(07-11-2021 08:40 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote: On the tie-in situation, it ranges from the simple/obvious/non-controversial where any top 4 Big Ten or Pac-12 champ should get automatically slotted in the Rose Bowl (with preference going to the higher ranked team if both are in the top 4) to the more complex/controversial where you use conference tie-ins for the teams remaining after the first round to slot the quarterfinals (in which case you could very well maintain the traditional Big Ten-Pac-12 matchup in many/most years if those leagues have teams remaining) regardless of seeding. I personally prefer the latter, but I understand that the “seeding purists” have generally ruled the day on playoff discussions over the years.
One thing I think the media types will want is a fixed bracket, because the NCAA Tourney has a fixed bracket and that is very successful ... one thing about being in a business where so much comes down to random combinations of things that people end up liking is the media types do like to copy previous successes.
But I don't have anything against all of the conference champions of conferences with CFP Bowl contracts simply being slotted into their contracted bowl, and if they are in the play-in round, that means they are bracketed into that bowl ... and then place the at-large schools to avoid in-conference quarterfinals and by committee rank.
If the Rose Bowl was PAC-12 & Big Ten, and the other five bowls rotate in a merry 3/2 dance, then you could have the Cotton Bowl as the primary tie-in of the Big12, the Sugar Bowl the primary tie-in of the SEC and the Orange Bowl the primary tie-in of the ACC, the Peach Bowl a secondary tie-in of the ACC and SEC, the Fiesta Bowl a secondary tie-in of the Big12. If the champion has a bye, they are slotted into the bowl, if they are in the first round, they are bracketed into the bowl, if they win through.
SF: Peach / Cotton; QF: SEC Sugar, ACC Orange, Big12 Fiesta
SF: Sugar / Fiesta; QF: SEC Peach, ACC Orange, Big12 Cotton
SF: Orange / Peach: QF: SEC Sugar, Big12 Cotton, ACC Fiesta
SF: Cotton / Sugar: QF: SEC Peach, ACC Orange, Big12 Fiesta
SF: Fiesta / Orange; QF: SEC Sugar, Big12 Cotton, ACC Peach