The unofficial online home for fans of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

Basically need Ohio State, Clemson (or I guess Notre Dame), and Alabama to win out and go undefeated.

Ohio State split with Wisconsin, Alabama split with Georgia, or Clemson split with Notre Dame would not be good for UC’s playoff chances.

The fact that we are even having this discussion is very telling. I still can't believe how bottomed-out the program was just a few short years ago. Remember the angst and misery? In the rearview mirror baby!

Now if we can just remain relevant and retain the rest of our athletics department by the time media rights are renegotiated for the P5. I just hope that we can slide into a P5 conference by staying in the national spotlight. Fickell would be known forever as the best coach we had at UC if he sticks with us long enough to see that through! At that point I am not sure anyone will ever remember the Tubs years.

(10-28-2020 06:29 PM)iBinturong Wrote:  Now if we can just remain relevant and retain the rest of our athletics department by the time media rights are renegotiated for the P5. I just hope that we can slide into a P5 conference by staying in the national spotlight. Fickell would be known forever as the best coach we had at UC if he sticks with us long enough to see that through! At that point I am not sure anyone will ever remember the Tubs years.

Who was Tubs?

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/is-...l-playoff/

Bring up the same points about a potential 11-0 AAC Champ vs. an 8-2 or 6-1 SEC or PAC12 team.

Also bring up BearcatMan's point about how expansion of the playoff might be something worth cheering for again.

(10-29-2020 10:14 AM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/is-...l-playoff/

Bring up the same points about a potential 11-0 AAC Champ vs. an 8-2 or 6-1 SEC or PAC12 team.

Also bring up BearcatMan's point about how expansion of the playoff might be something worth cheering for again.

Bolded, yes this might move the playoff expansion discussion forward faster and if an eight team playoff added a G5 slot, it would certainly be more meaningful than the NY6 game we have now outside the playoff.

Of course our first choice is still P5 inclusion. But a playoff berth at least would seem more attainable with 8 spots available.

I tend to doubt they'd ever add a G5 slot to the playoff. Maybe a contingency plan, where the G5 champ gets an autobid if they're in the top 15 or something. But otherwise I think they'd just do the 5 P5 champs and then 3 wildcards, whoever they may be.

(10-29-2020 10:41 AM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  I tend to doubt they'd ever add a G5 slot to the playoff. Maybe a contingency plan, where the G5 champ gets an autobid if they're in the top 15 or something. But otherwise I think they'd just do the 5 P5 champs and then 3 wildcards, whoever they may be.

This may be a pipe dream, but the most fair thing to do would be to make the rules the same for everyone. Would love to see the return of a computer ranking system similar to the BCS, then an 8-team playoff where you guarantee slots for the 5 or 6 highest-rated conference champions, plus wildcard slots for the highest-ranked non conference champions.

(10-29-2020 11:15 AM)robertfoshizzle Wrote:  

(10-29-2020 10:41 AM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  I tend to doubt they'd ever add a G5 slot to the playoff. Maybe a contingency plan, where the G5 champ gets an autobid if they're in the top 15 or something. But otherwise I think they'd just do the 5 P5 champs and then 3 wildcards, whoever they may be.

This may be a pipe dream, but the most fair thing to do would be to make the rules the same for everyone. Would love to see the return of a computer ranking system similar to the BCS, then an 8-team playoff where you guarantee slots for the 5 or 6 highest-rated conference champions, plus wildcard slots for the highest-ranked non conference champions.

(10-29-2020 10:41 AM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  I tend to doubt they'd ever add a G5 slot to the playoff. Maybe a contingency plan, where the G5 champ gets an autobid if they're in the top 15 or something. But otherwise I think they'd just do the 5 P5 champs and then 3 wildcards, whoever they may be.

Could be. But even in my scenario, the G5 is hardly getting equal footing. It would simply mean the NY6 slot of today would roll in with essentially three more slots for the P5--seven altogether for five conferences as opposed to one shared by five conferences. ALL have more opportunity.

On its face, it gives the G5 a chance unavailable today. And if the P5 teams, one through seven, are truly superior on the field, it would be football's version of March Madness, #16 Cinderella against #1. Sports fans seem to appreciate equal opportunity, even when the deck is stacked against the underdog. Then when a Boise takes down Oklahoma or UCF beats Auburn it is validated. But today's model suggests there is no chance to even participate. In that, FBS is inherently unfair.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nc...750761001/

Cunningham already advocating on our behalf

(10-30-2020 10:45 AM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nc...750761001/

Cunningham already advocating on our behalf

"The team's overall strength of schedule will be an issue, however. While Cincinnati has two wins against teams in the current Top 25 — SMU and No. 25 Army — there is no guarantee of adding wins against ranked competition. Even if Memphis, Houston, UCF and Tulsa rank among the best Group of Five teams in the country, Cincinnati won't face a Power Five opponent during the regular season."

This always kills me. Essentially saying because Memphis, Houston, UCF, and Tulsa aren't in top 25, they're not as good as the P5, when in reality, they're better than 70-80% of P5 schools. The rankings back that up.

