Everyone loves to propose college playoffs. Most of them are as flawed as the current bowl system. However, after much careful consideration, research, and beer-inspired analysis, we have come up with THE perfect plan. It utilizes the BCS standings, rewards the best teams and allows all 11 conference champions to participate.
It also preserves the important bowls, makes the Cotton Bowl relevant again and provides a plan the makes college football important in December.
The pro-BCS and bowl honks like to say playoffs would ruin the regular season. In truth, there were 3-4 relevant weeks this season. Those weeks would still be relevant.
But with a playoff, you get relevance in all of December, too. You get more important football games. You get a true national champion, not guesswork.
And you turn these meaningless bowls into meaningful games. Who cares who wins the Holiday Bowl? But in a playoff system, Oregon-Oklahoma State would mean something.
Here is our perfect plan:
A 25-team playoff with a one-game play-in. This makes the Top 25 polls and BCS rankings important again, because they will determine the field.
Conference champions get an automatic bid. There is no limit on at-large teams from a given conference. So suddenly, teams like Texas Tech and Oklahoma State are back in play. Under the current system, they are relegated to lower bowls.
The top eight seeds get a bye to the sweet 16. So the best schools are rewarded for big seasons, which makes all the same games that were important during the regular season keep their relevance.
But suddenly, Pitt-UConn has added meaning. Florida State-Miami has added meaning. Those games become critical, because frankly, 25 teams is not a lot, and a couple key losses will knock you out completely.
The play-in game features the champs of the Sun Belt Conference and the WAC -- unless one of those teams is in the top 16 -- which is the case this year with Boise State. So in this case, the Sun Belt champ -- Troy -- would play the lowest rated team that is NOT playing in a conference championship game. (This year it would be Northwestern).
Conference champions with automatic bids this year: Florida (SEC), Oklahoma (Big 12), USC (Pac-10), Penn State (Big 10), Cincinnati (Big East), Virginia Tech (ACC), Utah (Mountain West), Boise State (WAC), Buffalo (MAC), East Carolina (C-USA) and Troy (Sun Belt).
The play-in would have been this past weekend, while the other championship games were being played.
This past weekend, teams like Ball State and Tulsa would have lost their bids thanks to upsets in the championship games.
As far as scheduling, teams play one less regular season game. The good teams -- anybody in the top 16 -- picks up an extra home game anyway in the playoffs.
In this year, the top 21 teams in the BCS would make the field, with East Carolina (C-USA champ), Buffalo (MAC champ) and the play-in game winner rounding out the field. Ball State would be the bubble team at No. 22.
Here are your first-round games, to be played the weekend of Dec. 13:
24 at 9 -- Troy/Northwestern winner at
23 at 10 --
22 at 11 --
21 at 12 --
20 at 13 -- Pitt at
19 at 14 –
18 at 15 – Virginia Tech at
17 at 16 –
*Michigan State is actually the 18 seed, but we adjust to avoid conference rematches if at all possible. This is done by flipping Michigan State and Virginia Tech.
Round one has some nice matchups, gives key schools another home game and has a few teams that might be able to make a decent run.
There are a LOT of potential upsets here. Missouri, Michigan State, Virginia Tech and Oregon would all have legitimate chances to move on.
Dec. 20
TCU winner at
Georgia Tech winner at
BYU winner at
The TV contracts would be through the roof, and the bids bring additional income.
The obvious criticisms: Didn't we get the best game this year anyway? Didn't the BCS work?
Here's one take on it, but no, it didn't work.
And who knows if this is the best matchup? This plan ends any debate. If Texas really is one of the top two teams, the Longhorns are in. Penn State could get there. USC. Maybe even schools like Ohio State , Boise or Alabama make runs. Or Oklahoma State goes deep. How do we know Utah isn't the best team in the country? This solves it. Imagine the interest and excitement it will create.
And even if this really is the best matchup, how many years has the BCS truly delivered that?
Criticism No. 2: Teams play too many games. That's bogus. Most bowl teams will play 14 games this year. Under this plan, you drop an early game that means nothing. So now teams play 11 games, plus a championship game for 12.
