Sporting News article title: How Should CFP Expand to 8?

[WoadBlue]

Note that the title assumes an 8 team playoff is coming. The question then is: what is the 8 team format?

First, as we have seen a growth in people waving off almost all non-playoff bowls as not mattering, any increase in the number of playoff teams will only make that growth kudzu-like: fast and going everywhere. That could ruin what is left of the bowl system.

So the question becomes: will it be good for CFB to have no postseason other than the teams in playoffs?

I am certain that the answer to that question is an emphatic NO!

That leads us to this position: Can we expand the playoffs to 8 and keep the bowl system healthy?

To do that, the changes must be made together.

 

[ticket2ride04]

Need 16 teams at least

 

[WoadBlue]

The starting point for the P5 must be that all their champs get an auto bid to the playoffs.

To get that, they will have to agree that the highest Group of 5 champ also gets an auto bid if that team is no worse than 11-1. And they will have to agree that no league can have more than 2 teams in the playoff.

 

[tarheel0910]

First, as we have seen a growth in people waving off almost all non-playoff bowls as not mattering, any increase in the number of playoff teams will only make that growth kudzu-like: fast and going everywhere. That could ruin what is left of the bowl system.

No one cares about bowls except for the big name bowls. That's been the case for a while. Expanding the playoffs won't make a difference in that regard.

 

[Tigertown_a_Rick]

No one cares about bowls except for the big name bowls. That's been the case for a while. Expanding the playoffs won't make a difference in that regard.

I agree...I mean we are already seeing a rapid number of players with Pro potential skipping the Bowl games....In essence, the bowl games are quickly becoming a preview for what next year's teams will look like as more proven players skip the bowl season....

Also agree that all 5 conference champs need to be included in the playoff if you truly want to engage the whole country which is currently not the case with both the P12 and B1G left out this year....Committees should not be deciding which conference champ is NOT worthy of a playoff invite...Instead, let the Committee decide which 3 Wildcards should be added....

Notre Dame should NEVER be considered for 1 of the top 5 spots because they don't play in a conference, so they should only get an invite as a Wildcard participant...

There has been a lot of discussion about accepting the top team from the Group of 5 conferences which this year would likely be UCF, and I really don't have a problem with it, but there could be a year when a Group of 5 champ is not as strong or worthy of a playoff spot, so I don't know whether they should get an automatic berth or not every year instead of a Wildcard spot...

I liked Mark Packer's idea that the loser of the first round playoff games in an 8-team playoff, could still be eligible to fill some of the New Year's 6 bowl slots, but I don't know how that would go over with the rest of the NCAA teams?

The current day bowl system is great for the avid football fans, but it needs to be revamped because there are way too many bowl games, and a lot of those bowls are so poorly attended by fans that it looked at times as though there wasn't anybody there to watch the game....

I know this will never happen but if they do decide to expand the playoffs to 8 teams, I would like to see the top 4 teams play their opening playoff games at HOME in front of their fans....Call it a reward for a great season, but it also would be a way of thanking the fans for all their dedication to the football program....It's got to be hard and expensive for a fan to make trips across the country to watch their playoff team play one or more playoff games, especially during the Holiday season?...By awarding the top 4 teams with a Home playoff game, fans would pack the Home venues, and would have enough money to travel to the Semifinals and Finals if their team is fortunate enough to win...

I am opposed to a 16 team format because I think that it would destroy the regular season by inviting that many teams....I also don't like the 6 team format because of the BYEs that would be included for the top 2 teams...

Notre Dame this year got to sit at home while Alabama, Clemson and Oklahoma had to win their respective conference championships in order to get into the playoff....Same with Alabama last year which allowed the Crimson Tide to get healthy before the playoff started which I also believe was an unfair advantage for the Tide as it will be for the Irish this year....

I've got my fingers crossed that expansion will happen sooner rather than later!

 

[MWHeels]

Don't expand the playoff. It's fine the way it is. It rewards only the elite teams and makes the regular season relevant. And if Ohio State is mad about not getting in, here's some advice. Don't get your doors blown off by 6-6 Purdue.

