Big 12 punked again

[Plainosooner]

I think most would agree which teams are in the top 6 or 7. Just based on which 4 teams are best in the country without considering conference championships or season records, I think only the Washington team is suspect over Penn State. Alabama. Clemson and Ohio State are clearly the top 3 teams in my opinion. Washington, Penn State and Michigan are toss ups based solely on talent, but when that's the case and there's only one spot, the committee had to use records and conference championships so eliminating Michigan was easy. I bet there were some compelling cases made for the other two but Washington won out. I can't argue much about the committee's decision.

I believe this four team thing makes for another reason that it's the best. In the BCS era, we had more than a few times when the difference between two and three was really small. I remember when LSU won the national title (at home again) with two losses, when OU had just blown out number one in San Antonio, but with two losses, was just behind LSU. So this would have fixed that.

Honestly, we might have had a lot tougher shot in 2000, if we'd have had to play Washington in the semi's, and then faced the winner of a Miami v FSU rematch, for a lot of reasons. But OU was the only undefeated team and deserved to be there.

This paradigm was the best way, this year. Letting Clemson and Ohio State play each other, rather than having computers and voters pick a winner, is a better way. And whomever was four was going to have a tough shot at beating Bama, anyway. But after a 13 game season, making teams play three more would be a really demanding process, not to mention, all this coming during finals at some point.

The system this way, still lets the bowls have some meaning. It still gives players a chance to have a real break between semesters to see their families at home, and be real students. Not all are interested in the latter, but the ones who are, ought to have the chance to be.

 

[Oklabama]

I believe this four team thing makes for another reason that it's the best. In the BCS era, we had more than a few times when the difference between two and three was really small. I remember when LSU won the national title (at home again) with two losses, when OU had just blown out number one in San Antonio, but with two losses, was just behind LSU. So this would have fixed that.

Honestly, we might have had a lot tougher shot in 2000, if we'd have had to play Washington in the semi's, and then faced the winner of a Miami v FSU rematch, for a lot of reasons. But OU was the only undefeated team and deserved to be there.

This paradigm was the best way, this year. Letting Clemson and Ohio State play each other, rather than having computers and voters pick a winner, is a better way. And whomever was four was going to have a tough shot at beating Bama, anyway. But after a 13 game season, making teams play three more would be a really demanding process, not to mention, all this coming during finals at some point.

The system this way, still lets the bowls have some meaning. It still gives players a chance to have a real break between semesters to see their families at home, and be real students. Not all are interested in the latter, but the ones who are, ought to have the chance to be.

I agree totally. Expanding the number of playoff teams won't eliminate the second guessing and at least one or two teams that don't get a slot are going to feel they were screwed.

 

[runningback43]

I will never understand why there isn't a true playoff in Division I football. The Bowl system is an outdated system that needs to be overhauled. Win 6 games and you get a bowl. I agree that expansion of the playoff system will never eliminate the second guessing, but at least with expansion you will get a true playoff system that works. It's better than the BCS, but not by a lot.

 

[BillyRay]

I will never understand why there isn't a true playoff in Division I football.

It's because of the sheer number of teams, number of conferences, and inconsistencies in scheduling that creates the issue. So much is left up to opinions in terms of what teams deserve what. Hell you have a 13-0 Western Michigan team that didn't even make the playoff this year.

 

[Plainosooner]

So your solution is what? Sixteen teams? So nobody gets a bye, or we go back to ten game regular seasons, which screws every fan base. The ones that dont' make the playoffs get only ten games, and the ones that do, have a bunch of travel involved.

The more rounds of playoffs you have, the fewer great games you're going to get to see during the regular season. Players'd bodies are already getting horribly beat up. You want to kill the goose that keeps laying golden eggs.

The NFL is already on their way to doing just that. And if they do, I'll be cheering it on.

 

[PtLavacaSooner]

240+ D-III teams say hello, wusses...

I could go to Belton this weekend to see a playoff game... Or there is a rock show in Dallas... Decisions, decisions...

http://www.cruathletics.com/schedule.aspx?path=football

 

[runningback43]

The playoff works in Division II, FCS and Division III. FCS takes 24 teams. I'm not sure how many teams play in the Division II or III playoffs. There could still be an 11 game schedule with a bye week. I just think there is a better way. The reason this hasn't taken off in FBS, is the money the bowl people are funneling into the NCAA.

 

[BillyRay]

So your solution is what? Sixteen teams? So nobody gets a bye, or we go back to ten game regular seasons, which screws every fan base. The ones that dont' make the playoffs get only ten games, and the ones that do, have a bunch of travel involved.

The more rounds of playoffs you have, the fewer great games you're going to get to see during the regular season. Players'd bodies are already getting horribly beat up. You want to kill the goose that keeps laying golden eggs.

The NFL is already on their way to doing just that. And if they do, I'll be cheering it on.

Well with 128 FBS teams, I think the best way would be make 8 sixteen team conferences. Each conference has 2 division with 8 teams each. 7 game regular season you play only teams in your division. Each division winner plays a conference title game and winner goes to the playoff. Then you have an 8 team playoff. That should equal a 12 game season for the eventual national title game teams.
But as usual, what happens when a division has multiple one-loss teams? So nothing is perfect. But I'm not a big fan of going that route since teams that don't win a division are only getting a 7 game regular season. That sucks. So I'm not a fan of it, but it's just an idea. But something like that is the only way to make a truly fair route for a national title game. I'm with you though Plaino, I don't like the idea of adding more and more games. Players bodies take enough of a beating the way things are now.

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

If you talk to the coaches who've been at that level, it doesn't work nearly as well as you've portrayed it. Home field in those playoff games, isn't based on who is the highest ranked team. It's based on which school gives the most money to the NCAA to host it. And that can be hard to overcome.

You can have the best team, but this deep into the year, one key injury changes everything. You can play a team that's not very good, and you beat them, but if they're really physical, it wrecks you for next week. By this time of the season, the hurts are major.

If OU was playing next week, they'd be moving forward without Westbrook or the latest starting corner. Even worse if we'd have had to play without a break in the last month, which is pretty common. The point of having a national champion is deciding the best team on the field. But add another week, and it becomes as much a battle of luck and attrition. It''s going to be four for a while. I'm glad for that.

If one is looking for the best STARTERS, I could follow this thought process. But the best team includes the BENCH as well. That's football. IMO, OU beats Florida if Murray was available. He wasn't. OU loses. That's football.

 

[PtLavacaSooner]

If one is looking for the best STARTERS, I could follow this thought process. But the best team includes the BENCH as well. That's football. IMO, OU beats Florida if Murray was available. He wasn't. OU loses. That's football.

Or if Sam has a normal first half...