Posted on 12/09/2017 8:18:24 PM PST by blam
The College Football Playoff field is set and there was one controversial decision — the committee took Alabama over Ohio State.
While our projection had Alabama in as the fourth team rather easily, many felt that Ohio State had he stronger resume based on bigger wins and the sometimes important conference championship. Playoff committee chairman Kirby Hocutt made it sound like the decision wasn't that hard, calling the Buckeyes' 31-point loss to unranked Iowa "damaging" and noting that the committee felt Alabama was "clearly the No. 4 team in the country.".
The decision was also controversial because it means this year's playoff will have no teams from the Big Ten and the Pac-12. Instead, it will have two teams from the SEC, including one team that did not reach their conference championship game.
Of course, all of that would easily be fixed if the NCAA would just move to the one thing most fans want — an 8-team playoff.
Here is what the 8-team playoff would look like this season based on the final rankings. The champions of the Power 5 conferences received automatic bids, and then we gave the final three spots to the highest ranked team from a Group of 5 conferences and two at-large teams.
8-team College Football Playoff ESPN; Business Insider
An 8-team playoff solves two of the biggest gripes against the current system: 1) winning a Power 5 conference would mean something more than just a tiebreaker between otherwise even teams; and 2) it would give a team like undefeated UCF a chance to prove they can play with the big schools.
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(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
But how will it allow them to stack the deck in favor of the sec?
The last three spots would be by at large conference champions. No Championship no entry.
The SEC is the best conference in football. They would deserve at least four spots if the CFP expanded.
That sounds like the FA Cup.
I agree. division I-AA, II and III all do this. It makes sense.
That would be a reasonable rule. But Nick Saban lost that argument last year when Ohio State made the playoff (and proceeded to get beat soundly). I bet the Big 10 wishes it never got rid of Saban's reasonable rule last year. Ohio State wasn't Big 10 champ, but made the playoffs and promptly got thumped. That, coupled with Michigan State's dismal playoff performance in the 2015-2016 playoffs revealed that Big 10 teams don't deserve to be in the playoffs.
And have bowl games go into February?
The committee made it very clear that Ohio State's 31 point loss to unranked Iowa was a deal breaker; there was no way to compensate for that loss, conference winner or not.
“Sorry Tide , fans, but if you can’t win your conference you do not belong in the playoffs. And Yes, they are a damn good team, but conference losses need to mean more than they do now.”
Sorry...wrong quote. This is what I was referring to.
The Mercer win put Alabama over the top...
They won’t stop until some mediocre team sneaks in with four losses.
Yeah... they should feel good about that quality win. /s
College ball is as corrupt as the NFL
You got your play off quit bitching
I see no justification for any two loss teams being in it.
Why? $$$$
That's the only reason for an eight team playoff. $$$$
Hillarys Gate Cult wrote: ““if you can’t win your conference you do not belong in the playoffs.” What famous coach said that? Nick Saban. But it wasn’t this season.”
You’re overlooking the Alabama Rule which states that:
1. If Alabama is undefeated, then they’re in the playoffs.
2. If Alabama has been defeated, they’re in the playoffs.
You want an eight team playoff? Merge the Power Five into a Power Four. Four conferences each with two divisions. Total eight divisions. Division winners play in conference championships. Only winners advance.
Too bad Alabama.
Too bad Notre Dame.
and where were you when Ohio State leap froged their conference champion Penn State last year? Hmmmmm?
When it was apparent what decision the committee had to make, their decision last year was right there to haunt them. They had no choice based off what they did last year. I said at the time before the final 4 were selected for this year that whatever the decision, the debate would be right for the 8 team call.
I’m all for the conference champions being a lock.
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