04/26/24
June 26, 2012
The college football playoff is a go: The mythical NCAA football championship has expanded from two teams to four. As of the 2014 season, the top four teams at the end of the season will be seeded 1-4 and 2-3 in a rotation of the four current BCS bowls (and two more to be determined) on December 31st and January 1st, with the winners proceeding to a championship game (which cities will bid to host, much like the Super Bowl) on the first Monday in January at least six days after the latter semifinal. The selections will be made by a committee, which will take into account records, strength of schedule, head-to-head results and conference championships.
It's a step, at least. Better that than another year like 2011 where no game played after October ended up meaning anything toward the championship.
posted by Etrigan at 11:27 PM on June 26, 2012
A four-team playoff is a joke; it would be like the college basketball tournaments having just 16 teams.
I disagree - the football championship is only about the championship, while the basketball tournament is as much about being in the tournament itself. The number of football teams in serious contention for being considered the best team in the country is usually somewhere around 4, while I'm sure there are quite a few tournament teams that would be overjoyed just to get out of the first round. There will certainly still be disagreements from schools like Boise State, but a 4-team playoff is still way better than what they had.
posted by LionIndex at 12:49 AM on June 27, 2012
Won't this actually be just a two team playoff system? I'm sure Alabama and LSU will have permanent spots in the bracket.
posted by NoMich at 07:58 AM on June 27, 2012
And Ohio State, now that they have a proper SEC coach.
posted by Etrigan at 08:44 AM on June 27, 2012
Gotta love all the SEC hate.
In other news this is a step in the right direction. Even as a die-hard Bama fan (then sec fan) I realize college football has become too predictable and even a bit dull. Id love to see someone else play for a national championship.
posted by Folkways at 10:57 AM on June 27, 2012
They will be expanding to 8 teams before 2020.
I guarantee it.
posted by grum@work at 11:25 AM on June 27, 2012
Pretty much the majority of Football Bowl Subdivision teams have been permanently eliminated.
This story claims that non-BCS schools would have gotten five spots in the past 12 years, if this playoff was in place, and Boise State would've been in last year.
As long as this leads to an eight-team playoff, I think this is great. College football is going to love having Super Bowl-style bid cities.
posted by rcade at 11:46 AM on June 27, 2012
College football has the best regular season of all sports because each and every game matters. The wider you spread the playoffs, the more you dilute the quality and excitement of regular season play.
posted by bperk at 01:34 PM on June 27, 2012
This story claims that non-BCS schools would have gotten five spots in the past 12 years, if this playoff was in place, and Boise State would've been in last year.
They say that's based on "data provided to the [college] presidents", but I have to ask what that data was based on. At the end of the 2011 season, Boise State was ranked no higher than 6th in any poll (USA Today [Coaches] and Harris), behind the SEC, Big 12 and Pac-12 champions and one SEC team that would have been put in by any selection committee that wasn't specifically kept from considering teams that didn't win their conference -- which included Boise State, who lost a game and the Mountain West Conference title to TCU.
posted by Etrigan at 04:23 PM on June 27, 2012
College football has the best regular season of all sports because each and every game matters.
Not for the teams outside the BCS.
posted by rcade at 05:50 PM on June 27, 2012
College football has the best regular season of all sports because each and every game matters.
Not for the teams outside the BCS.
Except BYU.
posted by Etrigan at 06:12 PM on June 27, 2012
A four-team playoff is a joke; it would be like the college basketball tournaments having just 16 teams. Pretty much the majority of Football Bowl Subdivision teams have been permanently eliminated.