(01-08-2019 11:34 AM)toddjnsn Wrote:  

Quote:Uh, Alabama last year was in the top 4 in the ratings even not winning their conference. Sorry. TV is never going to allow it to not be just top 4 teams. They have no interest in it being just top 4 champions. Absolutlely none.

CFB decides what the playoff setup is, not the networks. Of course, to change the contract Early, they'd have to be kosher with things that more $$ will be coming in altogether, which can be had. They're not going to be a part of rankings at all, tho. That's obvious.

Quote:That's why we need 8 with the 5 conference champs. Minimize the impact of "picking" teams.

Well, ranking teams. TV stations don't pick them, despite the fear above - lol.

I would say Up To the Top 6 Conf Champs get into the 8-team playoff, if ranked at a certain level (13?) or higher. Why? Helps both ratings + avoids disaster. You give Cinderella (G5) about a 50% chance of making it. You also AVOID a P5 Champ from Not Getting an auto-bid if you limited it to 5 Conf Champs, if a G5 Champ is rated higher than they are (as was this year).

Some years you'll only get 5, usually occurring when the Top G5 Champ that would make the 6th Conf Champ auto-bid doesn't, because they're ranked below #13. But half the years you'll get 6.

So basically 2-3 at-larges every year (Notre Dame some years; 2nd place SEC almost every time; possibly another 2nd place P5 team if Top G5 isn't ranked high enough).

If, by CFB, you mean the NCAA, then no they don't. The NCAA has no say in it at all. The playoff setup was and is decided by the 130 schools, the NY6 bowls and ESPN. To assume ESPN has no say in this, despite paying megabucks for the product, is just crazy talk.