(12-21-2023 06:54 PM)YNot Wrote:  This is where the CFP lost me: If strength of schedule was such an important CFP selection criteria in deciding between FSU and Alabama, how in the world is Michigan #1 ahead of Washington?

Washington had a top-10 schedule.

Michigan's schedule wasn't in the top-50. They played three ranked teams...and one of those was Iowa, who had more single-digit *wins* against bowl ineligible teams than they averaged per game in offensive *points*. The Michigan OOC schedule was ECU, UNLV, and Bowling Green. Their fourth most difficult game was either Maryland or Rutgers. Their fifth most difficult game was either Rutgers or Maryland.

Michigan blew nearly everyone out. UW had a lot of close calls, even against lesser teams.

Also, while UW had a much tougher schedule, I've not seen them listed as top 10. Mostly I've seen them around 25 and Michigan in the 50s.

I don't know if we'll ever get there. In a completely ideal world, football would be just like basketball, baseball/softball, soccer, volleyball, etc. where every FBS conference would get an automatic bid. Even in a 12 team Playoff, you're still leaving conferences out and it's possible although unlikely an undefeated team gets left out and quite possible a one loss G5 team gets left out. In most other Playoffs, it's better to be in the Big Ten or SEC but no matter what conference you are in you have a path in and Florida Atlantic made the Final Four out of I forgot what conference they were in last year. You can't though just put 10 (or 9) conference champions in a 12 team Playoff and leave out Penn State when practically everyone believes Penn State is better than Miami Ohio. To account for all conference champions, you'd probably have to make it at least 16 and probably more.

(12-20-2023 06:45 PM)ArmoredUpKnight Wrote:  Computer Rankings meant an opportunity for teams like Boise State to get in... so they stopped trusting the computers and said put a bunch of rich white guys in a room and let them figure it out.

Pretty much this. College hockey uses computer rankings. If the formula ranks a team high enough, that team will get an at-large berth into the 16-team tournament. End of story. That seems a whole lot more fair and transparent than what the NCAA is allowing to happen in FBS and Division I men's basketball.

(12-22-2023 01:20 PM)schmolik Wrote:  I don't know if we'll ever get there. In a completely ideal world, football would be just like basketball, baseball/softball, soccer, volleyball, etc. where every FBS conference would get an automatic bid. Even in a 12 team Playoff, you're still leaving conferences out and it's possible although unlikely an undefeated team gets left out and quite possible a one loss G5 team gets left out.

Who cares? If you do a playoff where EVERY conference champion gets a bid, then being left out is ON YOU for not winning your conference.

If you don't like how hard your conference is... leave it! Pick Access over Money! The issue I have is the combo we have now where those who picked Money over Access still deny access!

While I think Tulane should be like #14 in the CFP, we didn't win the CCG. Liberty won their conference. They did everything they can possibly do (other than have top Big Ten/SEC teams say "Come play us." which is outside of their control!).

(And let's not forget that BYU-Coastal set up a game WITHIN FOUR DAYS during COVID The fact that schedules in football are set six years out is just how everyone chooses to do business).


Everyone believes that Georgia is a better team than Liberty. Why does it matter? There's NOTHING WRONG with Liberty facing #1 Michigan in the CFP and losing. It affirms what we believe.

There IS something wrong with having the season end with 14-1 Texas or Alabama AND 14-0 Liberty and/or 14-0 Florida State; all saying they're the champs. The whole point of the BCS/CFP was to "Settle it on the field."

Georgia vs Alabama, Ohio State vs Michigan.. that was settled on the field. Washington and Michigan vs Texas and Alabama settles nothing. There's no reason for those to be the semis.