ADVERTISEMENT

Not one bowl game has been sold out yet! Both the playoff games

are sold out. Time for an 8 game playoff.
There's an easy solution which has been discussed a lot. Eight team playoff with the first round being played at the home stadium of the higher ranked team. All P5 champions get a bid. The highest ranked G5 conference champion gets a bid. Two at large bids. It gives access to everyone and makes a conference championship mean something. It also creates the possibility of an SEC team playing a game in the north in December. For that reason alone the SEC will never agree to it.
 
There's an easy solution which has been discussed a lot. Eight team playoff with the first round being played at the home stadium of the higher ranked team. All P5 champions get a bid. The highest ranked G5 conference champion gets a bid. Two at large bids. It gives access to everyone and makes a conference championship mean something. It also creates the possibility of an SEC team playing a game in the north in December. For that reason alone the SEC will never agree to it.

I won't argue the exclusion of 4 conferences (we know my stance) but I don't see how 8 solves anything. Of course, 4 didn't solve anything and we got that. 8 is better than what we have but that just means 3 SEC teams most years. I'm pretty sure Alabama and Auburn would have gotten the 2 at large bids this year. Maybe Wisconsin but probably Auburn...I think they would have just flipped them in the standings
 
I won't argue the exclusion of 4 conferences (we know my stance) but I don't see how 8 solves anything. Of course, 4 didn't solve anything and we got that. 8 is better than what we have but that just means 3 SEC teams most years. I'm pretty sure Alabama and Auburn would have gotten the 2 at large bids this year. Maybe Wisconsin but probably Auburn...I think they would have just flipped them in the standings
No plan will make everyone happy. If one conference gets both at large bids then so be it. That's the way it should be if the goal is including the best teams, subjective as that may be. One more condition - the at large teams will always be the #7 and #8 seeds, again because being a conference champion should have some value.
 
Lets just not have a championship at all. All problems solved.

Works for me. Frankly, I'm okay either way, though I doubt not having a championship will solve attendance problems at other bowls. Maybe having a bunch of them disappear will help, but I doubt it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ThePennsyOracle
I won't argue the exclusion of 4 conferences (we know my stance) but I don't see how 8 solves anything. Of course, 4 didn't solve anything and we got that. 8 is better than what we have but that just means 3 SEC teams most years. I'm pretty sure Alabama and Auburn would have gotten the 2 at large bids this year. Maybe Wisconsin but probably Auburn...I think they would have just flipped them in the standings
It would solve one thing. Every P5 school would have a clear predefined path to the playoff. You now take the decision making for the most part out of the committees hands and it determined on the field. No more look tests or resumes. You win your p5 conference you are in. If you don’t then you are at the mercy of the committee. Also most likely they will cap the number of teams per conference.

5 P5 champions get autobid
1 Highest ranked G5 champion if in the top 12
The rest are at large.

Top 4 conference champions or independents host first round. The other four teams are seeded 5-8.

1. Clemson host 8. UCF
2. Oklahoma host 7. USC
3. Georgia host 6. Wisconsin
4. Ohio State host 5. Alabama
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nitwit97
Economics comes into play at some point.
The pricing points for tickets travel lodging are big time negatives for going to a game.
There are too many games designed for TV coverage. Etc etc
 
It would solve one thing. Every P5 school would have a clear predefined path to the playoff. You now take the decision making for the most part out of the committees hands and it determined on the field. No more look tests or resumes. You win your p5 conference you are in. If you don’t then you are at the mercy of the committee. Also most likely they will cap the number of teams per conference.

5 P5 champions get autobid
1 Highest ranked G5 champion if in the top 12
The rest are at large.

Top 4 conference champions or independents host first round. The other four teams are seeded 5-8.

1. Clemson host 8. UCF
2. Oklahoma host 7. USC
3. Georgia host 6. Wisconsin
4. Ohio State host 5. Alabama

I get what you're saying but I have a problem with only the P5 having a predefined path--if they have one then IMO all 10 conferences must have one. I don't think Ohio State should host Bama just because they won the Big Ten either. But, yes, this is better than the 4 team BS we have right now.

After watching Penn State all year I'm truly shocked this board isn't begging for a 16 team playoff right now...at least 16 teams
 
It would solve one thing. Every P5 school would have a clear predefined path to the playoff. You now take the decision making for the most part out of the committees hands and it determined on the field. No more look tests or resumes. You win your p5 conference you are in. If you don’t then you are at the mercy of the committee. Also most likely they will cap the number of teams per conference.

