Talk About Expanding the CFP to 8 Teams

[Mean Green 93-98]

How soon until the four-team CFP expands to eight?...it's obvious after spending the week working the halls at the Arizona Biltmore, pressure on the system is already being felt....

"If you're going to an eight-team playoff, you're going to take the [conference] championship away," [Gary Patterson] said. "And they'll be OK with it because with eight teams that's going to make up [financially] for the championship game anyway."

Intriguing.

Per Patterson's suggestion, four quarterfinal games would be played (this year) on Saturday, Dec. 5. That would give coaches time to recruit and for players to take finals. The semifinals would then commence as they are now in that Dec. 31 - Jan. 1 window.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/writer/dennis-dodd/25178382/pressure-mounting-for-college-football-playoff-system-to-go-to-eight-teams

[MeanGreen13]

I think it would be better to have a 6-team playoff so that there is still some value to being the top two ranked teams. and it limits the amount of playing the kids do while not necesarrily having to give up the conference championship.

[Mean Green 93-98]

I think it would be better to have a 6-team playoff so that there is still some value to being the top two ranked teams. and it limits the amount of playing the kids do while not necesarrily having to give up the conference championship.

From our G5 perspective, we want as many teams in the playoff as possible. An undefeated C-USA team has absolutely no chance of making a 4-team playoff. A 6-team playoff is probably the same. But it seems with 8 teams, at least the door is cracked. Ideally, we would want it to get to 16 teams with autobids for every conference champ, but that's almost certainly a pipe dream considering who holds all the cards. So if 8 teams is being bandied about, we should all be on board with that.

[Harry]

93-98 is correct, eight would be terrific. Think how much more interesting it would be to see say a Marshall, Boise or somesuch up against a power program. I hope it happens.

[Ben Gooding]

93-98 is correct, eight would be terrific. Think how much more interesting it would be to see say a Marshall, Boise or somesuch up against a power program. I hope it happens.

Or how about a North Texas??

[NorthTexan95]

I'd like 8, prefer 16 ... but it can't start on New Years. It needs to start earlier.

[Mean Green Matt]

I know this is sort of stating the obvious, but no playoff will ever be legitimate unless all conference champions get a chance to participate.

[North Texas Shep]

Or how about a North Texas??

No joke! Come on Harry, get with the home team.

[UNTexas]

4 was silly to start with.

[VideoEagle]

4 was silly to start with.

True, but it was tough enough to convince the Big 10 and SEC to do anything at all. Last year proved the concept worked.

[Withers940]

How about 64 teams like basket ball? Or maybe include all 127 teams and that way everyone can get in?

Where do you stop and draw the line? Because no matter how many teams you have in the playoff, someone is going to be bitching that they got cheated. I like Conference Championships and I was fine with 4.

[Aldo]

Could a team in the top 8 also play in a conference championship game and a bowl game? The number of games on these kids is piling on. Potentially another half season?

Not sure if there are rules that say otherwise.

[Ben Gooding]

No... the playoffs are already the selected teams' "bowl" games. As far as conference championships, there is talk of already removing those just for the expansion of the playoffs. They should go ahead and expand it to 16. That's where this thing is headed so why beat around the bush and slowly expand. With a 12 game schedule and the elimination of the 16-team playoff format the champion/championship loser would play 16 games, one more than what Oregon and Ohio played this year. 16 would give the G5 a slice of the pie if we snuck someone in from CUSA and actual national championship aspirations. It could be used as a recruiting pitch as well for the G5... "we have a shot to be really, really good this year and win a national championship." That has been said by a G5 recruiter, never.

