing eachother which was BS), 2006 Boise State, and 2011 OK State.

I'll take a controversy over who should be the 4th seed over who should be the 2nd team playing in the National Championship game every single time.

# 5 Iceman87GT @ 06/27/12 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caasoccer


	It will probably be the same, but we will be arguing over the 4th slot instead of the 2nd and that is progress.

Considering the game has already been finalized the answer is no, unless they planned ahead, or if they can patch it in but I doubt either one of those happened due to the logistics.

# 6 riichiieriich @ 06/27/12 12:19 PM

There's controversy in every sport. Not everyone can be made happy. With that said, I like this move for the NCAA Football scene and I think it's a vital step into deciding who the true champion is in college football.

# 7 BSchwartz07 @ 06/27/12 12:28 PM

It will just push the debate to who is 4th or 5th, and how many SEC teams can they fit into the "Final Four"... I think if the NCAA moved to 4 Super Conferences and let those champions battle it out (eventually using conference title games to essentially have an 8 team playoff) there wouldn't be much to debate over.

All of that said, the NCAA is still a broken system that does not reward teams for having any risk in their schedule. For example, if the #5 team in the country loses in triple OT to the #3 team theoretically your rankings proved true and #5 should stay where they are, instead they get jumped by #6 who played some directional school nobody ever heard of and smashed. Thus, that #5 team skipped out on playing anyone good and then plays a small "safe" school. This is why Alabama was facing Ga Southern down the stretch last year..... The whole thing needs an overhaul if you want an actual "National Champion"

# 8 Retropyro @ 06/27/12 12:54 PM

Using a Poll, 4 team playoff or 20 team playoff, using a selection committee or conference champs, the controversy will always be there.
People will always find a reason to complain with reasoning that ranges from legitimate to asinine.

# 9 DIRRTY30 @ 06/27/12 01:01 PM

The controversy now is whether or not the 2 best teams are in the championship game. In two years, it's going to be whether the selection committee picked the 4 best teams for the play offs. What do they do if there are 5 undefeated teams? One of those teams and fanbases is going to be extremely upset because everybody thinks a playoff is going to solve everything. It won't, but it is better than what we have now.

The only major gripe I have though is making current bowl games be the semi-final rounds. I'm a Wisconsin fan, so I'm a huge fan of the Rose Bowl. This method will cheapen the Rose Bowl. Now every other year we won't be able to go to the Granddaddy Of Them All unless we are ranked in the top 4. If Wisconsin wins the B1G and finishes ranked 9 or 10, no playoffs. No Rose Bowl. We would get the Sugar Bowl or the Capital One Bowl or some other type of consolation prize because the Rose Bowl is now just a playoff game.

# 10 DubTrey1 @ 06/27/12 01:09 PM

a few already stated already here - there is controversy in every sport. That is the world we live in.... Everything is under a microscope regardless of affect. This will be no different, especially with the $ that is behind all of this. In the end, its just another change we all have to become accustomed to, similar for me to the change to the kickoffs in the NFL..... get over it and move on. It is what it is.

# 11 fsufan4423 @ 06/27/12 01:11 PM

I think the real question will be, is that 1 or 2 loss SEC better than that undefeated Big East or other Mid Major conference team.

If Arkansas beats LSU and Oergon beats USC last season under this playoff system, who gets left out?

# 12 Perfect Zero @ 06/27/12 01:31 PM

The controversy over the playoffs is going to spill over into the way the conferences are set up. We are at a point now to where if you are not part of the big four conferences, you will have a very tough time getting into the playoffs if at all. The Big East, ACC, and all the other conferences of FBS football were the big losers in the decision because they will have to be perfect and have to depend upon the other conferences having a weak champion to even receive consideration for the playoff.

FBS is too big right now. Take the top four conferences and make them the top tier of football, and take the other conference and make them the second tier. The games will be better, the excitement of the regular season will be there, and it will be must watch football.

# 13 mercalnd @ 06/27/12 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perfect Zero


	The controversy over the playoffs is going to spill over into the way the conferences are set up. We are at a point now to where if you are not part of the big four conferences, you will have a very tough time getting into the playoffs if at all. The Big East, ACC, and all the other conferences of FBS football were the big losers in the decision because they will have to be perfect and have to depend upon the other conferences having a weak champion to even receive consideration for the playoff. FBS is too big right now. Take the top four conferences and make them the top tier of football, and take the other conference and make them the second tier. The games will be better, the excitement of the regular season will be there, and it will be must watch football.

As was asked to you before in one of the other threads, how do you justify a system where big programs such as Miami, FSU, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Notre Dame are excluded but such pedestrian programs as Minnesota, Vanderbilt, Indiana, Washington State and countless others get their shot?

You act as if all the deserving programs are in what you call the big four and the other conferences are made up of irrelevant programs.

# 14 ActLikeYouCrow @ 06/27/12 02:02 PM

the rose bowl would host a semifinal game once every 3 years dirrty30. that scenario still exists, but not as often.

# 15 jmik58 @ 06/27/12 02:08 PM

A four-team playoff solves nothing for the "non-BCS" schools. They've managed to make the on-the-field format more appropriate, but the only way to give everyone a fair shake is to expand the field to eight teams.

# 16 jyoung @ 06/27/12 02:32 PM

They need to expand the playoff system to include more teams.

Give every conference champion an automatic playoff bid ala NCAA basketball. Then invite a few extra at-large teams to complete the bracket.

# 17 Perfect Zero @ 06/27/12 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mercalnd


	As was asked to you before in one of the other threads, how do you justify a system where big programs such as Miami, FSU, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Notre Dame are excluded but such pedestrian programs as Minnesota, Vanderbilt, Indiana, Washington State and countless others get their shot? You act as if all the deserving programs are in what you call the big four and the other conferences are made up of irrelevant programs.

I'm not telling anybody that this is the way it should be. I'm telling people that this is the road that we are going down toward. If the Big East or ACC doesn't want to be in the playoffs that's fine, they can stay in the current structure and go for the Orange Bowl. What I'm saying is that we already have tiers of teams from FBS to D-III. Why shouldn't Sam Houston State get a shot at the top title in your case?

This isn't about what I want, it's about what I perceive as the future of the sport. The playoffs were Pandora's Box and it's wide open; we can't shove it back in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyoung


	Give every conference champion an automatic playoff bid ala NCAA basketball. Then invite a few extra at-large teams to complete the bracket.

There's no money in that.

# 18 Iceman87GT @ 06/27/12 05:18 PM

I think too many people are thinking the prhase "with emphasis on conference championships" means only conference champions will get in. What that phrase really means is that if you lose/fail to make your conference championship you will have a harder time getting into the playoffs.

Meaning OK State would absolutely get into the playoffs, and Bama would have to rely on their strength of schedule. Oregon would be favored over Stanford to get into the playoffs despite being ranked behind Stanford in the final regular season poll. They aren't limiting the playoffs to winners of the 4 best conferences that particular year.

# 19 videlsports @ 06/27/12 05:20 PM

I'm happy to see it going in the right Direction, but 14 years wow. I would like to see 8 teams in, that will not stop the complainers but at least its a good closing argument. If your team are not in the Top 8 then maybe you will schedule tougher opponents and it would force teams ( including my Beloved Penn St) to playing good competition. I want to see a rush on 8 teams instead of waiting for 14 years to pass then add more.

That's one of the reasons I love College Football though the conversation.

# 20 GiantYankee @ 06/27/12 08:01 PM

It will be exactly the same. Only now the controversy will be about who should be getting the 4th seed.

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Sound off: How much controversy will the new playoff system bring?