Edit: to say an Alabama win over Ole Miss (44 in SP+) is looked at much better than a UC win over Houston (45 in SP+) solely because Ole Miss is in the P5. If we want to get recognized for wins, the teams need to be in the top 25 and the odds just aren't there to have 8 ranked AAC teams.. also doesn't help that when an AAC team is beat by another AAC team that's ranked in the top 10, the losing team falls off harder than a similar instance for a P5 team. Staying power isn't there. Rant over.

Just keep winning and we will have a special season and our program will take the next step. I believe an undefeated UC will be right in the thick of the Playoff discussions, but there are too many variables for me to say we get in the CFBPlayoff by winning out.

How impressive are our wins?
Are there any close calls?
What do our opponents do the rest of the year?
What teams are we up against and what are their records?
How have we looked compared to other potential playoff teams?

In the an undefeated season will at least put us in the NY6 bowl with plenty of discussion around a Playoff birth. That alone will continue to help the profile of our program and then there is still a decent chance we actually make the Playoff.

Imagine if I told you during Tubs 4th year the Bearcats would have multiple articles written about them potentially being the playoff? I hope everyone is soaking every moment of this up.

(10-30-2020 02:13 PM)JPBearcat3 Wrote:  Imagine if I told you during Tubs 4th year the Bearcats would have multiple articles written about them potentially being the playoff? I hope everyone is soaking every moment of this up.

What if I told you that in Tubs 2nd year ESPN ran a front page article suggesting that we could be the first G5 team to break into the playoffs?

Cincinnati's chance to climb CFP wall http://es.pn/1pqNe6O
via @ESPN App http://espn.com/app

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

With all the messed up schedules in college football, this would be the perfect year to expand to an 8-team playoff structure:
- B1G champion
- SEC champion
- ACC champion
- Big12 champion
- Pac12 champion
- AAC champion
- 2 at-large bids

This would not only make every game relevant, but would make a boatload of money.

(10-30-2020 08:32 PM)mac6115cd Wrote:  With all the messed up schedules in college football, this would be the perfect year to expand to an 8-team playoff structure:
- B1G champion
- SEC champion
- ACC champion
- Big12 champion
- Pac12 champion
- AAC champion
- 2 at-large bids

This would not only make every game relevant, but would make a boatload of money.

The P5 will never legitimize the AAC and make them appear equal. If anything to would be 3 at-large or highest g5 and 2 at-large

(10-30-2020 10:01 PM)Lurkercat Wrote:  

(10-30-2020 08:32 PM)mac6115cd Wrote:  With all the messed up schedules in college football, this would be the perfect year to expand to an 8-team playoff structure:
- B1G champion
- SEC champion
- ACC champion
- Big12 champion
- Pac12 champion
- AAC champion
- 2 at-large bids

This would not only make every game relevant, but would make a boatload of money.

The P5 will never legitimize the AAC and make them appear equal. If anything to would be 3 at-large or highest g5 and 2 at-large

I would go with that. As long as we have a shot at the playoffs is all that matters.

(10-31-2020 07:04 AM)mac6115cd Wrote:  

(10-30-2020 10:01 PM)Lurkercat Wrote:  

(10-30-2020 08:32 PM)mac6115cd Wrote:  With all the messed up schedules in college football, this would be the perfect year to expand to an 8-team playoff structure:
- B1G champion
- SEC champion
- ACC champion
- Big12 champion
- Pac12 champion
- AAC champion
- 2 at-large bids

This would not only make every game relevant, but would make a boatload of money.

The P5 will never legitimize the AAC and make them appear equal. If anything to would be 3 at-large or highest g5 and 2 at-large

I would go with that. As long as we have a shot at the playoffs is all that matters.

Zero chance of an auto-bid for the AAC, and the other G5's would absolutely help in blocking that. I think the consensus seems to be the P5s, top ranked G5 and two at-large. If the G5 is the AAC every single year, and we start winning some games then there's a chance that we would have the leverage to force the door open.

(10-31-2020 07:37 AM)Bearcat 1985 Wrote:  

(10-31-2020 07:04 AM)mac6115cd Wrote:  

(10-30-2020 10:01 PM)Lurkercat Wrote:  

(10-30-2020 08:32 PM)mac6115cd Wrote:  With all the messed up schedules in college football, this would be the perfect year to expand to an 8-team playoff structure:
- B1G champion
- SEC champion
- ACC champion
- Big12 champion
- Pac12 champion
- AAC champion
- 2 at-large bids

This would not only make every game relevant, but would make a boatload of money.

The P5 will never legitimize the AAC and make them appear equal. If anything to would be 3 at-large or highest g5 and 2 at-large

I would go with that. As long as we have a shot at the playoffs is all that matters.

Zero chance of an auto-bid for the AAC, and the other G5's would absolutely help in blocking that. I think the consensus seems to be the P5s, top ranked G5 and two at-large. If the G5 is the AAC every single year, and we start winning some games then there's a chance that we would have the leverage to force the door open.

The problem I see arising is that if that system is put in place, UC year in and year would seemingly have a better chance of making the playoffs than most of the P5, like Indiana, Purdue, Kentucky, etc.

They won’t go for that.