[untjim1995]

There is absolutely no chance a non P5 will ever play in a playoff meant for their club. Their media will not allow it, nor will their coaches or ADs.First off, the idea that it might get to 6 is only to protect all of the P5 leagues, since somebody will get left out in their club. Of course, they probably also started at 4 because they know that the Big XII will eventually dissolve into the other 4 conferences at some point in the next 10 years, too. If I were a lower-level P5 team, both in size, record, or both, I'd be watching out for getting left behind, too. The P5s big media and schools just showed Baylor and TCU how much they matter in the big scheme of things. There was zero chance Ohio State was getting left behind for this playoff for a small private school. Texas or Oklahoma don't get bounced in that last scenario, but TCU and Baylor have no chance unless they go undefeated. Basically, those schools in the P5 already have now become the old non-AQs in the previous system, your Boise State or Hawaii or Utah of the past. They all had to go undefeated just to get a chance at getting into an AQ bowl that had no championship implication. Todya, that is how it will be again, just for schools who aren't blue bloods. For example, if Florida State wins the ACC, Ohio State wins the B1G, Oklahoma wins the Big 12, Alabama wins the SEC, and Oregon wins the Pac-12, the team with the worst record or worst conference will get left out, as they should. But replace Oklahoma with Oklahoma State in that scenario and the Pokes get left out, only because they don't have the cachet of the other teams. That's not right--at all. But that is where we are today--the big wigs are running this to decide who brings in the most audience and attention. And it sure ain't ever gonna be a G5 program.

The G5 is left to their spare bowl games and the bone of getting a spot against the worst P5 qualifier in a big bowl game, which will probably be Boise State, since they have the best G5 program right now. I just so badly wish the G5s could figure out something other than just hanging onto the P5 hound and sucking whatever they can get. Maybe that whoring out just pays way too good but when that goes away--and it will--they are gonna have to come up with something to generate fan interest. I think that day will represent a lot of current G5 schools either dropping football completely or making it a non-scholarship sport if they get left behind completely by the P5s (see SMU, Tulane, Rice, etc...)

[Ben Gooding]

There is absolutely no chance a non P5 will ever play in a playoff meant for their club. Their media will not allow it, nor will their coaches or ADs.First off, the idea that it might get to 6 is only to protect all of the P5 leagues, since somebody will get left out in their club. Of course, they probably also started at 4 because they know that the Big XII will eventually dissolve into the other 4 conferences at some point in the next 10 years, too. If I were a lower-level P5 team, both in size, record, or both, I'd be watching out for getting left behind, too. The P5s big media and schools just showed Baylor and TCU how much they matter in the big scheme of things. There was zero chance Ohio State was getting left behind for this playoff for a small private school. Texas or Oklahoma don't get bounced in that last scenario, but TCU and Baylor have no chance unless they go undefeated. Basically, those schools in the P5 already have now become the old non-AQs in the previous system, your Boise State or Hawaii or Utah of the past. They all had to go undefeated just to get a chance at getting into an AQ bowl that had no championship implication. Todya, that is how it will be again, just for schools who aren't blue bloods. For example, if Florida State wins the ACC, Ohio State wins the B1G, Oklahoma wins the Big 12, Alabama wins the SEC, and Oregon wins the Pac-12, the team with the worst record or worst conference will get left out, as they should. But replace Oklahoma with Oklahoma State in that scenario and the Pokes get left out, only because they don't have the cachet of the other teams. That's not right--at all. But that is where we are today--the big wigs are running this to decide who brings in the most audience and attention. And it sure ain't ever gonna be a G5 program.

The G5 is left to their spare bowl games and the bone of getting a spot against the worst P5 qualifier in a big bowl game, which will probably be Boise State, since they have the best G5 program right now. I just so badly wish the G5s could figure out something other than just hanging onto the P5 hound and sucking whatever they can get. Maybe that whoring out just pays way too good but when that goes away--and it will--they are gonna have to come up with something to generate fan interest. I think that day will represent a lot of current G5 schools either dropping football completely or making it a non-scholarship sport if they get left behind completely by the P5s (see SMU, Tulane, Rice, etc...)

