Straight seeding for CFB Playoffs
- Thread starter Shakin' Down the Thunder
- Start date
Bottom line in this new format is a no lose situation for ND. While personally I'd prefer the first round home game for many different reasons a bye is not awful either. The longer layoff does concern me as every team that received a bye lost in their first game. A little momentum is nice.
who cares really. Conference championships are meaningless. They won't get rid of them as it's a money grab, but I could see conferences going with what the ACC has alluded to in not playing the highest seeded team in the championship game, but having the 2nd and 3rd place teams play in the CCG.
IMO, conference titles are not meaningless in the SEC. I believe teams in that conference take heaps of pride winning that title.
Echo…I agree with most of your posts, but not this. I’ve got two on ignore because they are either incredibly crude or insufferably critical of ND and a broken record (Chase). I don’t think Golson falls into either. He can be irritating as hell constantly expressing opinion as fact, but I personally think the board benefits from the back and forth his posts often generate. I disagree with him on numerous opinions, but benefit from his presence here. While I respect your right to ignore him, I personally would prefer to read more debate between the two of you, sans the personal name calling that creeps in. Just saying!
I place no one on ignore. 4-4-3, Savvy, none of the fringe posters.
I respect that. It just got too tedious for me and was taking up too much time. I'm not on here nearly as much as I used to be. I just don't find it as enjoyable or enlightening as it used to be.
If I see 4-4-3 is the last to post in a thread, I wait for another post in the thread to open it. I agree his posts look nauseous.
I'm the same, I don't put anyone on ignore. What's funny is Savvy, and 4-4-3 have me on ignore and it just allows me to trash their comments and they don't even see it. 😂
So what. If ND is eligible for a playoff bye, that's a plus for ND. It's an extra week to rest. Who cares what other teams are doing, that's their issue.
They already get an extra week to rest in week 13. Not a fan at all of the extended layoff. I think the 1st round home game is much more beneficial for many reasons. How many weeks of rest do 18-22 year olds need ? It will be 3 weeks from the Stanford game until the first round. Long enough especially if you unfortunately have an injury like Georgia did with Carson Beck. You don't think Gunner Stockton would have benefited greatly from a first round game against a "lesser" opponent ? Long layoffs are fickle. Players wanna play. Go to 16, play first round games at home and eliminate stupid byes.
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Rylie Mills tore his acl and Jer Love had 1 less week of rest playing a 1st rd game that hurt us against OSU
Why do you believe that Marcus Freeman and his staff are not capable of handling and preparing a team over a longer layoff?
Maybe to you, but to the coaches and the players, they'd prefer having that extra week. So what you or I think doesn't matter.
I think alot of us ND fans have PTSD from failing to be win big postseason games after long periods of time between games.
I as well have full confidence in the staff to have the team prepared, but understand why some fans still have the concern
Where did I say that ? Your propensity for trying to create something out of nothing is laughable. How did you and your team handle the lengthy layoff between the end of the regular season and your bowl appearances when you played ? Same routine ? Housing the same ? How did the holidays impact preparation ? Lots of other variables.
How could you possibly know what the players or coaches prefer ? My actual experiences have shown me otherwise. The antsiness ramps up with each passing day. You go from a 3 month long season of structured preparation to a lengthy layoff. They're not robots. You want to play sooner not later. It's how you're wired and groomed to be. It's like fall camp. After a couple of weeks you're ready to hit someone else, not your teammate. The format is the format and you adjust to it as it adjusts. I just don't see a bye as any significant advantage and the one year of data available overwhelmingly confirms that.
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No special treatment. Nobody forced the big conferences to play an extra money grab.
What coach in their right mind wouldn't want an extra week to prepare and rest their players? You can't possibly be that dumb.
Recovery time for injuries and fatigue is an enormous significant advantage.
The data you referred to doesn’t prove anything because the sampling of the teams involved is minuscule.
The key to lay offs is maintaining the seasonal routines.
No coach I've ever known and I know a LOT enjoy or prefer a lengthy layoff. I'm sorry if you just don't understand the rationale.
You are correct on your last point however seasonal routines do not provide for 3 or 4 weeks without an actual game to ramp up for. Disruptions to normal and familiar preparation is often problematic. 3 weeks between the end of the season and the 1st round is ample time to rest, heal and prepare. A 1st round home game can provide tremendous momentum going forward. Jack Swarbrick saw the beauty in it and was happy to negotiate the conditions he did. This new seeding format is all about financial guarantees for conferences.
