njndirish Wrote:Here's the argument against play-offs
Alright we make it a 4 team playoff, the 5th team will complain that they got jipped
Fine, then let's make it 8: but #9 played better opponents and lost to top 5 teams
Have it your way: 16. But number 17 beat #1 and has the same record as #16.
Invalid argument. In the ideal playoff setting (16 Teams (11 Conference Winners (Sorry, but unless the Sun Belt gets booted out of I-A, then it has to be included to be completely fair.) and 5 at large teams) most of the teams that have played well enough to have any business sniffing at a championship in a 12-13 game season, would have been included. And yes, like in any NCAA Sponsored sport, there are always the 5 last teams left out that each have their own story (and many teams do have a case to be upset) as to why they should be in. However, it is an accepted part of the process to give every team, in every division (besides I-A/FBS) a shot at a national championship.
And to play devil's advocate. Put this scenario up.
Team 16 has a 9 - 3 record, with 3 wins in the Top 25 (1 in the top 5, and 1 in the Top 10) with 7 wins over post season teams (the bowl system becomes the NIT in a playoff, IMHO) and a top 25 overall schedule (with a Top 15 OOC schedule to go with it).
Team 17 may have the victory over number 1, but what if it has a Bottom 30 OOC schedule? (and a comparable overall schedule strength to Team 16) What then?
I'll tell you what they have always told teams who are left out of March Madness...schedule better teams.
And to close out this post, let me bring up another point here that may not have been bought up. A playoff may just have an effect of teams playing better OOC games overall. Because, now you have to play games that look good for the selection process.