(12-01-2019 12:33 AM)stever20 Wrote:  

(12-01-2019 12:11 AM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  Doesn't really make a ton of sense for a team to be eliminated from the playoff simply because they lost in the last game of the regular season.

it's not, and TV would never allow it.

Admittedly it is the type of rule which schedulers could exploit.

However, I think it would mean much more GIVEN a subsequent 16-team playoff. Otherwise Ohio State and Alabama (and others) could have rested their starters, assured of an at-large spot. Rivalry week is the week you do NOT want that to happen.

Whatever committee is in charge of seeding teams would also announce, before the final week, which teams if any are immune from rivalry game elimination. The OP listed this as a Top 8 or Top 10 rule. If Auburn vs. Alabama were a meeting of 2 Top 10 teams, then that would be unfair to eliminate the loser. But if LSU is playing a #25-ish Texas A&M, then that fits perfectly into a pseudo-Round-of-32 game.

Again, for fun. If we're including all 10 champs, then I feel this would keep the regular season exciting.