Dumb ? You just don't understand or have ever been part of the process. If you did your opinion would be dramatically different.
I agree in principle about conference championship games. That said I also believe the 2024 format was fair to ND given the circumstances. Allowing them now to play one less game is special treatment in my opinion although the conferences agreed to guaranteed money to allow that to happen. I'd still take a 1st round home game any day over a bye that doesn't benefit them at all.
One more week is far from an "enormous significant " advantage. I know I've actually been in the scenario 4 years in a row as a player. By the end of week 2 you're chomping at the bit to play again. I can only imagine how much more intense that feeling is given the magnitude of playing a CFP game. I strongly believe a 1st round home game is much more beneficial than an extra week off to play on the road. An opportunity to gain momentum should not be overlooked. All the first round home game winners in 2024 parlayed those wins to 2nd round victories over teams that sat home week 1. I hope ND ends up in a 5-8 spot this coming season. Not to mention it's a huge financial benefit to the entire South Bend area. A win win.
Legitimate question:
I understand everything you say here, makes sense. But do you really believe that playing 4 games against top 12 ranked opponents is really a advantage over playing 3 games?
And also, 1 year of data like another poster said js a extremely small sample size. But its interesting because every single 1st round bye team lost immediately...
I think its kinda skewed . Ohio state was flat out better than Oregon.
ND was flat out better than Georgia. Etc etc
I just can't agree that playing 4 hard games is better than playing 3 hard games .
Echo can correct me if I’m off, but I’m pretty sure I understand what he’s saying here.
Echo played college football. I’ve both played and coached at the college level. Our perspective is grounded in real playing and coaching experience. Something that not everyone in this conversation shares. Frankly, I would hope that those lived experiences carry some weight in discussions like this, but maybe that’s wishful thinking.
To help others better understand my point of view, imagine this: You're a young man, 18–22 years old, with a rare opportunity: playing college football in a playoff format. You find out you're the 7-seed. That means your playoff game is in three weeks instead of four. Sounds good, right? Let’s go!
Now here’s the reality: Most football players, especially the better ones in my experience HATE long stretches of practice without competition. Picture this: you’ve just finished a grueling 12-game schedule in 13 weeks, and now you're stuck practicing and lifting for 4, 5, even 6 weeks straight, waiting to play again. That kind of gap doesn’t sharpen you. It dulls you. The excitement fades. Motivation dips. Focus becomes harder to maintain.
Players don’t want that much downtime. They want rhythm, routine, and reps. They want to maintain excitement and intensity! They want to compete! Coaches will try all they can to keep players locked in, but at a certain point, it’s just human nature to lose focus when the game feels so far away. And that’s exactly how teams show up rusty.
This is why Echo, myself, and others with playing and coaching experience prefer rhythm, reps, and routine over extended rest. This isn’t about injuries. It’s not about who you play or when you play them. You have no control over that. What you do have control of is your preparation: your practice schedule and your routine. Given the choice, most competitors will choose the path that keeps them sharp and game-ready (in this case playing in 3 weeks instead of 4) instead of what keeps the team "healthy." And if our experience doesn’t carry enough weight, maybe the pros can help make the case. In the ESPN article linked below, one NFL coach put it plainly:
If that still doesn’t land, maybe it’s time to acknowledge one of two things: either you don’t have the perspective of playing or coaching at a competitive level, or you’re just closed-minded.
www.espn.com
Echo played college football. I’ve both played and coached at the college level. Our perspective is grounded in real playing and coaching experience. Something that not everyone in this conversation shares. Frankly, I would hope that those lived experiences carry some weight in discussions like this, but maybe that’s wishful thinking.
To help others better understand my point of view, imagine this: You're a young man, 18–22 years old, with a rare opportunity: playing college football in a playoff format. You find out you're the 7-seed. That means your playoff game is in three weeks instead of four. Sounds good, right? Let’s go!
Now here’s the reality: Most football players, especially the better ones in my experience HATE long stretches of practice without competition. Picture this: you’ve just finished a grueling 12-game schedule in 13 weeks, and now you're stuck practicing and lifting for 4, 5, even 6 weeks straight, waiting to play again. That kind of gap doesn’t sharpen you. It dulls you. The excitement fades. Motivation dips. Focus becomes harder to maintain.
