A 24-team FBS playoff instead of the bowls

[QuaoarsKing]

Imagine if we have no more postseason, no conference championship games, no meaningless bowls, just straight to the 24-team playoff the week after Thanksgiving. No break, no opt-outs, no coaches leaving early (except maybe Brian Kelly still would), no teams canceling due to "COVID" a couple hours before kickoff because a couple starters won't play, just 23 awesome, meaningful games that every team desperately wants to win.


I've never really supported this in the past, but the past few years have really changed my mind. This would have been amazing to watch:

 

[QuaoarsKing]

This format is the same as the FCS format, it's not one I just made up. Although actually the FCS just seeds 1-8 and lets the rest float for geographic convenience. The FBS could do that too, but it leads it open to shenanigans that I'd rather avoid.


These seeds are just the Selection Committee's rankings from the week after Thanksgiving. I would strongly prefer to change it to a TRANSPARENT (most important thing) and mathematically valid computer formula.

I think if you just show a skeptic the bracket and let them look over it, there's a good chance they'll change their mind, or at least move in that direction.

 

[CochiseCowbell]

I don't see Miss. State (7-5) on there.*

 

[QuaoarsKing]

I don't see Miss. State (7-5) on there.*

We play the winner of the bracket on January 8 for the national title.

 

[Smoked Toag]

Anywhere from 16-24 can work, I like the idea of giving 2-4 a bye rather than 8 (or none at all). Shrink the schedule back down to 11 games. No conference championships, you can award the conference titles by W/L record (yes, multiple teams can win it if tied - this keeps fanbases engaged). Hard cap of 16 games. That's not too awful.

Literally everyone would have a chance of making that playoff. We would have been in the mix in 2010, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018. That dog will hunt.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

Anywhere from 16-24 can work, I like the idea of giving 2-4 a bye rather than 8 (or none at all). Shrink the schedule back down to 11 games. No conference championships, you can award the conference titles by W/L record (yes, multiple teams can win it if tied - this keeps fanbases engaged). Hard cap of 16 games. That's not too awful.
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Literally everyone would have a chance of making that playoff. We would have been in the mix in 2010, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018. That dog will hunt.

I also think we should move the seasons back to 10 or 11 games in favor of an expanded playoff Change the bowl schedules to serve as neutral sites for 2nd round and additional rounds games.

I am one of the few people that do not like having a month between your last football game and your bowl game.

 

[paindonthurt]

I just don’t see them adding 5 games to a schedule

 

[QuaoarsKing]

Anywhere from 16-24 can work, I like the idea of giving 2-4 a bye rather than 8 (or none at all). Shrink the schedule back down to 11 games. No conference championships, you can award the conference titles by W/L record (yes, multiple teams can win it if tied - this keeps fanbases engaged). Hard cap of 16 games. That's not too awful.

Literally everyone would have a chance of making that playoff. We would have been in the mix in 2010, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018. That dog will hunt.

I think under this 24-team format, the Egg Bowl knocks us to bubble out in 2015 and 2017. So for all the people who say this hurts the regular season, I say it enhances, because imagine how much those Egg Bowl losses crush us. Every November regular season game would mean a whole lot. The Egg Bowl probably knocks us out in 2021 too.

On the other hand, we would have been in as #18 seed in 2018 and #10 in 2014 (assuming CFP rankings don't change if the committee knows it's selecting 24 instead of 4)

 

[QuaoarsKing]

I just don’t see them adding 5 games to a schedule

They're already going to make teams go to 17 under a 12-team arrangement. Going to 24 only adds 1 more game, and I'm suggesting getting rid of the conference championship games to make up for it.

 

[The Peeper]

I can't see giving a team w/ 3 or 4 losses a chance to compete in this i.e. Utah, Northern IL, Clemson, and NC State. We even beat NC St, why do they deserve to be in a post season tournament for a chance at a National Champ Game?

 

[dorndawg]

As hard as it is for P5 to schedule home non-conference games, I wonder if they wouldn't be ok with going back to an 11 game regular season?

 

[QuaoarsKing]

I can't see giving a team w/ 3 or 4 losses a chance to compete in this i.e. Utah, Northern IL, Clemson, and NC State. We even beat NC St, why do they deserve to be in a post season tournament for a chance at a National Champ Game?

