Realignment Megathread (All The Moves)

[CydeofFries]

I think 6+6 is the best format just because there is usually at least a couple G5 teams that are pretty good. Sure they might get absolutely smoked 9 out of 10 times, but that 10th time will be amazing and help build hype around the playoff. It’s the same reason March madness is so great that the little guys get a chance too

The other factor is how people frame the debate on the playoff. Is it trying to determine the "best team" or the National Champ? March Madness is a horrible way to determine the best team, but a great way to decide the National Champ, since every conference is represented. Yet we keep insisting only the "best teams" should make the playoffs.

Seriously how many times would the 3rd or 4th place teams in the SEC or B1G really challenge for the title? And most times the 3rd place should have it was because they didn't make the title game due to divisions. Realistically it's same amount as a G5 conference winner. If they had a chance they would have shown it in the regular season.

 

[CascadeClone]

Yes - this is great analysis. When you also consider how the top several brands - ALA, OSU, UM and GA - do, you realize that there is a pretty big misconception of the impact of teams. I think people have this idea that there is a somewhat smooth curve of media value from top to bottom in conferences. What this demonstrates is that basically there are a handful of teams that matter, and differences among the rest, at least in terms of the SEC and Big 10, is immaterial.

Unfortunately from a tv biz perspective, they want those top 10-15 brands in their prime-iest timeslots EVERY week to maximize value.

Take a UGA vs Bama game compared to Indiana vs Purdue. In a topmost timeslot, you are prob talking 9-10M viewers vs maybe 3-4M. But compared on ESPN2, it's maybe 3M vs 500k. Still a big difference, BUT revenue is exponential not linear with viewership. So you max your revenue with a few HUGE games and don't even worry about the rest.

And of course, it becomes a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy - since they are on the big timeslots all the time, they get more casual fans interest, more recruits interest, more tv interest, etc.

 

[CascadeClone]

The other factor is how people frame the debate on the playoff. Is it trying to determine the "best team" or the National Champ? March Madness is a horrible way to determine the best team, but a great way to decide the National Champ, since every conference is represented. Yet we keep insisting only the "best teams" should make the playoffs.

Seriously how many times would the 3rd or 4th place teams in the SEC or B1G really challenge for the title? And most times the 3rd place should have it was because they didn't make the title game due to divisions. Realistically it's same amount as a G5 conference winner. If they had a chance they would have shown it in the regular season.

There are typically only 1 or 2 truly elite teams every year. Once in a great while a 3rd. Historically, you got cries of injustice when there was 1 elite team, but a bunch of potential #2s to choose from. Thus the BCS.

A bigger playoff just extends those cries of injustice to the even larger pool of roughly equal #12 teams lol. That's actually one reason I like the seeding with 4 byes. The truly elite team(s) get a bye, but the wannabes still can get a game and a share of cash and fame.

BTW, what the playoff is trying to determine isn't "best team" or "National Champ". What the playoff tries to determine in reality is - how many gigantic bags of money everyone (except the players) can make?

 

[CydeofFries]

There are typically only 1 or 2 truly elite teams every year. Once in a great while a 3rd. Historically, you got cries of injustice when there was 1 elite team, but a bunch of potential #2s to choose from. Thus the BCS.

A bigger playoff just extends those cries of injustice to the even larger pool of roughly equal #12 teams lol. That's actually one reason I like the seeding with 4 byes. The truly elite team(s) get a bye, but the wannabes still can get a game and a share of cash and fame.

BTW, what the playoff is trying to determine isn't "best team" or "National Champ". What the playoff tries to determine in reality is - how many gigantic bags of money everyone (except the players) can make?

Lol yes you are 100% right about the bags of money. Best team would be is the money consolidated into 2 conferences, or National Champ is it spread out a little more evenly.

 

[t-noah]

Not sure where to post this gem but it needs to be properly appreciated.

View attachment 115547

Way to go Cyclone Larry!

And I think he might have more '6itches' than that. Does he 6itch a lot? If so, he's probably very bitchy.

 

[isucy86]

I understand peoples desire to replicate in college football what we see in college basketball with the little known Cinderella school making a deep run. But I don't feel we have the same parity in college football. By having 1 or 2 G5 teams in the playoff by default, IMO there will be more blowout games. Just look at the blowout games we have seen in a 4 team CFP!

I did a quick data dive for the 8 CFP seasons (excluding 2020 season) to see what impact would have been if CFP was 12 teams instead of 4.

My quick takes:

• If Big12 doesn't want this to be a Power 2 Playoff, its critical we have more than 2 teams in the top 12 and we need to win CFP games.
• Surprised that ND would have only made 12 team playoff 3x
• Have to believe Big10 & SEC will want 4 or 5 teams each in in CFP. They didn't add OU, UT, USC, UCLA, UO and UW to be 3 bid leagues.
• 11 G5 teams have finished in top 20 over the 8 years. And 5 have finished top 15.

