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Playoffs

How do you feel about the new playoff system?


  • Total voters
    57

hokiehead

Discussing music so others might think I'm human
Club Member
OK, how does Allbuffs feel about the coming playoffs? I have my opinions, but wanted to see what Buff fans think of this change. I did a search for "playoffs" in thread titles but didn't see anything more recent that 2009 (I'm sure I missed something).

- a single elimination playoff tournament does a good job of identifying the hottest team at the end of the year. it does a poor job of identifying the team which had the best overall season. I believe that the voting systems, flawed as they are, do a better job of determining the team with the best season than a playoff tournament will.
- a single elimination playoff tournament is more exciting and more prone to an underdog being crowned champion than is a voting system (if that's what you're looking for). I agree the NCAA tourney is more exciting and a wonderful event (but there's no way I say UConn had the best season in hoops this year).
- I contend that part of the attraction of college football is the lack of consensus champion. Let Nebraska and PSU argue over 1994, (or Miami/Washington over 1991 or some alleged controversy from 1990 that I won't go near) -- let both schools make t-shirts and have "national championship" rings engraved -- I think that's great, both for fans of those schools and for the sport as a whole. I know football fans with no connection to any of those schools mentioned that were arguing which team was more deserving throughout the following summer -- a decisive championship leaves less to debate. Nobody's talking college hoops a week past the CG except for coaching moves and recruiting.
- I frequently hear the counter argument that "people just want to know who #1 is" but I question "even at the cost of naming the wrong team #1?".
- playoffs take the emphasis off of conference championships and place more emphasis on the national stage. I think the emphasis of college athletics should be on how your teams compete against other schools with comparable academic standards, athletic budgets and recruiting territories.
- forcing a playoff system on a sport that didn't have one and which has been growing in popularity didn't work out for NASCAR. sure, this is different, but I'm not convinced an improvement to the sport.

Jeez, I'm ready for football. 127 days.

P.S. typing the title, "Playoffs", I couldn't even type the word without hearing Jim Mora's voice.
 
4-8 team playoff is going to be great. Outstanding for college football IMO.
 
DO. NOT. LIKE.

(As alluded to above) The reason I love college football above all other sports is because of the PASSION. No matter who wins the NC, fans talk about it 365 days a year. I agree that with college basketball, pro football, etc - when there's a playoff, there are hot/streaking teams, upsets, and rarely does the regular season "#1" win out.

As a matter if fact, I'd rather go back to the conference tie-in to a bowl a la pre BCS. You win your conference, that's the bowl you go to.

This playoff system irritates me.


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I don't think this will water down the regular season one bit. Kids will always be passionate. I like the playoff and would be interested in expanding it to 8-12. 16 feels a bit high, but really freaking entertaining. I love that a team that screwed up early in the season can have a chance in the end of it to prove they are the best.

I did also put undecided but optimistic just because I am open to the 4-team playoff being good enough. I think an argument for the 5th and 6th teams could still bug people, while arguing about being the 9th or 10th in an 8-team PO becomes more of a "tough ****" kind of thing.
 
How anyone doesn't prefer a playoff is beyond me. I'd like to see an 8 team playoff, IMO
 
here's how/why:
  • A playoff generally doesn't select the team with the best season -- I'm probably old school, but winning the NC in college football was always about the best season, not the hottest streak at the end.
  • A playoff takes focus off conference championships, which is misplaced, per reasons stated in the OP
  • Playoff provide a consensus championship, which I don't believe is in the best interest of the sport, for reasons stated in the OP

I understand a lot of people are hung up on a need for a consensus champion, but I don't understand why, other than every other sport has one.

My bottom line position is college football doesn't need a national championship -- I believe the lack of a consensus decision making process for such is one of the sport's distinctions and attractions.

How anyone doesn't prefer a playoff is beyond me. I'd like to see an 8 team playoff, IMO
 
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here's how/why:
  • A playoff generally doesn't select the team with the best season -- I'm probably old school, but winning the NC in college football was always about the best season, not the hottest streak at the end.
  • A playoff takes focus off conference championships, which is misplaced, per reasons stated in the OP
  • Playoff provide a consensus championship, which I don't believe is in the best interest of the sport, for reasons stated in the OP

I understand a lot of people are hung up on a need for a consensus champion, but I don't understand why, other than every other sport has one.

My bottom line position is college football doesn't need a national championship -- I believe the lack of a consensus decision making process for such is one of the sport's distinctions and attractions.
College Football doesn't always reward the best team/season every year with a chance at the national championship.
 
How anyone doesn't prefer a playoff is beyond me. I'd like to see an 8 team playoff, IMO
It's the John Saunders argument that the season is a year-long playoff. Personally, I'm fine with the semi-playoff expansion. I'm open to more change, but going to 16 teams is just crazy IMO. I like the fact that college football is the most relevant regular season in sports. Must win games get overhyped in sports, not in college football. The margin of error just got a little wider, but the regular season still matters a lot.

here's how/why:
  • A playoff generally doesn't select the team with the best season -- I'm probably old school, but winning the NC in college football was always about the best season, not the hottest streak at the end.
  • A playoff takes focus off conference championships, which is misplaced, per reasons stated in the OP
  • Playoff provide a consensus championship, which I don't believe is in the best interest of the sport, for reasons stated in the OP

I understand a lot of people are hung up on a need for a consensus champion, but I don't understand why, other than every other sport has one.