Do you think NC State would rattle off 5 straight wins over Pittsburgh, Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama, and Georgia? (The first 3 on the road and the last 2 at neutral sites.) Incredibly unlikely, but the games that include them still be a lot more meaningful.

And if they did somehow run through that gauntlet 5-0, then congrats and enjoy your title.

 

[615dawg]

This format is the same as the FCS format, it's not one I just made up. Although actually the FCS just seeds 1-8 and lets the rest float for geographic convenience. The FBS could do that too, but it leads it open to shenanigans that I'd rather avoid.


These seeds are just the Selection Committee's rankings from the week after Thanksgiving. I would strongly prefer to change it to a TRANSPARENT (most important thing) and mathematically valid computer formula.

I think if you just show a skeptic the bracket and let them look over it, there's a good chance they'll change their mind, or at least move in that direction.

This is the way. I like the NAIA additional qualifier that a conference champion has to be ranked in order to make the playoff. This would have knocked out Northern Illinois in favor of 9-3 Arkansas this year.

 

[PirateDawg]

Why not just make it 32 teams? Why allowa bye to the top 8? That would put 31 bowls in the playoff.

 

[Trojanbulldog19]

Imagine if we have no more postseason, no conference championship games, no meaningless bowls, just straight to the 24-team playoff the week after Thanksgiving. No break, no opt-outs, no coaches leaving early (except maybe Brian Kelly still would), no teams canceling due to "COVID" a couple hours before kickoff because a couple starters won't play, just 23 awesome, meaningful games that every team desperately wants to win.


I've never really supported this in the past, but the past few years have really changed my mind. This would have been amazing to watch:

They don’t want them to play that many games. Get ready for an 8 game regular season

 

[QuaoarsKing]

Why not just make it 32 teams? Why allowa bye to the top 8? That would put 31 bowls in the playoff.

Doing this at home sites would be infinitely better than doing this at bowl sites. You can't ask fanbases to travel all over the country for 5 straight weeks, and it's expensive to fly/haul everything all over. Better to have it at home sites, giving both a homefield advantage to the higher seed, and ensuring a huge, electric crowd. The semifinals and finals should probably be at neutral sites though.

 

[QuaoarsKing]

They don’t want them to play that many games. Get ready for an 8 game regular season

Well, they're already about to expand the playoffs to 12, which will potentially ask teams to play 17 games in a season. My proposal also maxes out at 17.

 

[paindonthurt]

So why even let them play?

 

[QuaoarsKing]

So why even let them play?

Because more football is fun?

 

[Dawgg]

I am one of the few people that do not like having a month between your last football game and your bowl game.

Isn’t that supposed to accommodate finals weeks?

 

[jb1020]

I think You'd still have opt outs

I love it though, but I still think some kids with pro talent would opt out.

 

[The Peeper]

Exactly, its ridiculous to have somebody w/ that many losses considered

 

[Dawgg]

So for all the people who say this hurts the regular season, I say it enhances, because imagine how much those Egg Bowl losses crush us.

Losing the Egg Bowl is already crushing. It doesn’t need an enhancer.

 

[Smoked Toag]

I love it though, but I still think some kids with pro talent would opt out.

No one has ever opted out of the playoff. Not to mention school would still be in session at the beginning of the expanded playoff. And if you make it to the semis, get real, ain’t nobody opting out. You’re crazy.

 

[Smoked Toag]

I just don’t see them adding 5 games to a schedule

Antiquated thinking. If the last 2 years have taught us anything, it’s that college sports can adapt and adapt quickly. This can easily be done, every other division of football does it every year. 16 maximum games.

 

[mstateglfr]

Exactly, its ridiculous to have somebody w/ that many losses considered

You must really dislike the NCAA Tournament.

 

[QuaoarsKing]

You must really dislike the NCAA Tournament.

And every other professional, college, and high school sport in North America, including all the other divisions of college football.

 

[Coast_Dawg]

8 is enough. Top 8 teams play. Only reason 8 are needed is the it’s difficult to pick the correct number 2 without too many people complaining. Bama and Georgia were the best two but Michigan needed to play one of them to be sure. Play top 8 in a playoff and give a clear example of the pecking order of the top teams around the country.