I like this format except the ratings are flawed by rank. OSU got the 8 th slot yet they are clearly a top four team just like ND got the seventh slot even though their final A/P ranking was four. Teams got awarded for winning their conference championship even though the big was heads and above the big 12. Some SEC schools got left out who are better than Boise, but the got the shaft. What would you change
What would you change about the college playoff system
- Thread starter NCDomer1
- Start date
I loved it but yeah there are issues. My thoughts
16 games
First round hosts
Seeding strictly by CFP Committee Rank
Quarters and semis at bowl sites
Championship game neutral site
No conf championship games in p4 with group of 5 playing them earlier.
One bye week (except Army Navy can play)
Less down time between games--gonna need NFL to leave some space
No AQ's per se but minimum 1 group of 5--and SEC and BIG will require minimum of 4 from each--AcC and Big 12 get 2 each which I would accede to).
that's what I expect and that would make me happy. Exams would have to be addressed and a few teams would miss family on holidays .
16 games
First round hosts
Seeding strictly by CFP Committee Rank
Quarters and semis at bowl sites
Championship game neutral site
No conf championship games in p4 with group of 5 playing them earlier.
One bye week (except Army Navy can play)
Less down time between games--gonna need NFL to leave some space
No AQ's per se but minimum 1 group of 5--and SEC and BIG will require minimum of 4 from each--AcC and Big 12 get 2 each which I would accede to).
that's what I expect and that would make me happy. Exams would have to be addressed and a few teams would miss family on holidays .
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16 teams, no byes, no automatic bids for conference champs, neutral sites, Vegas picks the top 16 teams
only changes I really care bout:
1) No teams with more than 2 losses, even if conference champions.
2) No more than 2 teams from any conference. Do better in conference, switch conferences, or go independent. Stop the whining.
3) All neutral site games.
4) Prefer better ranking system so more voters contributing to decision - even AP voting system better than limited CFP committee.
5) Finish before 2nd semester is starting. Benefits those real student-athletes and likely transfers.
1) No teams with more than 2 losses, even if conference champions.
2) No more than 2 teams from any conference. Do better in conference, switch conferences, or go independent. Stop the whining.
3) All neutral site games.
4) Prefer better ranking system so more voters contributing to decision - even AP voting system better than limited CFP committee.
5) Finish before 2nd semester is starting. Benefits those real student-athletes and likely transfers.
This is a terrible list of suggestions. Sorry. I guess the only one I agree with is getting it over with quicker. Instead of the long layoff. But you could make the argument that they could use a rest after the regular season. And have all the games on Saturdays, and for F's sake forget about Jan 1. And don't build the playoff schedule around games being able to be played on New Year's Day. Maybe the committee too, as they seem to command no one's trust or respect. But I don't really know what the alternative would be. Maybe have fans vote on it!
No byes......conferences can pick their own championship rules....But....the runner-up isn't guaranteed a spot. Why should the ACC Champions get in with 3 losses and the runner up gets in with 1 or 2 or whatever losses? The champ gets in....after that...its merit across the board.
SOS still matters. Boise State was never a 3 seed... Not ever.
Bowl games should rotate year to year in terms of heirarchy. The Rose Bowl can host the first round this year...and be the championship game the next. Spread the wealth around....And don't leavee out the north. No reason why Indy can't host the title game......they do a great job.
SOS still matters. Boise State was never a 3 seed... Not ever.
Bowl games should rotate year to year in terms of heirarchy. The Rose Bowl can host the first round this year...and be the championship game the next. Spread the wealth around....And don't leavee out the north. No reason why Indy can't host the title game......they do a great job.
Good question.
1. I know it's not part of the playoffs, but get rid of conference championship games first. They serve no purpose now. Kiffin talked earlier this year about how coaches would have preferred to just get into the playoffs without playing the conference championship game. That is not good for the NCAAF brand.
2. Get rid of conference champ tie-ins. This will not go away. Everybody wants to make sure they have a seat at the table. I suppose a compromise could be if you're a P4 conference champ you're guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, but not a top 4 seed. The problem is people are going to argue that it's not fair to win a conference champ game and then have to play in the first round. Which is why again, I want the conference champ gone.
