Reset Password
Reset Link Sent
| Blogs > hotfun_1966 > Adventures in Life |
NCAA I-A Football: Time for a REAL playoff?
|
NCAA I-A Football: Time for a REAL playoff? The third edition of the NCAA Division I-A College Football Playoff is finally filled. In the December 31 semifinal games, Number 1 Alabama will face Number 4 Washington in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, and Number 2 Clemson faces Number 3 Ohio State in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, with the winners facing off in the CFP Championship on January 9, 2017. Many teams are crying foul in that they claim they are better teams than OSU (a one-loss team with wins over four ranked teams, which is a better team than either of the two-loss teams that competed for the Big Ten title) or UW (another one-loss team with three wins over ranked teams but a weak non-conference schedule). Penn State lost two games against Pittsburgh (close) and Michigan (blown out). Michigan lost two close games to Iowa (at home) and OSU (at Columbus). Oklahoma lost to Houston and OSU in two non-conference clashes of ranked teams. Colorado lost to Michigan and USC before being blown out in the Pac-12 title game by UW. The selection committee chose the four best teams. Since all other teams had two losses (except undefeated MAC Champion Western Michigan), they did not have to use the tiebreakers such as conference title and head-to-head matchup. WMU didn't get into the CFP top four because of their strength of schedule. Perhaps it is time for the NCAA to get rid of the antiquated bowl games, coaches polls and faux football playoffs in Division I-A, and do what Divisions I-AA, II & III have already done: implement a REAL playoff system. The bowl games and polls have outlived their usefulness, established in an era long before the "playoffs". The serious flaws of the BCS and CFP show just how much a real playoff is needed. Here's how a real 16 team Division I-A playoff would work: just as in Division I basketball, all conference champions receive automatic berths. The remaining entries of the field are the best of the rest (e.g. the best independent team and the best five non-conference champions based on strength of schedule and record). Expanding the CFP from four to eight teams, as suggested by some, suffers the same flaw as the current four-team playoff: all the berths are selected by the CFP committee. The 16-team system silences the arguments of left-out conference champions, since they would be guaranteed a berth in the playoff. If strength of schedule questions arise, address them in the bracket seeding, just as the NCAA basketball tournament does. Without such a change, there is no way a "Group of 5" or lesser independent school can ever win a I-A championship. There has even been a discussion of subdividing, yet again, Division I football! Do we really need three Division I levels? That's what some in the "Group of 5" want to do, to ensure one of their schools can be called a champion. Note that all Division I schools competed for the bowl games, until the I-A (FBS)/I-AA (FCS) split in 1978. Just to refresh your memories, here are the 10 current Division I-A football conferences: * denotes so-called "Power 5" conferences, the real players in the CFP ** denotes so-called "Group of 5" conferences with no real hope of ever winning a CFP championship - American Athletic (AAC) ** - Atlantic Coast (ACC) * - Big 12 ( originally the Big 8 ) ( XII ) * - Big Ten (B1G) * - Conference USA (C-USA) ** - Mid-American (MAC) ** - Mountain West (MW) ** - Pacific 12 (originally Pacific 8 then Pacific 10) (Pac-12) * - Southeastern (SEC) * - Sun Belt (SUN) ** That's my take. What do you think? Is it time for a REAL Division I-A playoff?  ------------------- JANUARY 9, 2017 UPDATE:. Clemson dethroned defending CFP champion Alabama 35-31 in a rematch of last year's shootout, on a last second 2-yard TD pass from Heisman finalist Deshaun Watson to walk-on wide receiver Hunter Renfrow. 
|
|||
|
I'm curious to see what others have to say...
| ||
|
The best Wisconsin could have done with a win last night was the Rose Bowl, since OSU beat them earlier in the year. That's why I suggest the 16 team playoff, so each conference champion is guaranteed at least one game in the playoff and a limited number of the best of the rest also have a chance. Thanks for your comment. 
| ||
|
I don't think it matters how many teams are involved, there would ALWAYS be controversy over who was left out. IMHO the committee usually gets it right. Last year, I thought Clemson might have been a questionable choice because of strength of schedule but they blew out OU 37-17 in the semis and gave Bama a tough battle in the finale, losing 45-40. Remember, the goal of the Playoff is to determine the best team in the country, I don't think you need more than four slots to do that; even in such a small pool, you're bound to get the right answer.
| ||
|
I don't think it matters how many teams are involved, there would ALWAYS be controversy over who was left out. IMHO the committee usually gets it right. Last year, I thought Clemson might have been a questionable choice because of strength of schedule but they blew out OU 37-17 in the semis and gave Bama a tough battle in the finale, losing 45-40. Remember, the goal of the Playoff is to determine the best team in the country, I don't think you need more than four slots to do that; even in such a small pool, you're bound to get the right answer. Alabama wins nearly every year? Talk about bias. Did you see the referees throw the $EC Championship game against Florida Saturday? Alabama got the benefit of every doubt and Florida did not. Why bother having a rule book when it cannot be consistently, correctly and fairly enforced?!? Oh, and don't get me started about how Clemson got screwed by the zebras last year either. I assume you've heard the old axiom about "a thoroughbred by committee is a g.d. mule". In this case, it is a crimson elephant. Get rid of the bowls, polls and committee. Play a real playoff. There will be far less griping and controversy. I'd like to see Western Michigan beat the crap out of Alabama, but the way the system is now, that can never happen. As the CFP system stands now, only teams from "Power 5" conferences (Big 10, Big 12, Pac 12, $EC, ACC) and independents like Notre Dame will ever make the CFP top four. Teams from the "Group of 5" conferences (MAC, MW, AAC, C-USA, SUN) never will, even with a most deserving team like this year's Western Michigan team. The best one of these teams can do is be invited to one of the CFP cartel's "New Year's Six" bowls. Thanks for your comment.
|
Become a member to create a blog
