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The Simplest, Best Playoff Plan

  • Great plan, Steve. I'm glad you considered logistics and costs in your plan as most ideas floated to date are unrealistic.

    People tend to ignore travel costs (flights, gasoline, hotel) and logistics (airlines altering schedules on short notice, number of flights needed to transfer 10,000+ fans accross the country).

    A 4-team playoff makes the most sense. And let's be honest about Ohio State. If the Bucks aren't a top-4 team at the end of a season, it's because (1) they've lost to Michigan, or (2) lost two or more games. The team wouldn't be able to complain about being shut out of the playoff in either situation.

    AlonzoShavers82 ●

  • Why is everyone so intent on awarding home team advantage to two teams, allotting just 12,000 tickets to the visitors, making the visitors travel a great distance, vindictively saying Southern teams should play in freezing weather, etc.? Whatever happened to fairness?

    There should be east and west neutral domed sites set well in advance (years). This would allow for games to be played in northern cities without any outcry. Another possibility would be for both semis to be played at the same site in a "Final Four" weekend. This would ensure fairness and sell out for both games, since many fans would want to make a weekend of it and attend both games. Semis should occur two weeks before the Championship (the weekend before Christmas).
    The Championship game should be played at a BCS Bowl (rotated annually) and the two losers should play in another BCS Bowl. All other Bowls would go on as usual. The B1G vs. PAC 12 Rose Bowl connection would remain the same as it is now in regards to the BCS set of rules.

    IMO, a "Final Four" weekend at one site would cause Corso's head to explode.

    This post has been edited 5 times, most recently by McCague on 4/26/2012 at 11:49 AM

    McCague

  • Steve it would be interesting to see what you think about this subject. I agree with the idea that expecting the average fan to travel to what would be essentially two bowl games in a row is not realistic when it come to the cost! A lot of the average fans basically build their christmas/new years vacation around these events and maybe it would be easier for SEC fans when they only have to travel within their region. I believe that for the Big Ten fans the idea of travel, airline, tickets for two weekends in a row is just not realistic.

    JohnLeva ●

  • Possibly a simple solution to the problem of a school like Boise State or Cincy being ranked #1 or #2....

    Set a threshold for a minimum required stadium size.

    Then every school whose home stadium does not meet the required minimum capacity would be responsible for choosing and arranging an alternative sight in advance. This would mean that the stadium would need to be tentatively booked until the school is mathematically eliminated from contention for hosting a game.

    This would allow the schools to maintain as much of a homefield advantage as possible by allowing them to choose the venue in which they would host the game.

    OSUMBuckeye ●

  • Big Ten teams travel to SEC country every year to play "away" games on "nuetral" sights. its about time SEC teams come up North and play in less than ideal weather if they are a lower seed in Steves play-off scenerio... Imagine LSU playing in a snowstorm, it would be classic. And thats not to say that LSU wouldnt win, it would just be incredible to see a school like that out of their element... FOR ONCE.

    BucknutsFan257

  • By "away" games I meant bowl games, in which neither team is technically away, (except always the Big Ten)

    BucknutsFan257

  • I like the plan, but there is one thing that is not going to get fixed, and thats the time between the Championship Game and the last game played. We are wanting 18-22 year old kids, that play their last game in Late November/Early December, play their next game 5-6 weeks down the road. We have seen teams come out flat, many blowouts, and some monumental upsets, because of this gap. I know its the money, but I want to see the Teams at their best, in the flow of the season. It will never happen, because interest would be lost after the NCG and it would kill the Bowls.

    Timber

  • Fantastic. I agree this is the best for all concerned. Even the NFL does not make team play semi-finals at a neutrual site. The atmosphere at the sem-finals would probably be better than at the Championship. Send this to Meyer, our AD and Delaney immediately. It is brilliant...

    tommy nick

  • Timber said...

    I like the plan, but there is one thing that is not going to get fixed, and thats the time between the Championship Game and the last game played. We are wanting 18-22 year old kids, that play their last game in Late November/Early December, play their next game 5-6 weeks down the road. We have seen teams come out flat, many blowouts, and some monumental upsets, because of this gap. I know its the money, but I want to see the Teams at their best, in the flow of the season. It will never happen, because interest would be lost after the NCG and it would kill the Bowls.

