(12-05-2016 11:50 AM)jaredf29 Wrote: (12-05-2016 10:24 AM)Bear Wrote: 8 team playoff
5 top teams (have to win conf champs); 2 wild card slots (top ranked teams & can also be G5); 1 spot for the G5 access
And then seeding is set accordingly (standard playoff)
From a fan perspective I'd like to see this but I don't think a student athlete could handle that.
Why not?
They have been doing this for years in Division I-AA, so those excuses don't really add up. Moreover, they are doing it with way less resources i.e. charter flights, tutors, dedicated athletic facilities for training, etc...
URban Meyer was on this morning on ESPN saying how it would be "impossible" to have more than 4 teams...and of course neither Mike & Mike challenged him by pointing out the facts. I guess that makes you a trouble maker nowadays instead of a journalist pointing out facts.
He said it would disrupt recruiting, players preparing for the NFL draft, finals weeks etc..
Recruiting could be fixed by simply having an early signing day and pushing NSD until early March, where if anything else would provide schools with a better indicator whether kids are on track to qualify.
NFL draft: the expanded playoffs would only impact at most 8 or at most 16 teams. For the other 100 plus schools that don’t get into the playoffs…it’s business as usual in terms of draft preparation.
Impact on bowl games: incorporate them into semi-finals. As it is now, these once proud tradition bound bowls…are now an after thought. Think about all the Penn State fans complaining that there ‘relegated’ to the Rose Bowl. Adding these bowls into the playoff infrastructure would make them relevant again…otherwise they are just going to die off as overblown, expensive exhibition games where most participants and their fans are disappointed they didn’t get into the playoffs.
Final Exams: legit concern, but why isn’t it a problem for lower divisions?
For me 8 is the magic number, with 6 automatic conference bids that includes a certain threshold that has to be met. That is, no more 4 loss ACC or Big East champions we saw in the BCS in years past. That would leave 2 wild cards for people to argue about. This would guarantee that at least the best 4 teams get in…and gives a benefit of the doubt to borderline teams and fairness for the best G5 representative.