College Football desperately needs an eight-team play-off
After penning an overly-long article about Alabama and Ohio State and why Ohio State didn’t get into the play-off but Alabama did, we at the SEC Football Blog also thought it was time to say what should be done about College Football.
Why? Because if we’re honest, we’re getting bored of the arguments about who should be in, and who shouldn’t.
In the past, we hated the BCS and its computers, we hated the pollsters, we hated everything that defined a National Champion. We hated the BCS so much that we put in a play-off committee to decide things.
Who then screwed things up. They seemed to be able to shoot themselves in the foot, be inconsistent, and seem like they are bias. In other words, they were faulty….like all humans are. Accusations will fly back and forth between Tuscaloosa and Columbus about that, and we simply don’t know. All we know is that Ohio State won its Championship, Alabama didn’t, and yet Alabama got into the Play-Off and Ohio State didn’t.
But this could have all been sorted by an 8-team play-off.
So here’s our idea.
THE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS
You would have five spots for Power 5 Conference winners.
In 2017, that would be Clemson, Oklahoma, Georgia, Ohio State and USC ranked in that order.
THE AT-LARGES
Then you would have two at-large teams and the top Non Power-5 school.
Our two at-large teams would have been Alabama (11-1 record) and probably Wisconsin (one loss). The non-Power 5 school would be UCF.
OUR PLAY-OFF RANKINGS
Our rankings:
- Oklahoma (Big XII Champs, better strength of schedule)
- Clemson (ACC Champs, beat 11-1 Miami)
- Georgia (SEC Champs, 11-1, only loss to then 10-2 Auburn )
- Ohio State (Big Ten Champions, wins over two Top 5 schools)
- USC (Pac-12 Champions)
- UCF (Highest-ranked Power-5 school by AP, 13-0 record)
- Alabama (Best at-large bid (11-1 record)
- Wisconsin (Best at-large bid (12-1 record)
THE MATCH-UPS
That would set up: Oklahoma vs Wisconsin, Clemson vs Alabama, Georgia vs UCF, Ohio State vs USC.
IMPORTANCE OF REGULAR SEASON KEPT
Of course, those bemoaning it hate the fact that an 8-team play-off would ‘reduce the importance of the regular season’ and ‘might have to reduce the regular season’.
The importance of the regular season is still going to be there. Teams will still have to get to Championship games, win them, and guarantee themselves a play-off spot. Losing a Championship Game but having a better record than anyone there becomes important (see Wisconsin over Auburn would be the only one to cause the controversy, although Wisconsin only has 1 loss compared to Auburn’s 3).
AND WE ALSO HELP THE SMALL SCHOOLS STILL
Here’s the argument for a reduction in games: While Applachian State beating Michigan (or in SEC terms, Mississippi State over South Alabama or Troy over LSU or ULM over Alabama) happens ever so often, it’s not a regular occurrence. Sorry you won’t get to see your team play Mercer, Alabama and Auburn fans. Bigger non-conference games means more fun for us all.
Or alternatively, don’t reduce the games at all. In the NFL, players will have to learn to play 16+ games anyway (unless you play for Cleveland, where it’s a straight 16!). The players themselves are at the peak, and against smaller oppostion, play the back-ups immediately. The average team size is 118, with 85 scholarships. The back-ups at Alabama should be able to hammer Alabama A&M. The small teams get their $1 million, the fans get their victory, the back-ups get to play, the starters get rested, and everyone’s happy. This happens in professional soccer all the time when a team’s trying to balance cup games and European games and league games. It works. And if fans complain that they aren’t seeing their superstars play Mercer and stay away, someone else will take their place. And you know what happens there? A FBS’ fanbase enlarges.
WE CAN’T WAIT
Can’t wait to watch the Oklahoma vs Wisconsin, Clemson vs Alabama, Georgia vs UCF and Ohio State vs USC play-off games.
Oh….wait….. in my dreams.