The perfect solution is 6. After the first rankings I’ve heard more talk from the media about needing it to go to 8. It’s so dumb. Don’t water down the system to it being like the NCAAB tourney. I love March Madness but you RARELY ever have the best teams playing in the Final Four . You have the teams playing the best at the very end and it makes what the team did during the season almost a moot point.
The biggest gripe for needing 8 teams has been “well our conference is really hard and they didn’t give our conference a fair look” To me the best solution is 6 teams. You would have the 5 conference champions and the 6th spot is for an at large bid. The 6th spot allows for who the committee thinks is the best team out of the rest. That also gives the NONP5 the shot they’ve wanted or it gives the team that lost a 7 point game to an undefeated team on that teams home field a fair shot on a neutral field to prove they are better. It also gives Notre Dame that spot if they have a season like they are this year without knocking out a conference champion who has that added game.
I also think it’s important to reward the teams who have “killed it” during the year. Giving the top 2 teams a bye would make it REALLY important to play a great season even if you are “locked” into a bid you still need to impress so you could get that first round bye.
So taking this year into account you have Alabama and Clemson. To me those are the two best teams so far this year. Sorry but we lost against a subpar Texas team or else id day us. So Alabama and Clemson get the first round bye. Assuming Michigan, Oklahoma, Clemson, Alabama, Washington State, and Notre Dame win out this would be the set up I believe.
Game 1: #6 Washington State vs #3 Notre Dame
Game 2:#5 Oklahoma vs #4 Michigan
Game 3: Game 1 Winner vs #2 Clemson
Game 4: Game 2 Winner vs #1 Alabama
Game 5: Game 3 Winner vs Game 4 Winner.
This makes it where NO ONE has a gripe. If you didn’t win your conference you had your chance. If you didn’t get the at large well you shoulda won your conference because the team that did beat you to win your Conference and is in the playoff.
Think that keeps it tight and still makes the season really mean something but at the same time leaves NO GRIPE. Win and you’re in.
The biggest gripe for needing 8 teams has been “well our conference is really hard and they didn’t give our conference a fair look” To me the best solution is 6 teams. You would have the 5 conference champions and the 6th spot is for an at large bid. The 6th spot allows for who the committee thinks is the best team out of the rest. That also gives the NONP5 the shot they’ve wanted or it gives the team that lost a 7 point game to an undefeated team on that teams home field a fair shot on a neutral field to prove they are better. It also gives Notre Dame that spot if they have a season like they are this year without knocking out a conference champion who has that added game.
I also think it’s important to reward the teams who have “killed it” during the year. Giving the top 2 teams a bye would make it REALLY important to play a great season even if you are “locked” into a bid you still need to impress so you could get that first round bye.
So taking this year into account you have Alabama and Clemson. To me those are the two best teams so far this year. Sorry but we lost against a subpar Texas team or else id day us. So Alabama and Clemson get the first round bye. Assuming Michigan, Oklahoma, Clemson, Alabama, Washington State, and Notre Dame win out this would be the set up I believe.
Game 1: #6 Washington State vs #3 Notre Dame
Game 2:#5 Oklahoma vs #4 Michigan
Game 3: Game 1 Winner vs #2 Clemson
Game 4: Game 2 Winner vs #1 Alabama
Game 5: Game 3 Winner vs Game 4 Winner.
This makes it where NO ONE has a gripe. If you didn’t win your conference you had your chance. If you didn’t get the at large well you shoulda won your conference because the team that did beat you to win your Conference and is in the playoff.
Think that keeps it tight and still makes the season really mean something but at the same time leaves NO GRIPE. Win and you’re in.
