(09-03-2017 12:27 PM)JRsec Wrote:  Here's the hypothetical for you. Let's assume by the end of next week that Virginia Tech manages a win over West Virginia tonight and that Ohio State beats Oklahoma by 10 or more points in Columbus. Neither of those outcomes is out of the realm of possibility. All of the sudden Texas, Oklahoma, and West Virginia have suffered significant losses. Baylor's loss to Liberty is a death blow. That leaves O.S.U. as the lone possibility for a CFP invite because I seriously doubt that Texas Tech, Kansas, Kansas State, or Iowa State are going to get a look and because T.C.U. has been passed over before. But let's say that Oklahoma or Arkansas manages to beat T.C.U. and that O.S.U. suffers only 1 loss. Neither of those are out of the realm of possibility either. With what the nation perceives as the 3 or the top 4 programs in the Big 12 losing does O.S.U. with 1 loss have the S.O.S. to make the CFP? No.

What Maryland did Saturday was to drive yet another nail in the coffin of the Big 12.

Right now your major contenders for the CFP are Stanford / Washington / Colorado from the PAC, Ohio State / Penn State / Wisconsin / Michigan from the B1G, and Alabama / L.S.U. and Georgia from the SEC, and Clemson from the ACC.

The ACC nearly suffered the same fate as the Big 12 on the opening weekend. Let's say that W.V.U. and Tennessee win tonight and tomorrow. All of the sudden the ACC has lost Florida State, N.C. State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech. That will leave Miami and Clemson. Should Auburn find a way to take down Clemson their season is virtually over with for the CFP. It will be especially true if Georgia wins in South Bend. All of the sudden their S.O.S. is gone.

Somebody will likely get two teams in for the first time and in that case all of the sudden there will be a push for a conversion to a champs only model and that will do two things: 1. Kill the Big 12 and 2. Force Notre Dame to abandon independence.

All of the possible losses I have speculated about are possible, if not likely in some cases, and only improbably with regard to Clemson playing Auburn at home.

What the opening weekend has done is to virtually level the Big 12's chances from the outset and to make vulnerable the ACC in a definitive way.

The conclusion to this is hypothetical is this:
The networks must have a champions only model to insure interest in all leagues through out the season and protect their investment in college football.

As a by product in the future you will see more conference games and less "battle of the titans" match-ups early in the season. Rules changes will be coming to allow for sub-divisions (pods) for 16 team leagues and more freedom for each of the four remaining conferences to select their own method of selecting a champion.
Maintaining interest in the regular season will become paramount.