    1st weekend in Dec - Conference Championship Games

    3rd weekend in Dec - Semi-finals at domed neutral sites, or the same "Final Four" site.

    New Year's Day time-frame - Championship Game in a BCS Bowl, 2 semi losers play in another BCS Bowl Game. All other Bowls go on as usual.

    Where's the down-time? Two weeks between games.

    This post was edited by McCague on 4/26/2012 at 12:27 PM

    McCague

  • 8 TEAM PLAYOFF
    6 Conference Champs
    2 at large teams or the next 2 best teams that did not win their conference.
    Seed 'em and play 'em!

    Pretty simple.

    Rabid Dog

  • Are all conversations on this board civil and thought out?
    I like the plan and just stated what I thought could hold it back. Seattle or San Fran for boise?

    My big question is can something like this get through without sec approval.

    shaunsimpson

  • Past results do not reflect future performance, so while 24 of the 28 games that would have been held in the past 14 years would have been south of the Mason-Dixon line or on the West Coast, we don't know that trend will hold in the future.

    But if I was ACC, Pac-12 and SEC and saw that stat, I'd jump at this format knowing that in most years our leagues would host 1 or both of the semifinals.

    SteveHelwagen ●

  • Four teams is too low a number, not really much of a play-off. Same problem of deserving teams not getting in. Should be at least 8, better 16

    BlueHenBuckeye

  • CO Dank said...

    I say 18 team playoff. The top 2 teams of each automatic qualifying conference. theres 6, with the teams in the non AQ's only getting 1 team in (independents, sun belt, mountain west, conference usa, mid american and western athletic) Just to keep it fair to the Boise st, Houston, Central FL teams. The east coast teams playing in the east, west coast teams playing in the west. The team with the highest bcs average of the 2 become the home team and play in their house. The NC should be held to an equal distance respectively to the 2 schools. For instance OSU plays USC in the NC. We then would play maybe in Omaha.

    Also maybe the top 4-6 teams sitting out until the semis and letting the next top AQ's and non AQ's go at it.

    18 is too many teams. However, 4 is too few. I think an NFL type format is the one to go with. But anything over 8 and we forfeit the "other bowls". It should be all or nothing, 12-16 team playoff or forget it. If it goes to 4 there's still gonna be teams that are deserving and get shut out and people who feel they should have been considered to make the playoff will be less interested. I think if they're only going 4 they might as well keep the current format so as not to dilute games like The Rose Bowl.

    Yeah, I said it.

    shalvoy

  • SteveHelwagen said...

    That's my point ... the average fan and the parents of the kids playing have no chance (basically) to go to both the semis and the title game.

    Dont forget the meutral site conference title game before this! That's THREE neutral site games!

    In addition, each player should be given travel, hotel, and game tickets for two for each game for family. They are going to make billions, its the least they can do.

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    buckeye9595 ●

  • The only problem with looking at one the final four would have been by past rankings is that voters would have surely voted differently knowing they were voting for the final four, and jump teams, etc. Just like they do for the final 2 now, so that probably isn't realistic, but fun to imagine anyway...

    signature image signature image signature image

    buckeye9595 ●

  • With only 4 teams involved there is still going to be a team that gets snubbed and could argue they had a shot. I agree with this playoff idea but part of the problem is the seeding and ranking and this system would still not solve that. The system still wouldn't respect the mid majors that are undefeated and argue they should be on the big stage. To me you have to go at least 8 teams but seeing as 4 is as far as the NCAA will go its better than nothing. However, you will still have a problem with the seeding almost every year. Even March Madness has issues with that every year and by keeping the current system of ranking in football this would be no different.

    PatElls07

  • If you don't win your conference, I do not believe you should be in a playoff for the NC. Especially if it is only a 4 team playoff.

    chunk

  • chunk said...

    If you don't win your conference, I do not believe you should be in a playoff for the NC. Especially if it is only a 4 team playoff.

    I agree. I think more importance should be placed on winning the conference. I

    Tenfold ●

  • shaunsimpson said...

    As much as I like this in theory here are the problems I see with this Steve.