 

[ticket2ride04]

I agree...I mean we are already seeing a rapid number of players with Pro potential skipping the Bowl games....In essence, the bowl games are quickly becoming a preview for what next year's teams will look like as more proven players skip the bowl season....

Also agree that all 5 conference champs need to be included in the playoff if you truly want to engage the whole country which is currently not the case with both the P12 and B1G left out this year....Committees should not be deciding which conference champ is NOT worthy of a playoff invite...Instead, let the Committee decide which 3 Wildcards should be added....

Notre Dame should NEVER be considered for 1 of the top 5 spots because they don't play in a conference, so they should only get an invite as a Wildcard participant...

There has been a lot of discussion about accepting the top team from the Group of 5 conferences which this year would likely be UCF, and I really don't have a problem with it, but there could be a year when a Group of 5 champ is not as strong or worthy of a playoff spot, so I don't know whether they should get an automatic berth or not every year instead of a Wildcard spot...

I liked Mark Packer's idea that the loser of the first round playoff games in an 8-team playoff, could still be eligible to fill some of the New Year's 6 bowl slots, but I don't know how that would go over with the rest of the NCAA teams?

The current day bowl system is great for the avid football fans, but it needs to be revamped because there are way too many bowl games, and a lot of those bowls are so poorly attended by fans that it looked at times as though there wasn't anybody there to watch the game....

I know this will never happen but if they do decide to expand the playoffs to 8 teams, I would like to see the top 4 teams play their opening playoff games at HOME in front of their fans....Call it a reward for a great season, but it also would be a way of thanking the fans for all their dedication to the football program....It's got to be hard and expensive for a fan to make trips across the country to watch their playoff team play one or more playoff games, especially during the Holiday season?...By awarding the top 4 teams with a Home playoff game, fans would pack the Home venues, and would have enough money to travel to the Semifinals and Finals if their team is fortunate enough to win...

I am opposed to a 16 team format because I think that it would destroy the regular season by inviting that many teams....I also don't like the 6 team format because of the BYEs that would be included for the top 2 teams...

Notre Dame this year got to sit at home while Alabama, Clemson and Oklahoma had to win their respective conference championships in order to get into the playoff....Same with Alabama last year which allowed the Crimson Tide to get healthy before the playoff started which I also believe was an unfair advantage for the Tide as it will be for the Irish this year....

I've got my fingers crossed that expansion will happen sooner rather than later!

You make some good points but I diverge on the 16 team format killing the regular season. Look how few teams make the CFP since it’s inception. We have 3 of the same teams from last year and nearly had a repeat of the same
4. The regular season is a joke. Open it up so playoffs can introduce upsets and unique matchups.

 

[Tigertown_a_Rick]

Don't expand the playoff. It's fine the way it is. It rewards only the elite teams and makes the regular season relevant. And if Ohio State is mad about not getting in, here's some advice. Don't get your doors blown off by 6-6 Purdue.

It's never going to work the way it is now....The B1G is being left out for the 3rd year in a row, and Jim Delaney is not going to live with that very much longer, nor should he....How is the NCAA going to engage the whole country when the current playoff leaves out entire conferences, and includes a team like Notre Dame that doesn't even play in a conference?

Often times, teams go through a lot of changes throughout the year, and it is very difficult to go undefeated if you have a key injury along the way which often happens, but yet those teams are currently penalized for something beyond their control because you can't keep kids from getting hurt in a full contact sport like football, and that's one of the reasons why I believe that all 5 Power 5 champs have to be included in a playoff....

The current system really isn't much different than the BCS with opinions being the basis for the 4 teams that are chosen....Again, Committees IMO should NOT be deciding which of the P5 champs should be left out....

The Conference Championships which most conferences want to keep is basically a first round elimination game....I also don't think that a team that doesn't win their division or conference championship, should be included in a playoff....I know that wasn't the case last year with Alabama losing to Auburn in the final game of the regular season, but I still believe that the Tide should not have been included in the playoff last year because they had an extra week to prepare for the playoffs, since they didn't win their division, or play for the SEC title...

The Irish get that benefit this year by not playing in a Conference Championship game...