3. I go back and forth w/ a 8 or 16 team playoff. I'm inclined to go w/ 8, but this is the problem... Clemson and ASU may have been left out if they got rid of the conference champ tie-in rule, which is going to upset some commissioners and fans. But I can't imagine a 9th seed or higher truly has a chance at winning the NC, so I don't see the point in having them in the playoffs. Remember an overwhelmingly number of playoff games are blowouts, which is another reason why I say 8 team playoff is the way to go. However, I understand the argument for a 16 team playoff allowing for more inclusivity. I also think from a health standpoint a 16 team playoff is too much. We've seen too many injuries and I do think we're asking too much of the players.
Lastly, I love the first round of playoff games being played at home. I think it's a good reward and should be continued.
1. I know it's not part of the playoffs, but get rid of conference championship games first. They serve no purpose now. Kiffin talked earlier this year about how coaches would have preferred to just get into the playoffs without playing the conference championship game. That is not good for the NCAAF brand.
2. Get rid of conference champ tie-ins. This will not go away. Everybody wants to make sure they have a seat at the table. I suppose a compromise could be if you're a P4 conference champ you're guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, but not a top 4 seed. The problem is people are going to argue that it's not fair to win a conference champ game and then have to play in the first round. Which is why again, I want the conference champ gone.
3. I go back and forth w/ a 8 or 16 team playoff. I'm inclined to go w/ 8, but this is the problem... Clemson and ASU may have been left out if they got rid of the conference champ tie-in rule, which is going to upset some commissioners and fans. But I can't imagine a 9th seed or higher truly has a chance at winning the NC, so I don't see the point in having them in the playoffs. Remember an overwhelmingly number of playoff games are blowouts, which is another reason why I say 8 team playoff is the way to go. However, I understand the argument for a 16 team playoff allowing for more inclusivity. I also think from a health standpoint a 16 team playoff is too much. We've seen too many injuries and I do think we're asking too much of the players.
Lastly, I love the first round of playoff games being played at home. I think it's a good reward and should be continued.
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8 teams no byes
First game third Saturday in December. Second game one week later. Championship game two weeks after that.
Seeds are best teams regardless of conferences.
I have not seen any year when there were more than five or six teams really deserving of playing for it all.
This way once again the entire season matters.
First game third Saturday in December. Second game one week later. Championship game two weeks after that.
Seeds are best teams regardless of conferences.
I have not seen any year when there were more than five or six teams really deserving of playing for it all.
This way once again the entire season matters.
First , no matter what system is used , it will never be completely fair. It just won’t. Second out of what ? 132 FBS ( D-1) teams , how many each year truly have a shot at getting in the playoff or winning a NC ? 30 teams ? Maybe? I don’t know. It’s a small group of teams , that I know. Just look at Indiana . Ok they got in. Good for them. But should Alabama or heck LSU or Ole Miss gotten in ahead of them ? A question was asked a while back. Is it the best record or the best team that gets in ? How do you figure that out ? It’s subjective. I mean yeah , on paper teams are better than other teams. But the game is played for a reason. So in my view Indiana deserved a shot. Just like ND deserved a shot even after losing to NIU and not having a Killer schedule. You can’t control who’s good from year to year. To me , the format is fine. It did what it was intended to do. I’d leave it alone.
16 games is too many for this age athlete. I have loved watching the season and the playoffs have been better than expected, but these guys are really banged up. As much as I respect what Cross, Love, Spindler are doing in sacrificing themselves for the team, it doesn’t feel right.
At this point, the champion is more about survival and depth than quality of play. There should be some reward for depth, but this is really gone too far in my opinion.
Fewer teams, fewer games. Eight teams at the most.
At this point, the champion is more about survival and depth than quality of play. There should be some reward for depth, but this is really gone too far in my opinion.
Fewer teams, fewer games. Eight teams at the most.
Very good points. I would also add the academic rigors are not the same for everyone. I think many overlook theses kids are students. I would be curious to see what an average day for players is like at different schools. A ten game season would work. That’s how it use to be. Then incorporate a playoff. Again it the usual suspects year after year. When was the last time Vandy , Rice , Nortwestern , North Carolina or Duke been a preseason top ten ? The list goes on. I bet you this. Those who wanted a playoff expansion aren’t thinking about the players health. They are thinking how much $ can be made. That’s what is driving all of this.
I see a lot of posters want a 16 game playoff, that’s too watered-down, 12 is to many teams, but they will never reduce the number of teams in the playoff.
