A 16-team playoff would allow all 10 conference champion auto-bids (like basketball) and 6 at-large bids. It's the most inclusive and fairest model, that doesn't jeopardize player safety with too many games. The two teams who made it to the title will have played 17 games (Hawaii could play 18) -- same as most possible games in FCS. Here's what it would possibly look like this year.

Automatic
1. Alabama (SEC)
2. Florida State (ACC)
3. Oregon (Pac-12)
4. Baylor (Big XII)
5. Ohio State (B1G)
12. Boise State (MWC)
13. Memphis (American)
14. Marshall (C-USA)
15. NIU (MAC)
16. Georgia Southern (Sun Belt)

At-Large
6. TCU
7. Arizona
8. Michigan State
9. Mississippi State
10. Kansas State
11. Georgia Tech (Last-in)

8 is plenty. If you do sixteen you will have the champions play 4 games, once you include conference championships that's potentially 17 games with the championship game coming sometime in late January.

Do we reach a point where these kids are simply playing too many games?

Sixteen sucks. Six or eight is perfect, just depends on how many at-large you want (none vs two). Each would include all P5 champs and the best G5 team.

(12-03-2014 09:24 PM)OrangeCrush22 Wrote:  A 16-team playoff would allow all 10 conference champion auto-bids (like basketball) and 6 at-large bids. It's the most inclusive and fairest model, that doesn't jeopardize player safety with too many games. The two teams who made it to the title will have played 17 games (Hawaii could play 18) -- same as most possible games in FCS. Here's what it would possibly look like this year.

Automatic
1. Alabama (SEC)
2. Florida State (ACC)
3. Oregon (Pac-12)
4. Baylor (Big XII)
5. Ohio State (B1G)
12. Boise State (MWC)
13. Memphis (American)
14. Marshall (C-USA)
15. NIU (MAC)
16. Georgia Southern (Sun Belt)

At-Large
6. TCU
7. Arizona
8. Michigan State
9. Mississippi State
10. Kansas State
11. Georgia Tech (Last-in)

This is all neat and tidy and logical. Therefore, it'll never happen.

(12-03-2014 09:47 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  Do we reach a point where these kids are simply playing too many games?

It is way way way too many games. Just watching last weekend's games was a killer -- some of the players looked downright beaten down. These kids are (supposed to be) student athletes. They are not in full-time training and football is not (supposed to be) their job. And yet they're out there putting their bodies on the line. Some kids will play a total of 15 games this year -- that's nearly an NFL regular season. How is that fair to them?

(12-03-2014 09:24 PM)OrangeCrush22 Wrote:  A 16-team playoff would allow all 10 conference champion auto-bids (like basketball) and 6 at-large bids. It's the most inclusive and fairest model, that doesn't jeopardize player safety with too many games. The two teams who made it to the title will have played 17 games (Hawaii could play 18) -- same as most possible games in FCS. Here's what it would possibly look like this year.

Automatic
1. Alabama (SEC)
2. Florida State (ACC)
3. Oregon (Pac-12)
4. Baylor (Big XII)
5. Ohio State (B1G)
12. Boise State (MWC)
13. Memphis (American)
14. Marshall (C-USA)
15. NIU (MAC)
16. Georgia Southern (Sun Belt)

At-Large
6. TCU
7. Arizona
8. Michigan State
9. Mississippi State
10. Kansas State
11. Georgia Tech (Last-in)

I'm sorry, but seeing school's like Georgia Southern, NIU, Marshall and Memphis in a college football playoff make my eyes and head hurt.

Yuck

Of course, FCS has had 16-team playoff for as long as I remember. The difference, though, is that they don't hold conference championship games, so for FBS to adopt it would be more like a 32-team playoff in effect.

I think the non-contract schools would be happy with even just two teams in a 12-team field.

(12-03-2014 11:25 PM)EnterSandman Wrote:  

(12-03-2014 09:24 PM)OrangeCrush22 Wrote:  A 16-team playoff would allow all 10 conference champion auto-bids (like basketball) and 6 at-large bids. It's the most inclusive and fairest model, that doesn't jeopardize player safety with too many games. The two teams who made it to the title will have played 17 games (Hawaii could play 18) -- same as most possible games in FCS. Here's what it would possibly look like this year.

Automatic
1. Alabama (SEC)
2. Florida State (ACC)
3. Oregon (Pac-12)
4. Baylor (Big XII)
5. Ohio State (B1G)
12. Boise State (MWC)
13. Memphis (American)
14. Marshall (C-USA)
15. NIU (MAC)
16. Georgia Southern (Sun Belt)

At-Large
6. TCU
7. Arizona
8. Michigan State
9. Mississippi State
10. Kansas State
11. Georgia Tech (Last-in)

I'm sorry, but seeing school's like Georgia Southern, NIU, Marshall and Memphis in a college football playoff make my eyes and head hurt.