 

[Tigertown_a_Rick]

You make some good points but I diverge on the 16 team format killing the regular season. Look how few teams make the CFP since it’s inception. We have 3 of the same teams from last year and nearly had a repeat of the same
4. The regular season is a joke. Open it up so playoffs can introduce upsets and unique matchups.

I agree, and that's why we need to expand to 8 teams instead of the current 4, so that all 5 Power 5 conferences have a representative in the playoffs....

If the Group of 5 wants to hold their own 8 team or 4 team playoff, then I wouldn't be opposed to that either, but it's hard to justify a 16 team playoff by adding Group of 5 conference champs who would likely get blown out of their playoff game by a P5 Conference Champ...For example, this year there is really only 1 Group of 5 champion who is worthy of a playoff spot, and that is UCF who hasn't lost a game in two years....

Good discussion!

 

[ticket2ride04]

I agree, and that's why we need to expand to 8 teams instead of the current 4, so that all 5 Power 5 conferences have a representative in the playoffs....

If the Group of 5 wants to hold their own 8 team or 4 team playoff, then I wouldn't be opposed to that either, but it's hard to justify a 16 team playoff by adding Group of 5 conference champs who would likely get blown out of their playoff game by a P5 Conference Champ...For example, this year there is really only 1 Group of 5 champion who is worthy of a playoff spot, and that is UCF who hasn't lost a game in two years....

Good discussion!

If we did 8 this year it would have been

Bama
Clemson
ND
OU
UW
UGa
OSU
UM

I’d love to see UCF, WSU, and a few others in there. Texas, LSU, NW and others. Let’s let chaos happen

 

[MWHeels]

Purdue (6-6) 49 Ohio State 20. That's why the Big 10 champion was left out this year. Beat the teams you're supposed to and you increase your chances of making it. Simple as that.

Just my opinion. If anyone disagrees, I have no problem with it.

 

[Tigertown_a_Rick]

Purdue (6-6) 49 Ohio State 20. That's why the Big 10 champion was left out this year. Beat the teams you're supposed to and you increase your chances of making it. Simple as that.

Just my opinion. If anyone disagrees, I have no problem with it.

That's a good point, but should Ohio State be penalized for a game in the middle of the season where they didn't play as well as they did at the end of the season when they hammered 4th ranked Michigan, and a ranked Northwestern team to win the B1G?

In High School Football, the team that generally peaks at the end of the season, is generally the team that ends up winning it all, and some of those teams have multiple losses as well, but we never say anything about that because those teams were playing their best football when it counts....Could we not say the same thing about Ohio State after the way they manhandled one of the top defenses in the nation, and put more points on the board against the Wolverines than they had in any other meeting between those two teams?

Better yet, how many teams had as much adversity to deal with this year than Ohio State?

Remember, the Buckeyes did only lose that 1 game

In an 8-team playoff, Ohio State would be playing Oklahoma....Who do you think would win that game?

 

[Archer2]

Love the 8 team format with P5 champions and 3 wildcard teams.

 

[ticket2ride04]

Love the 8 team format with P5 champions and 3 wildcard teams.

My problem with 3 wildcard teams is that it will always favor the SEC. They are always overranked IMO. 16 levels the playing field

 

[Archer2]

My problem with 3 wildcard teams is that it will always favor the SEC. They are always overranked IMO. 16 levels the playing field

I like 8 with no more than 2 from any conference. That would ameliorate the SEC bias.

 

[illinihorn]

6 first with two byes. Then 8 with 5 conf champs in and 3 to be determined by commitee

 

[TarHeelMark]

Any playoff format that leaves osu out is fine by me.

However, I would love to see 8 teams.

This is year five of the playoffs, and Bama and Clemson have been there 5 and 4 times respectively. And 3 times for Oklahoma. So we get about 1 different team every year. I barely watch the games - if at all - because it’s like freaking groundhogs day. Same thing over and over.

 

[WoadBlue]

I agree, and that's why we need to expand to 8 teams instead of the current 4, so that all 5 Power 5 conferences have a representative in the playoffs....