You are probably right, but right now I am hoping for the best case scenario for the G5 and that would be to expand to 16. I agree though, the G5 have to start making their own dominos fall. It's a cutthroat world and the blood that hits the ground will undoubtedly be the G5's if action isn't taken and taken quickly. There is no reason or benefit to take the "wait and watch" approach, because the only thing waiting for the G5 is utter irrelevance.

[untjim1995]

You are probably right, but right now I am hoping for the best case scenario for the G5 and that would be to expand to 16. I agree though, the G5 have to start making their own dominos fall. It's a cutthroat world and the blood that hits the ground will undoubtedly be the G5's if action isn't taken and taken quickly. There is no reason or benefit to take the "wait and watch" approach, because the only thing waiting for the G5 is utter irrelevance.

The P5s are made up of 65 teams. I figure that the NCAA will do anything for them not to leave the organization to create their own governing body, so I figure the Division 4 model or whatever you want to call it is still the most probable way the big schools will stay together. The 4 main conferences are here to stay--the B1G, SEC, Pac, and ACC--and will be the homes to those that get to stay at the P5 level. The Pac-12 has made it very clear that they want Texas, but without the LHN, Oklahoma, but only with Texas, and then a couple of other teams, as well, such as Tech and OSU, but only if Texas and OU have to bring them. That gets them to 16. Then the B1G expands and gets Kansas and Mizzou follows them to the conference they've really dreamed of being a part of. This gets the B1G to 16. The SEC then follows this up replacing Mizzou with K-State out west, while also adding another Big XII team in West Virginia and a school from the ACC in a new market, Virginia Tech. That gets the SEC to 16. Then the ACC, needing to replace Va Tech leaving, adds Cincy, as well as UConn and Notre Dame finally joins as a full member, which gets to 16. That leaves Iowa State, TCU, and Baylor to fall back out of the P5. Oh sure, they'll sue, but they will have no case because no conference will choose them.

The G5s will see those three leftover Big XII teams join the ranks. Its at this point, whether its only G5 schools or if they add a few selected FCS schools, that the next level of play will be enacted. What I don't know is if this new level will be anymore irrevelant than we pretty much already are today by the media and college fans or if it would get much worse, attendance wise. Because it would seem to me that if the G5s got their act together and actually regionalized their leagues in closer geography, it would boost attendance in a meaningful way. That would be the first way that no more money games against the P4s would at least get covered for budgetary shortages, not to mention cheaper travel costs. As we see with our game in Dallas against SMU, we bring a significant amount of fans to their stadium. Make that a conference game, just like UH and Rice played for so long, and you have something that can help. This isn't even talking about the reality of playing on a much more level playing field, budget-wise and officiating-wise. Again, maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe UNT fans just go back to thinking this is so small time that a conference game against SMU as a non-P4 game is no different than how it felt when we played SFA in a i-aa conference game in the SLC. But if you don't have a choice, you gotta make the most of the situation. Right now, you have delusional G5 programs that think they can get into P5 leagues, but they have no chance of being chosen. If the Big XII is looking at you to eventually come over, you have to know that the moment the GOR expires, those teams with options (UT, OU, KU, and WVU) and their in-state brothers (KSU, OSU, and Tech) are gonna jump ship ASAP, which means that the Big XII would basically become the Big East, errr, I mean the American Athletic Conference, which immediately lost its AQ status as soon as WVU, Pitt, Syracuse, Rutgers and Louisville left to greener pastures.

[untjim1995]

http://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/football/peace-now-change-coming-college-sports

Nice article that details a lot of what we are talking about--and look out, the talk of breaking off the NCAA Tournament gets brought up, too.

[NM Green]

I am waiting on a call from the BYU marketing department regarding the large silk banner they wave in ROC section at basketball and football games.

Once I find out further information about the price for such a production I will announce the details and get a donation fund rolling. At some point we will need to coordinate with the Talons regarding the maintenance and visual unveiling details.

Back with more soon.

GMG

P.S. - to see the Banner I am looking into see it on YouTube under BYU ROC Section and for the fathead idea see the video Miss It Baby.

