Why do so many think this solves Alabama dominance ? On this forum I read many sound arguments about CFB. SO I pose this question, does adding more mediocre teams change anything but the number of playoff blow outs? Add 4 more does anyone feel or think teams 5-8 would fair any better than 2-4 did this year? In CFP history most play off games are pretty lopsided wins. Even the title game has been a few times. Does adding another round of playoffs change anything but expose top real teams to more injury exposure? I mean honestly using this year or last year does any team in top 10 give LSU or Bama a real game. Most of the best close games came from within our own conference, adding a Coastal Carolina or North Carolina or other way over ranked team, may let them say they made playoff but does the slaughter help them in the long run or change the eventual winner? I say no, please make any good argument for expansion, ESPN and other talking heads have made not one solid argument I would like to hear from real football minds, you guys. Thanks and roll tide.
CFP EXPANSION
- Thread starter RT27
- Start date
Alabama is just the excuse of the day. They want it for inclusion.
I believe everyone understands anyone can be beaten on any day(thats why the football is pointed on both ends,it can bounce anywhere) If you lose one game no problem it happens, two loss team and you have few flaws a three loss team and you should not be in the conversation no matter who you lose two!
Let's include those weak conference champions so we can beat the crap out of them for a good warm up. Then we can be primed and ready for the real teams in the playoffs.
I think the conversation right now about expanding the college football playoff centers around inclusion rather than “solving the Alabama problem“. The two are related, however, because right now Alabama takes up 25% of the available college football playoff slots pretty much every year. Clemson takes up another 25%. More often than not Ohio State takes up another 25%. That only leaves 25% of the available playoff spots for the entire college football world aside from those three teams. One spot.
What people want (i’m talking about both fans and people who are watching out for the “health” of the sport ) is to see more available spots. Yes, Alabama, Clemson, and Ohio State are likely to still take up three spots, but it would be three of eight instead of three of four (assuming that we would move to an eight team playoff next). That means they would be five slots available for the rest of the college football world instead of only one.
There are different ideas about how to fill all of the slots, but that’s a different conversation. But the problem the folks are trying to solve is one of inclusion. We’re losing much of the nation ‘a interest now, since teams from their area or conference never ever get into the playoffs. It’s a legit problem. I see the playoffs expanding soon so that teams from the west can be included. Same for the G5. In the current climate they’re seldom going to be one of the top four. If it is structured in such a way that everyone has a legitimate shot at the beginning of the season then the entire country will stay tuned into college football a little bit more during the season, and that is likely better for everyone.
What people want (i’m talking about both fans and people who are watching out for the “health” of the sport ) is to see more available spots. Yes, Alabama, Clemson, and Ohio State are likely to still take up three spots, but it would be three of eight instead of three of four (assuming that we would move to an eight team playoff next). That means they would be five slots available for the rest of the college football world instead of only one.
There are different ideas about how to fill all of the slots, but that’s a different conversation. But the problem the folks are trying to solve is one of inclusion. We’re losing much of the nation ‘a interest now, since teams from their area or conference never ever get into the playoffs. It’s a legit problem. I see the playoffs expanding soon so that teams from the west can be included. Same for the G5. In the current climate they’re seldom going to be one of the top four. If it is structured in such a way that everyone has a legitimate shot at the beginning of the season then the entire country will stay tuned into college football a little bit more during the season, and that is likely better for everyone.
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To be honest, even 4 teams is a stretch in most years. I can’t remember a year in which both semifinal games were truly competitive. Expanding the playoffs is just going to give us more undeserving teams.
It is only a stretch if your main criteria is the ability to actually win the CFP. What the other schools want is to be included in the CFP. They know that they will still lose, but they want a tiny shot rather than a meaningless bowl game.
It has nothing at all to do with Alabama dominance. OK, it has 95% of nothing at all to do with Alabama dominance. The complaint isn't that Alabama makes the playoff every year. There are multiple complaints, and expanding he CFP IS (in fact) a way of addressing some legit gripes. I mean, I'm not a fan of expanding it at all, but it's about to become necessary for economic reasons if it isn't already.
Right now - every year - Alabama and Clemson are assured of making the playoff just so long as they don't lose more than one game. A third spot goes to either Oklahoma or Ohio State depending on circumstances. That leaves 125 (or whatever the number is) teams to fight for ONE PLAYOFF spot. At least 3 of those teams have made the Chosen Four every single year except the first one.