If a team went all the way through without a bye, they would play 17 games. More realistically, the teams in the championship game would play 16. That's two teams. Everyone else plays less.That rewards the deepest schools with the most overall talent.
Too much time away from school? Please. If that's the case, let's cancel basketball, baseball and softball, among other sports.
Now, what about all the meaningless bowls for all the other teams? How do teams not in the top 25 get a chance to keep practicing and play in the postseason?
Fear not, friends. We have that solved too.
Welcome to the college football equivalent of the NIT. A 32-team, invitation-only playoff that runs concurrently to the national championship. Home games for the first two rounds, then second-tier bowls can host the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals.
The holidays would be just as filled with football as they are now. Only this time, it's meaningful.
What does it mean if you win the NIT equivalent? (We will call it something sexy, like the College Football Postseason Classic).
How about the winning team gets to host the national champion the first week of the next season in a something like the kickoff classic? For example, if a team like Ball State or Rice wins the CFPC , those schools get to host an extra game the next season against Florida, OU or whoever wins the national playoff. It means huge revenue for that team, so suddenly, that tournament means something, too.
This plan ties the seasons together nicely, rewards the second-tier winner with a nice game and gives the champs a prominent, nationally televised game to kick off the next season.
(One caveat: if the Classic winner is from the same conference as the champ -- say, Mississippi wins the CFPC and Florida wins the national title -- Mississippi would get to host the runner-up to preserve the integrity of conference play. The same thing would happen if they already had a game scheduled against that team. In reality, this would be a very rare occurence).
This allows 57 teams to play in the postseason, still fewer than the current 68. But you get more games, and no one would miss the nine teams that didn't get in. The power conferences still make more money, because their teams will go deeper. But like every real sport in America, it's decided on the field, even if the big guns still have the advantage. Also, the important bowls are preserved.
And as fans, we get more college football, and more MEANINGFUL college football.
The existing TV contracts would still work. Sponsors could buy title packages to all the games. The Miller Lite First Round. The Bud Light quarterfinals.
Everybody wins. The players, the schools, the bowls, the coaches, the networks, the sponsors, and most of all, the fans.
So there you are. The most perfect plan ever created.
What do you think?
Comments
Fred,
Interesting idea. It will definitely be better than the system we have now, but I can't help but think that 25 teams is a little much. I personally like either 16 or 12 teams, with each conference champion getting in.
I also wouldn't be against some sort of loophole that takes out some of the weaker conference champions like Troy. Maybe something like a mandatory top 20 BCS ranking or a limit of 2 or 3 losses.
Yesterday I wrote a piece on the BCS. It is basically a rant and a call for a playoff. I will be linking to this piece because it is a possible solution to the problem.
Take a look at my article (it's on my examiner page, called "Enough already: The BCS Fails again"), If you think it is something that fits in with your piece I would greatly appreciate if you could work in a link to it somewhere.
Once again, Nice job,
Mark
Nice work, I added the link...I have seen some 16 teams models that I like, but nothing that accomplishes everything it needs to be truly fair. Does Troy belong? Probably not. But who is to those schools dont eventually develop solid enough programs to provide a Hampton over Iowa State type upset like in the NCAA tourney. But that's just me...
The perfect playoff plan is a 16 team plan posted at www.playoffplan.com . It is the only plan that enables the fans and establishment to both win. All without a bunch of extra games, that actually would further make a mockery of the players who aren't getting paid.
Ole Miss is 25th in the last BCS and did not play in a conference championship game so it should be them not Northwestern in your play-in game. Moreover, Big Ten has no conference championship game, same goes for Pac-10. So, this is not the best criteria for the play-in game. Why not just the 25th ranked team? Back to the drawing board!
Ole Miss is 25th in the last BCS and did not play in a conference championship game so it should be them not Northwestern in your play-in game. Moreover, Big Ten has no conference championship game, same goes for Pac-10. So, this is not the best criteria for the play-in game. Why not just the 25th ranked team? Back to the drawing board!