If the Group of 5 wants to hold their own 8 team or 4 team playoff, then I wouldn't be opposed to that either, but it's hard to justify a 16 team playoff by adding Group of 5 conference champs who would likely get blown out of their playoff game by a P5 Conference Champ...For example, this year there is really only 1 Group of 5 champion who is worthy of a playoff spot, and that is UCF who hasn't lost a game in two years....

Good discussion!

Your 2nd paragraph is the reason the P5 must get this right. That means all P5 champs get auto bids - just like the BCS bowls (but that was 6 league champs). And it means no auto bid for even 1 Group of 5 team. There must be conditions on any set aside for a G5 champ: I would say no worse than a 12-1 record.

I think the pay off to the G5s for going along with this is that each G5 champ that is not in the playoffs (which will be all 5 at least 4 of 5 seasons) will get a bowl versus a P5 team. All G5 leagues would dearly love a guarantee that their champs every year will get a bowl vs. a P5 team with a winning record (no 6-6 P5 teams).

 

[MWHeels]

That's a good point, but should Ohio State be penalized for a game in the middle of the season where they didn't play as well as they did at the end of the season when they hammered 4th ranked Michigan, and a ranked Northwestern team to win the B1G?

To answer your question, yes, Ohio should be penalized for getting blown out by a .500 Purdue team. That is what makes a 4 team playoff great - every game matters and only the strong survive. Anyone would agree that OU's loss to Texas wasn't nearly as bad as Ohio State, especially since OU avenged their loss to Texas in the Big 12 Championship game.

Yes, Ohio State beat Michigan, but Michigan only played two really good teams all year and they lost both games. They are overrated.

While expanding the playoff to 8 might have worked this year, what happens in the future if 2 and possibly 3 loss teams qualify in the last two spots? No one wants to see that.

 

[midline]

Sure they can. Would certainly increase the excitement. I'm all for it. But not for the reason that is pushing the issue. And that is UCF. They are pretty good. Won, but struggled, against some other non Power 5 competition. Adopting this theory, I suppose that the high schools should now expand to let in undefeated JV teams into the playoffs. Lots of mediocre teams would be undefeated playing their schedule. NC State comes to mind. Ranked in too 10 early in the season until they actually had to play someone with a pulse. There is a valid reason these schools aren't in conferences that are consider worthy of Power 5. So let's go to 8, but not as a charity case for the unworthy. All victories aren't equal.

 

[Tigertown_a_Rick]

To answer your question, yes, Ohio should be penalized for getting blown out by a .500 Purdue team. That is what makes a 4 team playoff great - every game matters and only the strong survive. Anyone would agree that OU's loss to Texas wasn't nearly as bad as Ohio State, especially since OU avenged their loss to Texas in the Big 12 Championship game.

Yes, Ohio State beat Michigan, but Michigan only played two really good teams all year and they lost both games. They are overrated.

While expanding the playoff to 8 might have worked this year, what happens in the future if 2 and possibly 3 loss teams qualify in the last two spots? No one wants to see that.

I agree with you that under the current system Ohio State shouldn't have been included, due to that loss at Purdue....I was simply stating that under an 8 team playoff system, Ohio State who is the champion of the B1G would have rightly been included regardless of their midseason loss to Purdue....

I understand your reasoning for staying with the 4 team alignment, but again, I don't think that it's going to work in the long run because it excludes certain areas of the country every year because there are 5 P5 conferences, and two of those are on the sidelines this year, while Notre Dame who doesn't even play in a conference is included in the playoff field, and I don't care that the Irish are undefeated because they played 1 less game than the other 3 playoff participants and thus are well rested, and didn't risk any injuries by playing in a Conference Championship game...Conference Championships have to mean something in terms of a playoff system...Otherwise, why even have a playoff system or Conferences for that matter?..Why should College Football be any different than High School or Pro Football where Conference Champions actually get to play for a State Championship or Superbowl Championship?..The P12 and the B1G teams and their fans feel slighted, and why shouldn't they since they have conference champions, and yet Notre Dame is an Independent, but is included due to their history and tradition...

It's time to force Notre Dame's hand to join a conference, or expand the playoff field to 8 teams to accomodate the Irish and their fans, and I'm sure that I'm not the only fan of College Football that feels this way...