    1) I can't see the SEC, parts of the ACC, the Big 12 and parts of the Pac 10 agreeing to have home games in the NE, Midwest, etc. While playing games in a dome may benifit a team to a small degree having teams from Florida that don't play north of Georgia all year (or at least Kentucky) play in Michigan in the winter will provide too much of an advantage for them to approve of this.

    You don't hear our Midwestern Teams complain about always having to head south to play in the bowl games...far from home...warmer temps. Nothing like playing the Gator Bowl against Florida is there? The Sugar Bowl against Georgia or LSU? The Rose Bowl against USC? If a team is really good, they can play in any conditions. Or are they (the SEC) just too soft that they can only play in ideal surroundings?

    Great plan Steve. Good luck getting anyone on the inside to buy into it though. TV revenue is in charge and the NCAA, the AD's and Presidents are all in line.

    Quite frankly, the bowl games are nothing but a joke anymore, and the arguments against a true 16 team playoff, a la the playoffs used by D-II, D-III and NAIA use are a sham. Its all about how much revenue can be generated for the Knottsberry Farm Bowl and not about whose really the best of the best.

    Its to the point, I no longer care to see any "bowl" game...just give me the 16 best teams in a playoff, the rest can have a nice off season.

    This post has been edited 2 times, most recently by OhioHawk07 on 4/26/2012 at 4:31 PM

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    OhioHawk07 ●

  • I have been pushing a plan virtually the same for more than 4 months. I continue to be shot down by SEC homers who call into Sirius XM College Football Nation shows.
    Why the SEC is so intimidated to accept to play in Ann Arbor (and other B1G home stadiums is beyond me (SEC WUSSIES) or in a to be (future) expanded Michigan Stadium in front of a future 125,000 plus fans (and further future 135,000 plus fans show they are SEC wussie's), in prime time the second Saturday in December at 8:30 at night is news to me.
    If the so called Powerful SEC or Powerful B12, Powerful ACC are such WUSSIES and are afraid of (being a man and not a wimp) playing in Ann Arbor (and other B1G stadiums at night in the cold on national TV is reason to be against a common sense play off plan, then they do not have to be a part of the new CFB play off system. Let them form their WUSSIE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.
    Mike Leach was clear last December, he said until the SEC beats the B1G's best team in Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Jan 3rd at night, the SEC has proven nothing, regardless of any BCS championship they have won over the last 7 years.
    Be a man you WUSSIES!

    This post has been edited 2 times, most recently by Maize N Blue on 4/26/2012 at 5:19 PM

    Maize N Blue

  • Why would it be an advantage? its an advantage for SEC and ACC teams to have home field advantage for all the bowl games..I dont hear big 12 teams being upset for playing at WV for their games..so why should SEC or ACC teams not play up north? I am a FSU and OSU fan and I am just sick of hearing southern teams can't play up north..fans up north should not always have to do the traveling. at least the Big 12 brought their teams to WV in the cold and didnt hesitate...

    joshjoneswol

  • Jumping the gun a bit assuming Bama and SC are going to the NC. Trojan fans are going to have a big letdown when Oregon destroys them at the collesium and then again at Autzen. Lol, Go Ducks!!!

    KeepOnDucking

  • Shaun, I like Steves plan and it will work. I say too bad the other conferences don't want to give say a Wisconsin an unfair homefield advantage ina playoff game, much like Florida gets in a bowl game now, or LSU in the Sugar Bowl?
    The Cincinnati game would not have taken place at Nippert, they would have worked out a deal for it to be played in Paul Brown Stadium. And I think Boise would have figured out what to do with all the media and fans - they will make it work.
    Playing the semifinals at the home of the #1 and #2 schools are the only way this is really fair.

    Rjavens

  • There should be an advantage for finishing 1 or 2. Plus, they are going to discover the semifinals will be much better events and much more well attended at campus sites than if they're at a neutral site. Maybe have a 65,000 seat threshold. If the host team can't find a useable stadium with at least that many seats, the governing body would move the game to a stadium that can accommodate it.

    One thing to think about is building rent. When you have a semifinal game in a stadium, you have to pay rent. You have it on campus, there's no rent. They just take the expenses out of the gate receipts.

    SteveHelwagen ●

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