Last week, when you had to book the play-in game, it would have been Northwestern at 24. (The Sun Belt isnt ranked so it's not the 25th team. And those conferences dont play a championship game now. We are trying to work things within the framework that exists now. Eventually, it would obviously be best if everyone had title games. And leadguy...it's not a "bunch" of extra games. It's eight. Not sure how that makes a mockery of the players...help me out with that. Players want to play. And in 16 or 24/25, the majority of teams still play just one extra game if you are giving byes.
Fred, if you are still going by the framework that exists, you could end up with a tie-in game with a very highly rated team (a number 17 for instance) if the bottom part of the Top 25 was made up of Pac-10 (no conference game), Big 10 (no conference game) and teams that are playing in a conference game. Instead of a play-in game which is just silly, why don't you take the top 24 and not get so stuck on the stigma of a "Top 25." As far as Troy goes, if they are not part of the BCS and they can't finish inside the top 25 like Boise State, then leave them out. Otherwise, include these two conference champs as automatic and move on. Play-ins are an insult to any system.
I really like the solution offered in www.collegefootballsolution.com
It kind of depends on the pac 10, Big 10, and Big East adding a team or two and going to a two division conference championship model. it still is a great plan though.
Here is my playoff format for the top 8 teams in my top 25 using the 7 oldest bowls in any order you like on a rotating basis. If you can't make it into the top 8 to bad regardless of conference.
Saturday 12/13/08
#1 Oklahoma vs. #8 Texas Tech
#2 Florida vs. #7 Alabama
#3 Utah vs. #6 Boise State
#4 USC vs. #5 Texas
The following week is an off week for exam week.
Saturday 12/27/08 the winners will play to see who goes to the National Championship on 1/4/09.
All other bowls will be played as scheduled.
I know it will never happen but it should and it is very easy to do.
Week 15
Rank TOP 25
1 Oklahoma
2 Florida
3 Utah
4 USC
5 Texas
6 Boise State
7 Alabama
8 Texas Tech
9 Penn State
10 Ohio State
11 Cincinnati
12 BYU
13 Georgia
14 Ball State
15 TCU
16 Oregon
17 Pittsburgh
18 Michigan State
19 Oklahoma State
20 Missouri
21 Virginia Tech
22 West Virginia
23 Tulsa
24 Georgia Tech
25 Boston College
19
Here is what I offer. A 16 team tournament. All conference winners get in except the WAC and the Sun Belt have a play in game, and the MAC and CUSA have a play in game. It is only fair because those conferences don't play a tough schedule. That leaves 7 at large bids for the playoffs. To pick those 7 bids you simply use the BCS standings. This system allows all conference winners to play and it only takes 4 weeks, not counting the play in games.
I wrote about this a while back. I think my system is a little better, heh.
gatorsfirst.com/index.php/college-football/conference-realignment-and-playoff-proposal-part-deux.html
I wrote about this a while back. I think my system is a little better, heh.
gatorsfirst.com/index.php/college-football/conference-realignment-and-playoff-proposal-part-deux.html
Good system. If there was something like this in place, I would be more interested in college football. Right now, its elitest. It would increase the tendency towards parity, in that non-BCS teams would have more experience with BCS opponents, leading to more competition an interest. I though of the "NIT" idea awhile back -- glad to see it here. It would be a great tournament. For those who "want to make the current system work" I just have to ask, WHY? Its boring. The regular season doesn't count -- example, Ohio State rewarded AGAIN for nothing.
Very well thought out system, and it blows the current BCS system out of the water. I especially liked the conference champions getting a shot. Can you imagine ECU as the National Champions on the wings of a few upsets? Hey, doesn't everyone love a Cinderella team?
I read Chris' system @ gatorsfirst.com/index.php/college-football/conference-realignment-and-playoff-proposal-part-deux.html because he said it was better, but clearly it is not. His plan calls for major restructuring of all conferences, which will NEVER happen.
This plan is clearly the best that I have seen.
Now, what is your implementation plan for this scheme's adoption?
What does anyone think about a 14-team playoff with all 11 conference champions, only 3 at-large teams, and the top two teams getting a first-round bye?
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