Undoubtedly, there would be a time under an 8 team format that a team with 2 or more losses would be included because there's always that possibility that one of the teams playing for a Conference title has 2 or more losses as Northwestern had this year, and I don't have a problem with that because the team earned it on the field by winning a conference title if that were to happen...Going undefeated is not an easy feat to do, and teams need to stay healthy, and have lady luck on their side in a game or two for that to become a reality..

In fact, this is the first year of the playoffs that 3 out of the 4 teams are undefeated...

You like the 4 team concept, and I like the 8 team concept, and I don't think that either of us is going to budge...

 

[Tigertown_a_Rick]

Your 2nd paragraph is the reason the P5 must get this right. That means all P5 champs get auto bids - just like the BCS bowls (but that was 6 league champs). And it means no auto bid for even 1 Group of 5 team. There must be conditions on any set aside for a G5 champ: I would say no worse than a 12-1 record.

I think the pay off to the G5s for going along with this is that each G5 champ that is not in the playoffs (which will be all 5 at least 4 of 5 seasons) will get a bowl versus a P5 team. All G5 leagues would dearly love a guarantee that their champs every year will get a bowl vs. a P5 team with a winning record (no 6-6 P5 teams).

I like that idea, and agree that the G5 teams would likely go along with that setup if it were to happen....Right now, they rightfully feel left out of the playoffs, especially UCF who hasn't been beaten in two years, and beat the team last year in the Peach Bowl(Auburn) who handed the National Champ(Alabama) their only loss last year..

I know UCF is not the same team without their starting QB, but they are a G5 Conference Champ who is still unbeaten, and I'm sure that they will show up for their Fiesta Bowl matchup with LSU as they did last year when they beat Auburn in Atlanta....

Will they beat LSU?

Most folk say no, but they likely said the same thing last year when they played Auburn....

If UCF beats LSU to finish unbeaten for the 2nd year in a row, I will have no problem with them hanging another National Championship banner at their stadium....Afterall, they would have beaten every team on their schedule for the 2nd straight year, and they can rightfully claim whatever they want since they are being discriminated against by not being given a chance to play for a National title....

 

[TarHeelMark]

I have to believe it will bump to 6 soon, then 8 a few years later. As many have stated, the playoffs are minimizing interest in the majority of the 357 other bowl games. But increasing the number of playoff teams would increase interest. And I’m sure extra games = mo’ money.

 

[Hogwash69]

8 team playoff based on a a ranking formed by a computer formula using SOS, coaches poll and writers poll.

Get rid of the political hacks they use now who pick and choose teams like they are God.

Eventually go to a 16 team playoff.

Also take the BS bowls out of the playoff. Top seeds host until tbe semis and final which can be on scheduled neutral NFL Stadiums. Leave the bowls for who does not make the playoff.

 

[MWHeels]

In terms of expansion, the most I would be ok with is 6. Anything more than that, and it's like the NBA playoffs where everyone gets in.

 

[ticket2ride04]

In terms of expansion, the most I would be ok with is 6. Anything more than that, and it's like the NBA playoffs where everyone gets in.

What’s wrong with having more football?

 

[WoadBlue]

I have to believe it will bump to 6 soon, then 8 a few years later. As many have stated, the playoffs are minimizing interest in the majority of the 357 other bowl games. But increasing the number of playoff teams would increase interest. And I’m sure extra games = mo’ money.

Nobody is going to like Bama getting a bye.

Think about it. My guys risk injury in Round 1, while the top 2 seeds get to rest and avoid any injury risk.

 

[uncboy10]

I could see a 12 team playoff with the top 4 getting a bye to the second round. P5 champs automatically get in but no guarantee for top 4 spot.

It needs to be at least 8 teams IMO. But 12 or 16 would be even better

 

[Hogwash69]

The playoff cannot give Bama, etc a bye...that would be BS. Typical politics would ensure the same teams get the bye each year while UNC in a miracle year would have to battle an extra week of football just to play Bama in the 2nd round...again BS.

 

[uncboy10]

The playoff cannot give Bama, etc a bye...that would be BS. Typical politics would ensure the same teams get the bye each year while UNC in a miracle year would have to battle an extra week of football just to play Bama in the 2nd round...again BS.