My bottom line position is college football doesn't need a national championship -- I believe the lack of a consensus decision making process for such is one of the sport's distinctions and attractions.
Well in the old system, the hotter of the two teams was being rewarded. If you really wanted a lack of national champion, there's really no need for bowl games to be anything more than exhibitions (which they all are to a certain extent besides the non BCS national CG in the now defunct system). I do agree with you the controversy to a certain measure sells the sport. I do think more money is to be made by an expanded playoff.

In terms of your cbb argument, big difference IMO between a 4 team playoff and a 68 team playoff. When CU was screwed in 2012 out of March Madness, it was pretty bad, but I think it's a lot harder of an argument to say #69 was deserving versus #5. Bottomline, they could expand March Madness to 200 teams and #201 would think they deserved to be in.
 
College Football doesn't always reward the best team/season every year with a chance at the national championship.

Exactly. I think anything more than 8 teams would be overkill, but rarely do you have a season without 2-3 teams having a legit claim to play for the title. Are we really going to bitch about seeing those teams play each other?
 
No, I'll enjoy watching the games themselves. It's the larger potential negative impact to the sport I love that I'm bitching about.

Exactly. I think anything more than 8 teams would be overkill, but rarely do you have a season without 2-3 teams having a legit claim to play for the title. Are we really going to bitch about seeing those teams play each other?
 
your argument is that the past system didn't always get it right. I think any system is flawed, but with a playoff we're stuck with whoever comes out of the single elimination tourney as our champ. In absence of a playoff, it doesn't matter if one poll or the other got it wrong choosing between two 1-loss teams -- fans of both schools will be excited over their "national championships".

fail for not using multi-quote
College Football doesn't always reward the best team/season every year with a chance at the national championship.
 
I think it potentially helps differentiate the "best season" than the old systems. One-loss teams are going to be in the hunt for the entire season. The old systems rewarded those "hot" teams in a big way by rewarding teams that lost early and penalizing teams that lost late. On a certain level, that is hard to avoid in any system, but a playoff potentially mitigates it.
 
valid point
I think it potentially helps differentiate the "best season" than the old systems. One-loss teams are going to be in the hunt for the entire season. The old systems rewarded those "hot" teams in a big way by rewarding teams that lost early and penalizing teams that lost late. On a certain level, that is hard to avoid in any system, but a playoff potentially mitigates it.
 
Love it, long overdue. I'd rather it be 8 but this is a start. Also agree that more than 8 is too much, this isn't college basketball.
 
Love it, long overdue. I'd rather it be 8 but this is a start. Also agree that more than 8 is too much, this isn't college basketball.

I like starting with 4. I also agree that higher than 8 is way too many. If the goal is to establish one champion, I think 4 can get the job done.
 
I like starting with 4. I also agree that higher than 8 is way too many. If the goal is to establish one champion, I think 4 can get the job done.
Yeah, it's easier to start at a lower number and work your way up. There isn't any going back to the "old system."

Between 12 regular season games and conference championship games (as in a few cases, Hawaii), I don't think there's too much more expansion you can do without eliminating conference championships or going back to 11 games. A team that does all the above and makes it to the title game, is going to be playing 16 games
 
you nailed it -- this is probably my biggest objection is that I don't see any chance of ever going back.
Yeah, it's easier to start at a lower number and work your way up. There isn't any going back to the "old system."

Between 12 regular season games and conference championship games (as in a few cases, Hawaii), I don't think there's too much more expansion you can do without eliminating conference championships or going back to 11 games. A team that does all the above and makes it to the title game, is going to be playing 16 games
 
your argument is that the past system didn't always get it right. I think any system is flawed, but with a playoff we're stuck with whoever comes out of the single elimination tourney as our champ. In absence of a playoff, it doesn't matter if one poll or the other got it wrong choosing between two 1-loss teams -- fans of both schools will be excited over their "national championships".

fail for not using multi-quote
Some good points.
With the size of Power 5 conferences, you just can't go undefeated in football anymore (unless you have a remarkable year). Basically, you have a bunch of 1 loss teams. The old model made sense for the size of conferences, but too many teams in these power conferences makes it difficult to utilize the old model or BCS model. Just my opinion but an 8 team playoff would be perfect.
 
Some good points.
With the size of Power 5 conferences, you just can't go undefeated in football anymore (unless you have a remarkable year). Basically, you have a bunch of 1 loss teams. The old model made sense for the size of conferences, but too many teams in these power conferences makes it difficult to utilize the old model or BCS model. Just my opinion but an 8 team playoff would be perfect.
Don't think there's a perfect number, just dependent on the year. The odd man out in any scenario is going to think they were legitimately screwed.
 
Odds are the 1 through 4 ranked teams and the 5 through 8 are not all that close. I think 4 is good, but time will tell.
 
I like the playoff and I think 4 is a perfect size because it keeps a high level of importance on the regular season. What I don't like about it is that it's only a matter of time before they increase it to 8 teams.
 
I like the playoff and I think 4 is a perfect size because it keeps a high level of importance on the regular season. What I don't like about it is that it's only a matter of time before they increase it to 8 teams.
They have the contract through 2023 (or something), but as they like to say, "it's just a piece of paper that can be ripped up and amended?"
 
I actually prefer 16 teams. I think an argument could be made by the #9 team that they should be included. I don't think the #17 team can make that claim. In addition, a 16 team playoff could incorporate the existing bowl games and actually make most of them relevant. That's four rounds of playoffs, but only for two teams.
 
I actually prefer 16 teams. I think an argument could be made by the #9 team that they should be included. I don't think the #17 team can make that claim. In addition, a 16 team playoff could incorporate the existing bowl games and actually make most of them relevant. That's four rounds of playoffs, but only for two teams.

I prefer a 12 team tournament with 1 - 4 getting first round byes for this reason.
 
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