Brett Yormark called ESPN?
- Thread starter Daserop
- Start date
Here is what I would consider to be the locks currently:
B1G:
OSU
Penn State
Oregon
Indiana
SEC:
Georgia
Texas
Tennessee
ACC Champ
Big XII Champ
MW Champ
ND
That's 11 spots spoken for. If SMU reps the ACC, wanna know who the highest ranked team outside those 11 is right now? Alabama. And, if Clemson beats SMU, I'd bet my bottom dollar the Mustangs would drop just enough to let Bama in.
So far, the CFP rankings have been very close to the AP poll, so I don't think this is very far-fetched.
The whole point is that there shouldn't be one network with the total airing rights.
RIght, and I agree, but that wouldn't change who the collective of networks would want to get in. Every entity paying for the rights to broadcast (or stream or cover via smoke signals or whatever) has an interest in getting the brands in that draw the most eyeballs. Multiple networks doesn't change the CFP equation at all.
The College Football Playoff committee is heavily influenced by the networks, particularly ESPN- which has a vested interest in its partnership conferences (SEC and ACC) and in maintaining control over CFP rights through the 2031-2032 season. This long-standing control allows ESPN to shape narratives and protect its investments while neglecting others, like the Big 12, which only received a deal as part of a compromise over UT/OU.
The committee’s inconsistent criteria and weekly flip-flopping reveal a clear conflict of interest, further evidenced by its efforts to overhype mediocre teams from ESPN-backed conferences. By inflating rankings for teams like Missouri, LSU, and Florida, they create a cycle where wins appear more significant, losses are minimized, and the perception of strength perpetuates itself, securing ESPN’s agenda.
The committee’s inconsistent criteria and weekly flip-flopping reveal a clear conflict of interest, further evidenced by its efforts to overhype mediocre teams from ESPN-backed conferences. By inflating rankings for teams like Missouri, LSU, and Florida, they create a cycle where wins appear more significant, losses are minimized, and the perception of strength perpetuates itself, securing ESPN’s agenda.
Obviously it doesn't totally eliminate it but it would certainly help. ESPN having total control is a nightmare scenario for the Big 12. They are 100% going to protect their SEC cash cow at all costs. Bama getting a free pass for losing to Vandy and Oklahoma is insane.
I doubt this is the first time. It looks to me that behind the scenes discussions haven't been favorable to change. Time to go more public.
... for which they 'culture' starting pre-season and then throughout the season. This began with 'marketing' pure and simple. Then when they backed it with $$$, it became more essential to remove 'objectivity' and to assimilate the masses into a false pre-tense of quality.
The Big 12 has 3 schools sitting at 10-2 right now. They are ranked 12th, 16th and 17th. The Big 12 will look like this after next weekend:
- 1 school at 11-2 (Big 12 Champ winner)
- 1 school at 10-2
- 1 school at 10-3 (Big 12 Champ loser)
The Big12 champ will either leapfrog Boise (which I doubt), thus putting them on the 4 line, or they won’t and will likely be ranked 9-12, and be seeded as such. The other two will have no chance at an at-large. Meanwhile…Alabama is sitting at #11 with 3 losses, and the I’ll certainly get in.
With the above, I think it’s pretty clear the rankings and therefore the playoff selections can and are being gamed.
This playoff **** lost me out of the gate when TCU got screwed.
It's a tv show that I'm not watching unless the good guys are in there. Otherwise it's a circle jerk of blue bloods and I DGAF about the B1G or SEC.
Just have the Yankees play the Dodgers every year. No different
In the ideal world, the CFP TV rights are shopped out to 3-4 partners (Disney(ESPN/ABC), FOX, CBS, and NBC).
Then the Big 12 can have WBD all to themselves. Disney family is SEC and ACC, B1G is FOX and NBC primarily.
Would love for CBS to carry a Big 12 game at 11 and primetime with other games on TNT, TBS, and streaming on MAX (Paramount and Max are talking and will likely merge)
Then the Big 12 can have WBD all to themselves. Disney family is SEC and ACC, B1G is FOX and NBC primarily.
Would love for CBS to carry a Big 12 game at 11 and primetime with other games on TNT, TBS, and streaming on MAX (Paramount and Max are talking and will likely merge)
Yes, but I believe they are third in the pecking order for the B1G, behind FOX and NBC. There is PLENTY of room there for the Big 12, plus CBS is off-market buying additional Big 12 inventory already
No offense, but this is short sighted thinking. The B1G and SEC weren't built in a day. When I grew up, they were no less powerful than the Big 8. In fact, I'd argue they were second tiered because of the might of Nebraska and Oklahoma. Regardless of whether or not you agree with that, my point is that the B1G and SEC had a much better long term vision and executed a plan, the results of which we see today. Things like, favor a few elite teams to force an unbalanced conference and yet guarantee ranking, expanding TV markets, control the NCAA, and manipulate the media. This is where I believe Yormark is elite. He has a plan with several tiers. As long as he's in charge, I believe the B12 will continue to grow its viewership.
As a side note: 'clicks' more than anything else will influence the perceived popularity of a conference. If you see an Iowa State post on Facebook, click it. If you see a new article on Google News pertaining to Iowa State, click it. Even if your FIRST click goes to the Big 12 scores on ESPN before any other conferences, your input is logged. Yes, this puts you in a demographic. But if we can win the 'click' war like we win these online popularity polls, it ONLY bodes well for Iowa State and the B12. Every click matters.
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This weeks rankings will tell you everything you need to know. The only way Iowa State or AZ State jumps Boise is if they are within like 2 spots of them going into Saturday. This is assuming Boise beats UNLV. The other thing to watch is where does the committee put UNLV?
'monopoly' is the key word in your post. If, in the next media bids, a third strong media partner surfaces, this will set the stage for legal battles in court regarding CFP. College athletics will have to come to an agreed upon selection process. Oh, how I'd like to be a fly on that wall.
The rankings being released so early in the season and the "official" ones being put out mid-season create a strong anchor effect in these results. If any system wanted fairness, they wouldn't put out any official rankings until after conference championship games. If they wanted more transparency in their fairness, they could easily reproduce the BCS computer rankings and use them as a stand-in for committee rankings until the final week (because stats-driven rankings would be less anchored week-to-week than human ones). It could also quite easily be sold as the prime metric the committee uses, but isn't required to adhere to. Any selection or decision process taken by a human before the final selection will inevitably create bias and should be avoided.
This was all known from the outset and I do not believe it was unintentional. The committee was formed as the decision-making body not to be inclusive, but to cut conferences out. They expanded the playoff not because they wanted to be more inclusive, but because it was an opportunity to allocate more money to their own (2) conferences while further diluting what could go to everyone else.
This was all known from the outset and I do not believe it was unintentional. The committee was formed as the decision-making body not to be inclusive, but to cut conferences out. They expanded the playoff not because they wanted to be more inclusive, but because it was an opportunity to allocate more money to their own (2) conferences while further diluting what could go to everyone else.
I hate to tell you this, but IMO AP doesn't carry with it anymore objectivity than the CFP rankings. It's just as easily manipulated. Imagine this whole thing as a chess game from the beginning of LAST year. Every step along the way has an alternative pre-planned marketing path to maintain the merits of say 'Alabama' regardless of who they lose to. Why? Because Alabama is easier to market for a TV audience than say Boise or Iowa State. And, why is that? Because they've (i.e. media) spent decades building this popularity contest.
What is going to be hilarious (maybe hilarious isn’t the right word for it) is if Georgia Penn St and SMU all lose this weekend. I would bet money that Penn St and Georgia don’t get dinged or drop in rankings but SMU would dinged and left out.