What's BS is pretending that Bama would have gotten a bye because of politics. Teams like Clemson and Bama are clearly head and shoulders above the rest. If there's going to be a system with a bye then they would both deserve it this year. I'd rather see 16 teams with no bye, but there's no reason to assume that politics would determine the top 4 in a system that has one.

 

[Hogwash69]

What's BS is pretending that Bama would have gotten a bye because of politics. Teams like Clemson and Bama are clearly head and shoulders above the rest. If there's going to be a system with a bye then they would both deserve it this year. I'd rather see 16 teams with no bye, but there's no reason to assume that politics would determine the top 4 in a system that has one.

If the Top 4 teams get a bye...Bama has snuck in at #4 when they did not win the $ec. We do not need a bunch of political hacks like we have now on some committee choosing who are the special 4 to get a bye.

Everyone should play every round until eliminated on the field. It would be BS if we 3-4 years from now made a 12 team playoff only to play a rested Bama in the 2nd round.

Do not think for a minute if Mack unseats Dabo in the ACC that the hacks that run college football would give us a seat in the Top 4 like Bama, OU, Texas, Michigan, Oregon, USC, LSU, OSU, etc. We would be treated like UCF if anyone gets a bye.

 

[Cisco Red]

Eight with five auto bids seems pretty ideal to me personally. The question to me is should it be 5 + 3 or 5 + 2 +1 with the one being the highest ranked G5 team getting a guaranteed spot?

 

[Hogwash69]

Eight with five auto bids seems pretty ideal to me personally. The question to me is should it be 5 + 3 or 5 + 2 +1 with the one being the highest ranked G5 team getting a guaranteed spot?

G5 should never be guaranteed a spot, they need to finish in the Top 8 polls. Even conference champs should not get an auto slot...Top 8 teams, that is it.

 

[Cisco Red]

Can't say I agree about no automatic slots for the P5 conference champions. I think it adds more regular season interest because the division and conference races become central.

 

[TarHeelMark]

I want to feel like the P5 conference champs should be automatic. But could you imagine the outcry if that were the case this year, and Northwestern and Pitt had won their conferences?

 

[Cisco Red]

Sure, there's always a risk of that happening, but nine times out of ten, OSU beats NW and Clemson pounds Pitt. To me, the rare occasions that a team with a few losses makes it in is worth the benefits of how it affects the regular season. Imagine having 2-3 teams with a chance to win a division down the stretch. The conference races become far more interesting.

 

[WoadBlue]

G5 should never be guaranteed a spot, they need to finish in the Top 8 polls. Even conference champs should not get an auto slot...Top 8 teams, that is it.

I think the G5 would go along with that if all G5 champs are guaranteed a bowl versus a quality P5 team.

And if there is some guarantee that an undefeated G5 champ gets into the playoffs unless the schedule sucks something awful.

 

[MWHeels]

The guaranteed spot for P5 conference champs sounds good in theory, but it could lead to some bad teams making the playoff. Imagine if that rule were in place this year, and Pitt somehow managed to upset Clemson. Does anyone really want to see them in the playoff to get smoked by Bama?

College football is really the only sport where the regular season matters, and that's what makes it great. Expanding the playoff would diminish it.

 

[WoadBlue]

The guaranteed spot for P5 conference champs sounds good in theory, but it could lead to some bad teams making the playoff. Imagine if that rule were in place this year, and Pitt somehow managed to upset Clemson. Does anyone really want to see them in the playoff to get smoked by Bama?

College football is really the only sport where the regular season matters, and that's what makes it great. Expanding the playoff would diminish it.

I agree. However, the Big Ten is the richest conference, and its entire history is about using its wealth to guarantee that it gets what it wants. And the BT is mad as Hell about not getting into the playoffs.

The BT also wants to protect the Rose Bowl, which is bought back in the early 1950s to close to just it and the Pac. And that means that the BT hates it when the Pac is shut out of the playoffs.

And when ND gets in the playoffs while the BT is shut out? Well, the BT then would blow up the world to get what it wants.

The ACC must demand to get an auto bid in any expansion to 8.

 

[MWHeels]

Notre Dame should be forced to join a conference.