Making the playoffs (or title game) makes your job at signing 5-star players easier which makes it easier to return to the playoffs once again and keep the cycle going. Then you have the fact the 5-stars (and even the 4-stars) migrate towards the dominant programs for two reasons: 1) national titles; 2) NFL careers.
What's the result? The teams without a prayer do occasionally have some NFL talent (esp a number of teams like Florida or LSU), so they sit out the exhibition bowl games, which both lowers the prestige of the game (admittedly not what it was) AND fan interest in the game.
I don't disagree with your basic points here. But the only way to sort of widen the circle a bit - the so-called "inclusion argument" if you will - is that if you expand to 8 or perhaps 16 teams, you can at least widen the possibility of a more competitive tournament through the diffusion of talent from the Chosen Four to the "we're almost there" group....which will also increase competition AND result in some different teams (on occasion) breaking through (and not necessarily the Boise States of the world).
From a standpoint of excellence, it's not something I favor. But if you're a CFB fan, the sport is going to have to do something before we turn into the NASCAR of sports. Once it becomes as predictable as it has, fans will tune out in droves. And remember - a LOT of fans did just that this year. And when that happens they realize, "Hey, there's actually life outside the sports I like."
Getting those fans back is nearly impossible. Without fans and money - and TV - there's simply no product. And Alabama fans can get as pumped up and haughty as they want but.......if you don't have someone to play, YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR TEAM EITHER. (I will never understand why this concept is so hard for people to grasp. "I don't care about them, I just care about Alabama football" - well, you better care enough to make sure you have opponents or there won't be any Alabama football.
Many times nations adopt a particular ideological perspective or economy simply to survive as nations. The same thing happens with sports. If they don't adapt - they don't survive.
Never heard "expand the playoffs" when The Patriots were winning...
It's a weak "I'm not good enough to win but let me in so my feelings don't get hurt" mentality...
Come out and say that its about money and I'll get over it. Keep lying about inclusion and unfairness and you may as well make your bed in Opelika...
*"You" is a blanket term in this case...
It's a weak "I'm not good enough to win but let me in so my feelings don't get hurt" mentality...
Come out and say that its about money and I'll get over it. Keep lying about inclusion and unfairness and you may as well make your bed in Opelika...
*"You" is a blanket term in this case...
And btw - why would I care if I'm some of the other teams?
It will never cease to amaze me the absolute tongue bathing pundits are willing to give the Oklahoma Sooners in college football. I love the amazing 180 degree pivot from "Iowa State is no good, they lost to Louisiana" to "Oklahoma is a playoff team because they beat the team ranked in the top ten - that was no good because they lost to Louisiana."
It will never cease to amaze me the absolute tongue bathing pundits are willing to give the Oklahoma Sooners in college football. I love the amazing 180 degree pivot from "Iowa State is no good, they lost to Louisiana" to "Oklahoma is a playoff team because they beat the team ranked in the top ten - that was no good because they lost to Louisiana."
heck with just 4 teams look at the blow outs in the playoff.....makes me wonder why people want to see more teams get blown out.
Of course you don't care - your team is included. But if this discussion were happening in 1996 you would have cared a great deal.
But baseball expanded the playoffs when the Yankees were winning.....and look what happened. The Yankees have won ONE World Series in 20 years now. The Florida Marlins and KC Royals have as many WS wins as they Yankees do.
I know this is a coorelation rather than causation thing, but I just wanted to add that I hate the Yankees.
What kind of lesson is this though...You can't make it on your own, so we'll change the rules?
You mentioned that they just want to be included...Never in my life have I "just wanted to be included."
I'd be in an apartment selling shoes if I just wanted to be included...
(Poor man's Al Bundy? But he did score 4 TDs against Polk High in the City Championship, so he got a trophy.LOL)
*Not at you B1G...
Baseball is a totally different animal...
What's next then? Say Bama,Clemson and tOSU win 4 of the next 5....better make it a 32 team playofff? Make it like the NCAABB Tourney and go 64 ? (wait, that wasn't enough for the whiners either. 64!!!)
I get what you are saying, and understand that both of my favorite schools are among the included so I am not denigrating the current system. It has helped both of our programs tremendously. But it is killing the bowl games. Absolutely killing them. And while many here don't care about the bowl games, I love them. And while many here only care about Alabama, I love the sport, not just my schools.
If we want the sport to remain healthy, we have to care for all of the members. The easiest way to do that is by expanding the CFP. Expanded interest is good for everyone. The same teams will win every year, but everyone will feel like that they are a part of it.
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