Realignment Megathread (All The Moves)

FerShizzle

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For the sake of argument, it’s not that uncommon for a Wild Card team to win the Super Bowl. I just hope it doesn’t end up like basketball where I rarely feel like the “best” team wins the tourney, just a team that got hot at the right time and had a good tournament.
Ya. But the talent gap between NFL teams really isnt all that large. Especially the gap between playoff teams.

The talent gap between #1 and #12 in college football is much much wider. Those top teams are just absolutely loaded. Most of their backups would be starters on the #12 team.
 
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Clonehomer

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I've always thought the magic # for a playoff is 6 or 8 because I have seen a few #5 and #6 teams entering bowls that had legit claim to national championship when the dust settled but nobody lower than that.

I'll take 12, but 8 was really the number required to include everyone worthy of a national title.

I’d be fine with 12, but it should be the 11 conference champs + 1 wild card. 10 +2 if the PAC folds.
 

isucy86

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Is an SEC 8-4 (8 conference game team) better than an 9-3 BXII team with 9 conference games? 8-4 BXII team? Or a BXII team that plays 10 P3 opponents in either scenario?

Don't think so. That's why there needs to be criteria to be eligible for the CFP. I would prefer all Power Conferences play 9 conference games. But I would be OK if the requirement was 10 Power Conference games.

Agree it's BS the SEC plays 8 conference games and their selling point is the SEC is SO TOUGH. The top SEC schools have been dominant, but I'm not convinced the SEC bottom 8 are any better than the bottom 8 in any of the other conferences. And I don't see Georgia and Bama facing off in the regular season very often.
 

keepngoal

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Don't think so. That's why there needs to be criteria to be eligible for the CFP. I would prefer all Power Conferences play 9 conference games. But I would be OK if the requirement was 10 Power Conference games.

Agree it's BS the SEC plays 8 conference games and their selling point is the SEC is SO TOUGH. The top SEC schools have been dominant, but I'm not convinced the SEC bottom 8 are any better than the bottom 8 in any of the other conferences. And I don't see Georgia and Bama facing off in the regular season very often.
Kinda my point.
 

isucy86

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I’d be fine with 12, but it should be the 11 conference champs + 1 wild card. 10 +2 if the PAC folds.

Not sure how there are 11 Conference Champs with a P5 & G5. Below would have been the 12 team playoff using your above criteria. My assumption is the 2 highest ranked teams that aren't conference champs (TCU & Ohio State) would be seeded 11 & 12.

Georgia (1) vs. (Kansas State (5) vs. Ohio State (12) Winner)
Michigan (2) vs. (Tulane (6) vs. TCU (11) Winner)
Clemson (3) vs. (Troy (7) vs. Toledo (10) Winner)
Utah (4) vs. (UTSA (8) vs Fresno State (9) Winner)

Pretty sure I would not watch the Troy v Toledo or UTSA v Fresno playoff games. (Edit: Plus the Clemson vs Troy/Toledo or Utah vs. UTSA/Fresno games would not be must watch TV for me in round 2.)

IMO last year Tulane (ranked 16) was the only G5 school deserving playoff consideration. I would much rather have had two loss schools like: Alabama, Tennessee, USC, Penn State or Washington in a 12 tam playoff over the G5 schools (other than Tulane).
 
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isucy86

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Yep. Win your league. I don't care if your league is too hard. Sucks. Join a different conference.
But what if your league is TOO EASY? The Big10 West argument.
  • Toledo's best win was over Ohio in MAC CG. Toledo lost to Ohio State 77-21
  • Tulane's best win was over K-State (17-10). Tulane was legit last year.
  • Fresno's best win was over Boise in the MWC CG. Fresno lost to USC, Oregon State, UConn and Boise in the regular season.
  • Troy's best win was over Coastal Carolina in SB CG. Troy lost to Ole Miss 28-10
  • UTSA lost to Texas 41-20 and Houston.
I'll stick by my belief that Tulane was the only G5 school that would have deserved consideration in a 12 team playoff.

I do feel there needs to be a P5 vs. G5 challenge during the non-con schedule to give preseason highly rated G5 schools more opportunity for quality wins. If Power Conferences feel there shouldn't be auto qualifiers, they should have no problem playing elite G5 schools.
 

AuH2O

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OSU can compete on the offensive side of the ball but under Day they have been slipping and they have some huge holes this year. It’s obv them or Michigan to win the big ten but I don’t expect either to make any noise in the playoff.
OSU has the talent to compete for sure. I would think Harbaugh could get there but I’m guessing he will be back in the NFL before he can do that. Maybe not though.
 
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SEIOWA CLONE

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For the sake of argument, it’s not that uncommon for a Wild Card team to win the Super Bowl. I just hope it doesn’t end up like basketball where I rarely feel like the “best” team wins the tourney, just a team that got hot at the right time and had a good tournament.
I doubt that happens in college football, unlike the NFL, in college the best talent year after year is found on the top teams. Sure any team can put it all together and win a game or two, under the old system. But when there is a true playoff, it will all come down to injuries and talent. Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and a few others just have better rosters year after year, and that will tough for any lesser team to overcome and win 3 games in a row.

