The playoff has to go eight teams.

[Palatine]

I predicted a good while back that then the play off would go to eight teams faster than anyone anticipated. I could see it happening by the 2016/17 season.

A key driver is the big 12 getting left out in the cold and the B10 thinking that could have been us. Four teams is unworkable because it leaves a P5 team out in the cold every single year. In fact, I believe Ohio State got in the playoff -not because they were better than TCU- because politically the B10 is stronger than the B12. They could have made a very big stink.

Now suppose that next year the SEC has a good year with two top four teams, then two of the P5 conferences lose out. That would get ugly fast.

The biggest reason I expect expansion to eight is money. The playoff will draw huge ratings. This college football post season will make more money than the bowl system ever produced. Once those dollar signs get in the eyes of the P5...

The up side for UConn is that at eight teams it becomes likely that non P5 teams get to share the spoils. And if the money keeps rolling in, expect 16 teams, just like the FCS divisions.

 

[junglehusky]

I wonder if it would go straight to 8, or first go to 6. Top two seeds get a bye - this year it would be Bama and Oregon. Six would tend to favor P5 most years. Eight would be much more inclusive of ND / BYU / G5.

 

[bc puckett]

I predicted a good while back that then the play off would go to eight teams faster than anyone anticipated. I could see it happening by the 2016/17 season.

A key driver is the big 12 getting left out in the cold and the B10 thinking that could have been us. Four teams is unworkable because it leaves a P5 team out in the cold every single year. In fact, I believe Ohio State got in the playoff -not because they were better than TCU- because politically the B10 are stronger than the B12. They could have made a very big stink.

Now suppose that next year the SEC has a good year with two top four teams, then two of the P5 conferences lose out. That would get ugly fast.

The biggest reason I expect expansion to eight is money. The playoff will draw huge ratings. This college football post season will make more money than the bowl system ever produced. Once those dollar signs get in the eyes of the P5.

The up side for UConn is that at eight teams it becomes likely that non P5 teams get to share the spoils. And if the money keeps rolling in, expect 16 teams, just like the FCS divisions.

I predicted a good while back that then the play off would go to eight teams faster than anyone anticipated. I could see it happening by the 2016/17 season.

A key driver is the big 12 getting left out in the cold and the B10 thinking that could have been us. Four teams is unworkable because it leaves a P5 team out in the cold every single year. In fact, I believe Ohio State got in the playoff -not because they were better than TCU- because politically the B10 is stronger than the B12. They could have made a very big stink.

Now suppose that next year the SEC has a good year with two top four teams, then two of the P5 conferences lose out. That would get ugly fast.

The biggest reason I expect expansion to eight is money. The playoff will draw huge ratings. This college football post season will make more money than the bowl system ever produced. Once those dollar signs get in the eyes of the P5.

The up side for UConn is that at eight teams it becomes likely that non P5 teams get to share the spoils. And if the money keeps rolling in, expect 16 teams, just like the FCS divisions.

As a fan of one of the teams, TCU, that get left out I am am praying it stays at four. This is supposed to a playoff to determine the best team. Using this year as an example you had six teams for 4 spots. If it had been eight teams this year who are teams 7 and 8. Michigan State? Miss State? Really? There are not eight teams worthy of playing for an NC and 16 please? You can't tell me there are 16 teams that deserve to play for an NC.

And as far as being "inclusive" this is not kid's soccer.

 

[Palatine]

As a fan of one of the teams, TCU, that get left out I am am praying it stays at four. This is supposed to a playoff to determine the best team. Using this year as an example you had six teams for 4 spots. If it had been eight teams this year who are teams 7 and 8. Michigan State? Miss State? Really? There are not eight teams worthy of playing for an NC and 16 please? You can't tell me there are 16 teams that deserve to play for an NC.

And as far as being "inclusive" this is not kid's soccer.

It's how all the other college football divisions are set up. It's how every other sport in the NCAA is set up. And if Michigan State ran the table and won the National Championship, yes, I believe they would deserve it.

But none of that matters. This, like many, many things, is about the money.

 

[bc puckett]

It's how all the other college football divisions are set up. It's how every other sport in the NCAA is set up. And if Michigan State ran the table and won the National Championship, yes, I believe they would deserve it.

But none of that matters. This, like many, many things, is about the money.

Remember that the P5 is pretty much on their own now and headed further in that direction so what the rest NCAA does won't matter to them.

Michigan State played two real games all year and got smoked in both of them. You might want to check out the scores of the first round games at the other football levels and tell me why these teams deserve to be in a playoff just because they won some chesse d*i*c*k conference.

Four's the right number but you're probably right that money will probably rear it's ugly head at some point and that would be a disgrace.

 

[Johnny Mac]

.... this is not kid's soccer....

No, it's not kids soccer, it's American sports which means there are two seasons, the regular season and playoff season. The champion is recognized as the winner of the playoff season. It's like that in every American sport. This isn't the EPL.

 

[pj]

I don't think four is the right number because teams improve so much over the season and an early season loss can leave out the best team.

There are effectively 6 champions in the current arrangement - P5 champs plus the best of the G5 - who should get reserved spots into a playoff. Then if you allow at large bids you need 8.