Yuck

Eight team National Tournament led into by a series of Conference Tournaments. Basically it is the same concept BUT the Conferences get to maintain control of the early portion instead of ceding all control of the process to outside entities in the same way that March Madness is.

March Madness got so big that it made their conference basketball tournaments very minimal in value.

FCS has a 24 team playoff now with the top 8 seeds getting a first round bye. The maximum possible games for a FCS team this year is 16. I have yet to hear of a FCS player complaining about the number of games, and they don't have access to anywhere near the sports medical facilities that most FBS players do.

(12-04-2014 12:07 AM)Kaplony Wrote:  FCS has a 24 team playoff now with the top 8 seeds getting a first round bye. The maximum possible games for a FCS team this year is 16. I have yet to hear of a FCS player complaining about the number of games, and they don't have access to anywhere near the sports medical facilities that most FBS players do.

I have never bought into the whole health aspect of it. Even if there is something to it, they will just get new rules passed through Autonomy that allow for more scholarships.

The real issue is and always has been control. Control is a bigger deal at the Major level in comparison to the FCS level. That is why I don't think the Majors go to something as large as what the FCS does unless it includes conference tournaments that are completely controlled and monetized by the conferences themselves.

I'm a G5 fan an even I don't know if its the best idea to give every FBS conference an autobid to a playoff system. That would encourage the formation of more conferences to make it easy to get into it which leads to more FCS call ups and saturation.

This year I think we are all in shock at how much the new system is loaded to SOS. Conferences that are getting shafted will be under pressure to make adjustments.

The MWC has Boise State and with the way the new system is set up could be a lock every year for that autobid if you look at the body of work the last 10+ years. They don't have to do anything to respond to the market place.

Its more at the AAC/CUSA/SBC/MAC level where some alignment decisions are going to have to be made to compete in the CFP rankings. UConn and Memphis might as well go Independent and put their other sports in the Big East to try and schedule up some in football. Old Dominion might want to move to the A10 and go Indy over tackling the crazy geography of CUSA.

(12-03-2014 09:48 PM)Marge Schott Wrote:  Sixteen sucks. Six or eight is perfect, just depends on how many at-large you want (none vs two). Each would include all P5 champs and the best G5 team.

Eliminate a useless FCS OOC game and everything works out. If the goal is to determine a National Champion, then adjust the schedule (and number of games) to make it work.

I hope we never play a 16-team playoff. The regular season is cheapened enough already by the 4 game playoff.

If we had 16 teams in the playoff, I'd pretty much stop paying attention to any team except my own during the regular season.

I think 12 works with top 4 getting a bye. I agree 16 is too many.

(12-03-2014 09:47 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  Do we reach a point where these kids are simply playing too many games?

I've been advocating for 16-team playoff for over 15 years. I think Orange Crush is pretty much right about this one.

Anyway, go back to 11 game seasons and that helps the situation.

The other thing OC doesn't mention is that you can still have several bowl games occur w/ a playoff scenario. Including some fun NYD bowls as warm ups to the NC game.

(12-04-2014 12:07 AM)Kaplony Wrote:  FCS has a 24 team playoff now with the top 8 seeds getting a first round bye. The maximum possible games for a FCS team this year is 16. I have yet to hear of a FCS player complaining about the number of games, and they don't have access to anywhere near the sports medical facilities that most FBS players do.

FCS plays an 11 game schedule and starts the playoffs on thanksgiving weekend. With FBS its a 12/13 game regular season, plus a conference championship. Add a 4 game playoff in late December with a two week break for the championship and they might be playing in February. That's to much.

(12-03-2014 09:47 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  Do we reach a point where these kids are simply playing too many games?

If FCS, D2, and D3 can manage it while actually having to attend classes, I'm sure the FBS kids that may or may not go to real classes can manage.

(12-04-2014 09:07 AM)TStatebobcat Wrote:  

(12-04-2014 12:07 AM)Kaplony Wrote:  FCS has a 24 team playoff now with the top 8 seeds getting a first round bye. The maximum possible games for a FCS team this year is 16. I have yet to hear of a FCS player complaining about the number of games, and they don't have access to anywhere near the sports medical facilities that most FBS players do.

FCS plays an 11 game schedule and starts the playoffs on thanksgiving weekend. With FBS its a 12/13 game regular season, plus a conference championship. Add a 4 game playoff in late December with a two week break for the championship and they might be playing in February. That's to much.

If you started next week, it could be over as early as 1/3, and there is no reason for a two week break. The FCS championship has a 3 week break waiting for the FBS to finish now.