Players don’t want that much downtime. They want rhythm, routine, and reps. They want to maintain excitement and intensity! They want to compete! Coaches will try all they can to keep players locked in, but at a certain point, it’s just human nature to lose focus when the game feels so far away. And that’s exactly how teams show up rusty.
This is why Echo, myself, and others with playing and coaching experience prefer rhythm, reps, and routine over extended rest. This isn’t about injuries. It’s not about who you play or when you play them. You have no control over that. What you do have control of is your preparation: your practice schedule and your routine. Given the choice, most competitors will choose the path that keeps them sharp and game-ready (in this case playing in 3 weeks instead of 4) instead of what keeps the team "healthy." And if our experience doesn’t carry enough weight, maybe the pros can help make the case. In the ESPN article linked below, one NFL coach put it plainly:
If that still doesn’t land, maybe it’s time to acknowledge one of two things: either you don’t have the perspective of playing or coaching at a competitive level, or you’re just closed-minded.
The No. 1 seed question: How much does the bye really help in the NFL playoffs?
This will be the fifth postseason where No. 1 seeds hold the only byes. The data reveals a mixed blessing. Football people are torn on its value.
But the other teams are playing 4 hard games too. Do you think a conference championship game is a walk in the park ? 4 weeks off is too long. Hell I think 3 weeks off is too long. What other sport does that ? I understand it's all about the money. I guarantee no player wants 3 or 4 weeks off.
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That's rich coming from someone who lacks the requisite intelect to fully comprehend the inner workings of a major college football program. I'd like to relate to you a story. I've been watching ND games with the same small group of guys for the last 15 years or so. 5 total. Our schedules allow that to occur 8 or 9 times during the regular season. One is one of the most decorated players in ND history. A two time first team All American and a 1st rd draft pick. I showed him your legendary "pylon" lunacy and after reading through it he had one simple comment, " life is too short to waste time dealing with stupid people". That's what a ND legend opined about your "football knowledge".
A lot written, nothing said.Echo can correct me if I’m off, but I’m pretty sure I understand what he’s saying here.
Echo played college football. I’ve both played and coached at the college level. Our perspective is grounded in real playing and coaching experience. Something that not everyone in this conversation shares. Frankly, I would hope that those lived experiences carry some weight in discussions like this, but maybe that’s wishful thinking.
To help others better understand my point of view, imagine this: You're a young man, 18–22 years old, with a rare opportunity: playing college football in a playoff format. You find out you're the 7-seed. That means your playoff game is in three weeks instead of four. Sounds good, right? Let’s go!
Now here’s the reality: Most football players, especially the better ones in my experience HATE long stretches of practice without competition. Picture this: you’ve just finished a grueling 12-game schedule in 13 weeks, and now you're stuck practicing and lifting for 4, 5, even 6 weeks straight, waiting to play again. That kind of gap doesn’t sharpen you. It dulls you. The excitement fades. Motivation dips. Focus becomes harder to maintain.
Players don’t want that much downtime. They want rhythm, routine, and reps. They want to maintain excitement and intensity! They want to compete! Coaches will try all they can to keep players locked in, but at a certain point, it’s just human nature to lose focus when the game feels so far away. And that’s exactly how teams show up rusty.
This is why Echo, myself, and others with playing and coaching experience prefer rhythm, reps, and routine over extended rest. This isn’t about injuries. It’s not about who you play or when you play them. You have no control over that. What you do have control of is your preparation: your practice schedule and your routine. Given the choice, most competitors will choose the path that keeps them sharp and game-ready (in this case playing in 3 weeks instead of 4) instead of what keeps the team "healthy." And if our experience doesn’t carry enough weight, maybe the pros can help make the case. In the ESPN article linked below, one NFL coach put it plainly:
If that still doesn’t land, maybe it’s time to acknowledge one of two things: either you don’t have the perspective of playing or coaching at a competitive level, or you’re just closed-minded.
The No. 1 seed question: How much does the bye really help in the NFL playoffs?
This will be the fifth postseason where No. 1 seeds hold the only byes. The data reveals a mixed blessing. Football people are torn on its value.