5 P5 champions get autobid
1 Highest ranked G5 champion if in the top 12
The rest are at large.

Top 4 conference champions or independents host first round. The other four teams are seeded 5-8.

1. Clemson host 8. UCF
2. Oklahoma host 7. USC
3. Georgia host 6. Wisconsin
4. Ohio State host 5. Alabama

I would just love to see Alabama come to Columbus in Late December. That would be worth the price of admission alone.:)
 
  • Like
Reactions: PSU_Nut
Here’s my scenario. The P5 conference champions advance which makes the conference championship games defacto playoff games. The top ranked G5 champion advances, so in essence the G5 championship games are similar to playoff games since you have to win to have a chance of advancing. At the end of the regular season, the week before conference championship games, the committee selects the top four teams that are either independents or did not win their division to advance to their conference championship game. Those four teams compete in play-in games at the home field of the higher seeded team on the same weekend as the conference championship games. The following week there are 4 games at the home field of the top 4 rated G5 champions. The teams that didn’t advance to this round are eligible for bowl games.
 
Here’s my scenario. The P5 conference champions advance which makes the conference championship games defacto playoff games. The top ranked G5 champion advances, so in essence the G5 championship games are similar to playoff games since you have to win to have a chance of advancing. At the end of the regular season, the week before conference championship games, the committee selects the top four teams that are either independents or did not win their division to advance to their conference championship game. Those four teams compete in play-in games at the home field of the higher seeded team on the same weekend as the conference championship games. The following week there are 4 games at the home field of the top 4 rated G5 champions. The teams that didn’t advance to this round are eligible for bowl games.
Can you imagine people trying to understand this? lol. I get what you're doing and it isn't a bad idea. It's way too complicated for the average fan IMO
 
The problem then becomes the attendance for the first round and how to plan to attend the second and third round not knowing if your school will be there.

I also think the jacked up prices for bowl trips hurt attendance
 
are sold out. Time for an 8 game playoff.

The Rose Bowl sells out every year regardless of matchup. The Sugar Bowl typically sells out every year as well given its proximity to SEC country. Had they not been the playoff bowls, they plus the two playoff bowls woulda been sold out. That doesn’t mean it fixes it but it’s the nature of ESPN creating/owning bowls to have December tv content.
 
Lets just not have a championship at all. All problems solved.

participation-trophies.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: psuro
At least for me, the main issue for not attending bowls the past several years is the cost to fly places anymore. The prices I was getting for just flights this year to Arizona was more then I paid for Flight+hotel+game ticket for bowls I went in years past.


And as for the playoffs thing, I agree with the general idea of an 8 team playoff, where all P5 conference champs get in, then at large teams and the highest ranked G5 team (With some language about if somehow 2 G5 conference champions are ranked in the top 8, they both get go go).
 
All these “top 8” scenarios sound to me like Notre Dame would be an at large every year.
 
Fans can only travel to one bowl so I agree other games should be played at the highest seeded stadium or perhaps at the location of the conference championship games - more roofs. Those are normally closer. Not sure we could sell out Beaver Stadium in frigid weather with probably $150 ticket prices. The pee in the troughs would turn to icicles today.
 
  • Like
Reactions: step.eng69
All these “top 8” scenarios sound to me like Notre Dame would be an at large every year.

They have played for one national title since 1989 and they were 12-0 going into the game. ND isn't getting into anything without being comparable, and with all the BS we hear year to year (signature wins, looks test, etc) they are not immune.
 

Helps that Miami, TCU, Texas, FAU (true home game) & Memphis basically had home games but they couldn't even sell out considering that--not a good sign. Navy sold out a home game.
Penn State travels as well, if not better, than anyone and we didn't break 90%
The Vegas Bowl, Armed Forces Bowl (guessing because of Army) and Arizona Bowl (surprising) had solid numbers
 
I think the Big 12 folds. 9 of those teams can get a better financial deal in one of the other Power conferences.

4, 16 team conferences
4 pods in each conference
4 pod champions = Sweet 16 round
Conference Championship Games = final 8
4 Conferences Champions go to playoffs

I like the 4 pods because you play the other 3 teams in your pod every year and rotate 2 from each of the other 3 pods every year. You get to see all of the teams in the conference more often.
 
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT