8 Team Playoff

[CyFan61]

Now that the rankings are finalized, I was curious what the 8-team playoff would have looked like this year.

I think it will get from 4 to 8 before too long. Whether that means that Power 5 champions get automatically in, or if the Group of 5 gets a spot reserved, I don't know. But here is how I would do it: The quarterfinal round game would be played on the campuses of the top 4 seeds. The winners would advance into two semifinal bowl games, and the losers would be placed into two bowl games that were held open for them.

This year it would be:

#8 Notre Dame @ #1 Clemson*
#7 Ohio State @ #2 Alabama
#6 Stanford @ #3 Michigan State
#5 Iowa @ #4 Oklahoma

*I could see a world where the committee is instructed to avoid rematches. In this case, Notre Dame moves to #7 to play Alabama while Ohio State would be shifted to #8 to go to Clemson.

The four winners would advance to the Cotton and Orange Bowls to play in the semifinals. The four losers would get placed into two bowls that would be open (Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, or Peach) and the committee would pair them up to avoid rematches, match good match-ups, whatever (i.e. if the Rose were one of those games and Michigan State, Ohio State, Iowa, or Stanford lost, they'd have a good shot at ending up there; same with Oklahoma and Alabama and the Sugar Bowl).

For now we just have to bide our time until the Big Ten or the SEC gets left out of the playoff as I think that will be the biggest catalyst to move to 8 teams. Follow the money... So far, two of the Power 5 conferences have been left out in two years. It can't be that much longer.

 

[SplitIdentity]

I agree. I think it would be the best thing to happen to the sport.

 

[Dr.bannedman]

I agree. I think it would be the best thing to happen to the sport.

why do you care? you guys got your rosebowl and you got into the playoffs! **** off!!

 

[Spam]

with an 8 team playoff they'd probably start putting 3-4 b10 teams in there.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

that would make too much sense: do not want

 

[CyFan61]

with an 8 team playoff they'd probably start putting 3-4 b10 teams in there.

There would be 3 B1G teams this year anyway. The beauty of it is they all could lose in the first round or they all could win against top teams from other conferences. So let's play the games and find out.

 

[KnappShack]

A six team playoff would help allow the correct teams in, but still keep some controversy.

The playoff selection as it stands is worse than the BCS....and that's saying something

 

[SCNCY]

I think that the playoff will eventually get to 8 teams. It will just take a while until some of the other P5 conferences get left out. Big 12 last year, PAC 12 this year, next year, hopefully another conference. Once other conferences get on the bandwagon, it will change. I think when a Big 10 team or SEC team gets left out, thats when you will see the change.

 

[SCNCY]

A six team playoff would help allow the correct teams in, but still keep some controversy.

The playoff selection as it stands is worse than the BCS....and that's saying something

Agreed, extremely biased, and make stuff up as they go.

 

[dualthreat]

No. 4 works just fine.

The other teams had their chance to prove worthy.

 

[Hoiball92]

No. 4 works just fine.

The other teams had their chance to prove worthy.

Yep it's fine the way it is. Plus 16 games in 1 season is a lot.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

A six team playoff would help allow the correct teams in, but still keep some controversy.

The playoff selection as it stands is worse than the BCS....and that's saying something

I like the 6 team playoff structure idea with the top two getting a bye. That ensures a winners from each power 5 plus an extra qualifier (independent/2nd conference team). Not a fan of 8 personally. There will always be controversy, but 6 seems like the magic number. It just comes down to the last spot that way.

 

[cyfanatic13]

Yep it's fine the way it is. Plus 16 games in 1 season is a lot.

NFL plays 16 games in just their regular season. The two FCS schools that make the championship play 16. Heck the high school kids that make the championship play 14 games. That's a terrible argument

 

[Luth4Cy]

I think we'll see 8 in the near future. I'd even push for 16 and get all the small conference champions in but I doubt that will ever happen. If we do go to 8 I hope there is some rule that if a small conference school goes undefeated they are automatically in.

 

[cycfan1]

Get to 4 mega conferences and this weekend would've been round 1 of 8 team playoff

 

[cyclones500]

I predict it will be 8 teams within less than a decade.

 

[Omaha Cy]

Would love an 8 team playoff. In that scenario most every team there has the goods to win a game or 2. Things would get really watered down too much going to 16 teams. In most years teams 10-16 are just fodder.

 

[cyclones500]

Unless the plan is to jettison non-P5's into a secondary division — I-A-AA, anyone? — it could be 16, incorporate auto-bids; you don't have to auto-include every league champion, it could be based on conference strength (top 8 champs and 8 at-large).

But I'm getting 15 years ahead of myself, I suppose.

 

[DeereClone]

4 mega conferences, conference championship game is first round essentially, 4 conference champs play in a playoff. Seeding for playoff is pre determined by conference before the season begins, and play ball.

take the human element out of it, the committee is total garbage and needs to go.

 

[Farnsworth]

There would be 3 B1G teams this year anyway. The beauty of it is they all could lose in the first round or they all could win against top teams from other conferences. So let's play the games and find out.

I agree based on body of work they all deserve it although there are huge question marks. Let them play it out and see what the true answer was. It's sad that so much of the rankings is due purely to scheduling, both non conference which you can control, and what you are left with for conference depending on your conference setup.