Should have been 8 teams no bye’s, I’m fine with the conference champs getting in, but no effect of seeding. Seed according to rankings, I’d even be willing to go the NFL model and re-seed based on who wins.
Should have been 8 teams no bye’s, I’m fine with the conference champs getting in, but no effect of seeding. Seed according to rankings, I’d even be willing to go the NFL model and re-seed based on who wins.
16 teams, not 16 games.
With 16 teams only the finalists will play four games, the same as Notre Dame is playing this year.
16 teams will play 1 game
8 teams will play 2 games
4 teams will play 3 games and ONLY
2 teams will play 4 games
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First & second rounds at campus sites.
Keep Rose Bowl as an annual semifinal/National championship game rotation. Drop the Peach Bowl out of CFP rotation., it used to be out out of it. Then rotate other games on an annual basis with the national championship being one of the bowl games.
Example for 2025-2026
1st round:
(4) games
Campus sites
Quarterfinal:
(4) games Campus sites
Semifinal: Rose Bowl
Semifinal: Cotton Bowl
National Championship: Fiesta Bowl
2026
Semifinal: Rose Bowl
Semifinal: Orange Bowl
National Championship: Sugar Bowl
2027:
Semifinal: Cotton Bowl
Semifinal: Fiesta Bowl
National Championship: Rose Bowl
Keep Rose Bowl as an annual semifinal/National championship game rotation. Drop the Peach Bowl out of CFP rotation., it used to be out out of it. Then rotate other games on an annual basis with the national championship being one of the bowl games.
Example for 2025-2026
1st round:
(4) games
Campus sites
Quarterfinal:
(4) games Campus sites
Semifinal: Rose Bowl
Semifinal: Cotton Bowl
National Championship: Fiesta Bowl
2026
Semifinal: Rose Bowl
Semifinal: Orange Bowl
National Championship: Sugar Bowl
2027:
Semifinal: Cotton Bowl
Semifinal: Fiesta Bowl
National Championship: Rose Bowl
The conference championships generate a great deal of revenue for the NCAA ; therefore, they are not going any where, but the idea of eliminating bowl tie ins and making the games closer together are great ideas. The home field advantage should probably stay considering a neutral site might not sell out and these teams deserve a break. I do not know if F+ is a part of the factoring .
What do you mean eliminate the bowl tie-ins? You mean just forget about the bowl games, they are a relic of CFB history, and select sites and venues for the neutral fields as if they don't exist. I guess that's good. I mean they don't exist now, that's just marketing. We didn't actually win the Orange Bowl. If you're a fan and you're indulging the pleasant fantasy that you just won the Orange Bowl, a venerable NY6 bowl, when the truth is you won a playoff semifinal game that was played at the same stadium, that's getting into dangerous psychological territory. We all have our little illusions we cling to to make life more bearable, but that's.... way too much.
So maybe it is a good thing, for the mental health of unreconstructed CFB fans. Eliminate even the temptation to dabble in such thoughts. We won't use the stadiums they used to play the bowl games in anymore.
I don't think there's a whole lot that needs to go, other than maybe the seeding, which does seem suboptimal. You could rejigger it, and it would probably help ND qualify for a 1st round bye.
I doubt conference championship games will go away. I also highly doubt any conference commissioner will concede on automatic bids for their champion. I can easily see the seeding aspect and automatic bye language changed or eliminated. No perfect system.
You wouldn't have a playoff anymore without automatic bids, it would be an invitational. Because all the teams participating would be extended a bid, by some higher authority, indeed invited to play in the tournament. That'd be the end of the playoff. It'd be even more mythical than it was with the bowls. Ideally there'd be no at-large bids, they'd all be automatic bids. And every bid would be earned on the field as the saying goes. You know what you need to do. Instead of turning it into a giant men's figure skating event, and you nervously await what the judges are going to think, as you sit in there in your frilly little outfit. Which is what a 'playoff' without any automatic bids would be.
But since we have the men's BB tourney as a precedent, we use at large bids to pad out the field.
it would not be an invitational, the CFP committee would be the authority, just like it is today.
According to you, other than the conference champs, it’s currently an invitational.
Why should a conference champ with an 8 and 4 record get a bid over the rest of the teams with 11-1 and 10-2 records ?
Let Vegas rank the top 16 teams, and have them play at neutral sites
That’s the most efficient method for determining the national champion
And if someone wanted to go to 8 teams, I’m OK with that as long as there are no automatic bids
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