****************************************************************
Total Teams Selected Over 8 Seasons
SEC - 24
Big10 - 24
Big12 - 15
Pac12 -14
ACC - 13
Notre Dame - 3
G5 - 3 (Cincy & UCF 2x)

****************************************************************

aka Big10 had 1 season with 2 teams, 6 season with 3 teams and 1 season with 4 teams.

****************************************************************

 

[JUKEBOX]

Great find on that SI Vault link. I forgot that Ozzy was publicly whining about the new B12 qualifier rules even before the B12 started playing FB in Fall 1996 and perhaps looking for a new conference back in JAN 1996.

Osborne was not happy about the rule change, retired shortly thereafter, and about one recruiting cycle later, Nebraska's dynasty was over.

Then when Osborne became AD, they left the Big 12 (probably due to animosity that started back during the formation of the conference).

Another interesting tidbit is that Osborne and Bo Pelini had a good relationship. Shortly after Osborne was was forced out as AD, Pelini got fired.

 

[LLCoolCY]

Yormark making the rounds. Still work to be done.


“Yormark said logistics have not been ironed out as to if the 16 teams would be lined up in pods of four, six or eight and that scheduling will be addressed in the near future. He did say the Big 12 would stick to nine conference football games.”

 

[Die4Cy]

I'm going to leave the game on at home just to get viewership numbers.

You don't have to do that, it isn't how that works. Except you could maybe argue an ESPN+ game.

 

[SolterraCyclone]

Yormark making the rounds. Still work to be done.


“Yormark said logistics have not been ironed out as to if the 16 teams would be lined up in pods of four, six or eight and that scheduling will be addressed in the near future. He did say the Big 12 would stick to nine conference football games.”

It’s amazing listening to Yormark’s intelligence, confidence, and humility compared to Kliavkoff’s bumbling, awkward, faux-bravado in interviews/public forums.

It’s no wonder he ran circles around Kliavkoff. And it wasn’t luck (sorry Stew)

 

[Dowwmeow]

"The devil doesn’t come dressed in a red cape and pointy horns. He comes as everything you’ve ever wished for."

See the original Twilight Zone episode, “A Nice Place to Visit” (starring Sebastian Cabot as the Devil) for reference

 

[Cmonwhatarewedoinghereman]

Yormark making the rounds. Still work to be done.


“Yormark said logistics have not been ironed out as to if the 16 teams would be lined up in pods of four, six or eight and that scheduling will be addressed in the near future. He did say the Big 12 would stick to nine conference football games.”

So if we do pods should the big 12 fire BY? And how can you do pods of 6?…..unless…it’s not true that the conf wouldn’t still go to 18 during this round of realignment

 

[BCClone]

Yormark making the rounds. Still work to be done.


“Yormark said logistics have not been ironed out as to if the 16 teams would be lined up in pods of four, six or eight and that scheduling will be addressed in the near future. He did say the Big 12 would stick to nine conference football games.”

Pods of 6??????

 

[CascadeClone]

Pods of 6??????

I assume thats the protected rivalry flavor. You play 5 rivals and then 4 of the other 10. Wait that makes no sense.

But it might work for bball. Play 5 teams twice and the other 10 once for 20 total games. No reason you cant do bball and fb differently.

 

[ISpyCy]

So if we do pods should the big 12 fire BY? And how can you do pods of 6?…..unless…it’s not true that the conf wouldn’t still go to 18 during this round of realignment

......huh?

 

[Cmonwhatarewedoinghereman]

Pod joke. BY has a lifetime contract imo.

 

[StLouisClone]

I assume thats the protected rivalry flavor. You play 5 rivals and then 4 of the other 10. Wait that makes no sense.

But it might work for bball. Play 5 teams twice and the other 10 once for 20 total games. No reason you cant do bball and fb differently.

It works in football too. Everyone has 5 protected rivals. You play 4 of the remaining 10. It could be set up in a way that minimizes travel.

 

[LonelyCyKC]

The other factor is how people frame the debate on the playoff. Is it trying to determine the "best team" or the National Champ? March Madness is a horrible way to determine the best team, but a great way to decide the National Champ, since every conference is represented. Yet we keep insisting only the "best teams" should make the playoffs.

Seriously how many times would the 3rd or 4th place teams in the SEC or B1G really challenge for the title? And most times the 3rd place should have it was because they didn't make the title game due to divisions. Realistically it's same amount as a G5 conference winner. If they had a chance they would have shown it in the regular season.

I go back to my thoughts from a few years ago. If you are looking for THE best team to be your national champion, why include teams that are not their conference champion. Why should we want the national champion to be a LOSER in their own conference.

The tournament should be among the champions of their conferences regardless of size or level of conference. Why include the teams that were defeated in their conference tournament if they were not the best in their conference.

We should require all teams to have been in a conference and have succeeded in that conference (attention ND). Call it the Tournament of Champions.

Unless all that anyone wants is money why watch a repeat of games from the B1G and SEC? Is it merely so we can take more money from their fans?

 

[LonelyCyKC]

Pods of 6??????

Must have 18 on the mind. By the time we get rid of the rats and bring in all the cats we may get to 18 (or will it be 20). We can only wish.........

 

[Cyclonepride]

Pods of 6??????

Pods of 2