[3XL]

I am waiting on a call from the BYU marketing department regarding the large silk banner they wave in ROC section at basketball and football games.

Once I find out further information about the price for such a production I will announce the details and get a donation fund rolling. At some point we will need to coordinate with the Talons regarding the maintenance and visual unveiling details.

Back with more soon.

GMG

P.S. - to see the Banner I am looking into see it on YouTube under BYU ROC Section and for the fathead idea see the video Miss It Baby.

totally agree...I really like the simple Y logo.

For the last 2 years...I've told Cowtown that NT really needs one of these giant spirit banners for some "fan fun & entanglement."

TCU has one that says "Fear the Frog"....Google "TCU Fear the Frog banner" for image.

Our big banner should simply say "MEAN GREEN".

Expand the Brand

[3XL]

oh...and the CFP at 4 teams was a huge success for college football. It could not have worked out much better with the #1 & #2 seeds losing and #4 seed winning with their 3rd string quarterback.

really not sure...even if the CFP expands to 6-8 teams...that a G5 gets in....it's big business & about money. (maybe BYU or Boise)

same goes for some P5's...

i.e. "if Mississippi State & Ole Miss finished the year ranked #1 & #2"...both in SEC & in the same small state...doubt the CFP committee would let both in."

6 could be kinda cool with a bye for #1 & #2 seeds..and a chance at a G5 moonshot.

Personally...I am happy with 4...if the big boys want in...stop whining & start winning.

Edited May 15, 2015 by 3XL

[TheFranchise]

oh...and the CFP at 4 teams was a huge success for college football. It could not have worked out much better with the #1 & #2 seeds losing and #4 seed winning with their 3rd string quarterback.

really not sure...even if the CFP expands to 6-8 teams...that a G5 gets in....it's big business & about money. (maybe BYU or Boise)

same goes for some P5's...

i.e. "if Mississippi State & Ole Miss finished the year ranked #1 & #2"...both in SEC & in the same small state...doubt the CFP committee would let both in."

6 could be kinda cool with a bye for #1 & #2 seeds..and a chance at a G5 moonshot.

Personally...I am happy with 4...if the big boys want in...stop whining & start wining

Wine?

I'm more of a beer man.

[StealthEagle84]

I've been saying it for years and I will say it again. 8 team playoff with the P5 conference championship winners getting automatic bids and then taking three at large teams. This way you can keep the conference championship games, which would serve as a 'playoff game' anyways. It also gives a 'mid-major' from the non-P5's a chance to get in if they were undefeated and ranked high enough. I would prefer to still have a computer ranking system and you would take the 3 highest ranked teams remaining that didn't win a P5 conference. But, I would be OK with a selection committee picking the next 3 teams if thats what it took.

[MeanGreenTexan]

I've been saying it for years and I will say it again. 8 team playoff with the P5 conference championship winners getting automatic bids and then taking three at large teams. This way you can keep the conference championship games, which would serve as a 'playoff game' anyways. It also gives a 'mid-major' from the non-P5's a chance to get in if they were undefeated and ranked high enough. I would prefer to still have a computer ranking system and you would take the 3 highest ranked teams remaining that didn't win a P5 conference. But, I would be OK with a selection committee picking the next 3 teams if thats what it took.

Need another nuance: 1 G5 team gets an automatic bid as well (chosen by computers/polls/whatever). That way, at least a G5 school has a shot at winning the national title every year.

[Ben Gooding]

The top 4 or 8 or whatever needs to be computer generated with unbiased data. Humans complicate and manipulate it.

[NM Green]

Bingo. Let the G5 in every year period and now you have the drama of ncaa madness tourney. If the G5 even put a scare into a power opponent the drama would be delectable. Not to mention one year a G5 is going to advance and possibly play in the national championship. This won't be a 16-1 kind of situation. They will grow this playoff thing the right way and we are all going to dream of the big money ball. GMG