It would be like the NFL allowing the Chiefs, Bills, Bengals, Eagles and 49ers to have the first 5 to 10 picks in the draft year after year. It's hard for the other teams in the league to compete with a rigged system, and that is what college football and basketball are. Rigged meaning that the best teams, ever year sign the highest rating classes each year.
 

MountainManHawk

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I doubt that happens in college football, unlike the NFL, in college the best talent year after year is found on the top teams. Sure any team can put it all together and win a game or two, under the old system. But when there is a true playoff, it will all come down to injuries and talent. Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and a few others just have better rosters year after year, and that will tough for any lesser team to overcome and win 3 games in a row.

It would be like the NFL allowing the Chiefs, Bills, Bengals, Eagles and 49ers to have the first 5 to 10 picks in the draft year after year. It's hard for the other teams in the league to compete with a rigged system, and that is what college football and basketball are. Rigged meaning that the best teams, ever year sign the highest rating classes each year.
Yeah, those are all good points. The only thing keeping it from being more biased to the top teams is in college at least they only keep their best players a year or two. In the NFL if you are lucky enough to get Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes you are almost guaranteed to be a playoff team for a really long time.

Although I guess in college the equivalent is getting a HOF coach. If you think about it, even the very best college teams are really dependent on that. Think of Alabama before Saban or Georgia before Kirby Smart, etc. But when you get a Saban and he stays for a long time, it’s basically the equivalent of drafting Tom Brady.
 
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Cydwinder

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Something I think that could be interesting to see is how access to the CFP impacts general recruiting. I think the top talent typically would stay at the big name schools but if a couple of G5 schools get consistent access I could see a Gonzaga type situation happen where a team from a smaller conference is attractive to some top level guys too.
 
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Allikat

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Something I think that could be interesting to see is how access to the CFP impacts general recruiting. I think the top talent typically would stay at the big name schools but if a couple of G5 schools get consistent access I could see a Gonzaga type situation happen where a team from a smaller conference is attractive to some top level guys too.
Gonzaga got to where they are due to coaching. I do think that has helped the zags get recruits but not because they are playing in the tourney; rather it is because Zag players get exposure and get drafted.

High level recruits care about the next level, not a CFP title. Winning is nice but I think they would take getting drafted over a title.

Therefore my success model for the Big 12:

1) Ensure your players/teams have maximum exposure. (This is where Yormark jumping the line on the media deal, the all Big 12 pro-day, Rucker park, and Big 12 Mexico come into play).

2) Focus on strengths, (Basketball, culture) This is where it is soooo important that all 16 teams focus on one goal and where ASU and Utah make me nervous. A rising tide …

3) Make the Big 12 fun. If your chance of getting drafted are near equal, players will gravitate to the place where the experience is fun. Maybe your home locker room does not have 212 big screens and putting greens, but the visiting locker room is not pink. The rivalries and game experience are fun and exciting but not nasty. To do this last step, number 2 is critical.
 

Big_Sill

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Utah is already planning their exit.


Don’t know the whole context of his quote, but I think he is correct that major football changes are still coming. I suspect that’s what he meant, as opposed to Utah planning Utah’s big12 exit.

Changes coming will dwarf what we’ve seen so far.

Yormark’s job will be getting harder.
 

Big_Sill

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I've always thought the magic # for a playoff is 6 or 8 because I have seen a few #5 and #6 teams entering bowls that had legit claim to national championship when the dust settled but nobody lower than that.

I'll take 12, but 8 was really the number required to include everyone worthy of a national title.
Agree, very logical… but $$ > logic.

Nobody in power (TV) is looking for the “right” answer here.
 

aeroclone

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Don’t know the whole context of his quote, but I think he is correct that major football changes are still coming. I suspect that’s what he meant, as opposed to Utah planning Utah’s big12 exit.

Changes coming will dwarf what we’ve seen so far.

Yormark’s job will be getting harder.
I think that could certainly be his intent with that comment. And he isn't alone in that opinion that more change is coming. This thread is full of posts from users thinking the Cyhawk series will end soon, the ACC will blow up, and the B1G and SEC will break away from the NCAA. So yeah, nothing in college sports seems permanent right now.
 

jctisu

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Their fans are REALLY putting a lot of stock in the fact that their recruiting ranking is the highest of the new 16 teams.

They will be in for a rude awakening if they think they have more team speed than Baylor or TCU. I don’t need recruiting rankings to see some of that on the field. I have no idea what Baylor is rated in basketball recruiting but I know they permanently have 4-5 athletic rebounding machines.
Can't believe I am about to go to bat for this school because I despise them. But I would like them to get acquainted with Kansas State who never is high in recruiting rankings.