The NCAA football-playoff system

[pjohns]

The four teams selected for the National Championship playoff have now been announced; and three of those teams are entirely uncontroversial: Florida State (undefeated, and the reigning national champion); Oregon (who avenged its only loss of the season--against Arizona--to the tune of 51-13, just the other day); and Alabama (whose 23-17 loss to Ole Miss, way back on October 4, remains its only blemish), were all but certain choices. But Ohio State, TCU, and Baylor all had very reasonable cases to be made for the fourth spot. TCU clobbered an outmanned Iowa State team last weekend, 55.3. And Baylor--which, at about the same time, defeated Number 9 Kansas State, 38-27, is the only team to have defeated TCU this season, in a shootout on October 11, 61-58. But Ohio State's 59-0 romp over Number 13 Wisconsin also made a rather powerful statement.

In the end, I really cannot quibble with the committee's selection of Ohio State--just as I could not have quibbled if it had chosen TCU or Baylor, instead--but I can (and do) quibble with the current, restricted format. Yes, it is an improvement over the old system of a "mythical" national championship. But it is just not sufficiently inclusive.

Granted, no matter how many teams might be included in a playoff system, it is almost certain that the fans of some teams would complain about the exclusion of their own favorite teams. That is certainly the case with the NCAA basketball playoff system (the so-called "Big Dance"). But the more teams that are included, the less compelling the case that might be made that if only an excluded team had been given the opportunity, it could have won the whole shebang. Which is why I would prefer a 16-team playoff system (or at leas an eight-team playoff system). Anything larger than that would probably be impractical for a sport so physically demanding as football is.

[Green Arrow]

I'm not a big fan of the NFL's current playoff format, either. The leading team from each division of each conference is guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. So imagine three of the four teams in a division finish the season 0-16 or 1-15, and the fourth team finishes 2-14. Guess what? That 2-14 team goes to the playoffs and a team that's sitting on 10-6 or 11-5 gets kicked out of the playoffs for a 2-14 team.

[pjohns]

I'm not a big fan of the NFL's current playoff format, either. The leading team from each division of each conference is guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. So imagine three of the four teams in a division finish the season 0-16 or 1-15, and the fourth team finishes 2-14. Guess what? That 2-14 team goes to the playoffs and a team that's sitting on 10-6 or 11-5 gets kicked out of the playoffs for a 2-14 team.

Although the current situation is not quite that dire, the NFC South division does look pretty bad: The Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints are now tied atop the division, with sub-mediocre records of 5-8 each.

But back to the point: If I were a fan of either TCU or Baylor, I would feel as if my favored team just got robbed. Which is not to say that Ohio State was unworthy of the honor. (The Buckeyes' 59-0 trouncing of a ranked Wisconsin team should really not go totally ignored.) But whichever two of these three teams were omitted from the playoffs, it does not seem quite fair.

[hanger4]

I suspect the NCAAF will move to 8 teams sooner rather than later. The 5 major conf. champs and 3 at large. Don't see 16 teams in my life time (i'm 60). The 1AA does 16 teams so saying that's to many is just a canard. The Bowls have been the hold back. They generate and make a lot of $. The NCAA will move to the 8 then 16 as soon as the bowls see the profit. The only reason we have the 4 format now is the top five (mostly Rose, Sugar, Orange) agreed to it.

[pjohns]

I suspect the NCAAF will move to 8 teams sooner rather than later. The 5 major conf. champs and 3 at large.

I think this is probably correct. (The likely uproar, resulting from the exclusion of TCU and Baylor this year, will probably provide the necessary catalyst.)

The NCAA will move to the 8 then 16 as soon as the bowls see the profit. The only reason we have the 4 format now is the top five (mostly Rose, Sugar, Orange) agreed to it.

Again, I tend to agree.

[pjohns]

Well, Ohio State definitely proved that they deserved to be chosen to play for the National Championship, what with their 42-35 upset of Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

As for the two teams that were excluded from the playoffs, whose fans indicated irritation about the exclusion, there was a mixed response: Baylor was the victim of a fourth-quarter comeback by Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl, losing a heartbreaker, 42-41. Yet the previous day, TCU upheld its own end of the bargain by destroying Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl, 42-3.

I still believe that an eight-team playoff system would be preferable to just four teams. (Actually, I would prefer a 16-team playoff system. But that is probably out of the question; at least, anytime within the foreseeable future.)

[pjohns]

Just a short while ago, Ohio State proved more than just their deserving to be in the playoff picture. They proved themselves deserving of the National Championship itself.

[zelmo1234]

It was a good year for the lowly Big 10 as not only did OSU win. but the top 5 big ten teams won their bowl games.

Plus they added another big time coach! Penn State was released from NCAA purgatory It was a very good year

[hanger4]

It was a good year for the lowly Big 10 as not only did OSU win. but the top 5 big ten teams won their bowl games.

Plus they added another big time coach! Penn State was released from NCAA purgatory It was a very good year

Always liked Penn St. Never understood why the NCAA slapped down

the football team for happenings outside their control.

[Captain Obvious]

Always liked Penn St. Never understood why the NCAA slapped down

the football team for happenings outside their control.

The rape thing?

It was widely proven that JoPa and others knew about the rapes but looked the other way.

That's kinda frowned upon in civilized societies.

They should have shut the whole team down IMO but colleges, especially big colleges are wholly corrupt. They'll be raping kids again in no time.