This has got to be a record that might never be broken? SEC Championship matchup decided a full month before the actual game.

(11-04-2018 12:39 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  This has got to be a record that might never be broken? SEC Championship matchup decided a full month before the actual game.

Its kind of weird scheduling. Kentucky finishes their SEC schedule with Tennessee. Then they still play Middle Tennessee and Louisville.

The Pac 12 is the opposite. The North is still open. The South has 3 teams at 4-3, 1 at 3-3, and 2 at 2-4. Anybody could still win it.

Its simply a byproduct of how the SEC schools set their schedules. Georgia clinched the East with just 1 game left to play and Alabama the West with 2.

Conversely, now there is absolutely no reason to watch any more SEC football until the conference championship game.

(11-06-2018 01:35 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  Conversely, now there is absolutely no reason to watch any more SEC football until the conference championship game.

Yeah, I suppose nobody will be watching the Auburn / Georgia game hoping that Auburn spoils Georgia's season. And I suppose the Alabama / Auburn game and Alabama / Miss State game won't draw any national attention either huh? I bet Georgia / Georgia Tech draws nothing right? The haters and lovers will be watching every twist and turn because the rest of the world fears another two teams from the SEC in the CFP.

Personally, I don't see that happening this year, but that's what they fear.

What if the unthinkable happens this week and Michigan State tags a sluggish Buckeye team with another L while Oklahoma State outscores the Sooners? That sets up a world in which OU could hand WVU a second loss the last weekend of the season, a world in which Ohio State could then put it together for their most hated rival and hand Michigan loss #2 and Washington beating Washington St. is hardly unlikely.

What happens in world where every team in the PAC / Big 12 / and Big 10 have two losses?

That's a world in which a two loss L.S.U. might get in if Alabama embarrasses Georgia in the SEC CCG or where an Auburn upset of UGA occurs prior to the CCG and Georgia picks up loss #3 at Alabama's hands.

Then all of the sudden the CFP could be Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame and L.S.U..

Should that happen how do you think the college football world would react? Notre Dame / Alabama vs Clemson / L.S.U. would tick off the rest of college football fans to no end. And nothing could bring about consolidation into a P4 with champs only faster than that ending.

So Hokie Mark there are a lot of reasons left to watch and not the least of these is the fear that somehow this year the SEC gets 2 in and the ACC gets 1.5 in and ESPN laughs all the way to the bank because the fiasco would be the perfect recipe for a move to a format that guarantees that all regions are involved in the semi finals annually and that would meet their advertisers desires completely.

(11-06-2018 04:50 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(11-06-2018 01:35 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  Conversely, now there is absolutely no reason to watch any more SEC football until the conference championship game.

Yeah, I suppose nobody will be watching the Auburn / Georgia game hoping that Auburn spoils Georgia's season. And I suppose the Alabama / Auburn game and Alabama / Miss State game won't draw any national attention either huh? I bet Georgia / Georgia Tech draws nothing right? The haters and lovers will be watching every twist and turn because the rest of the world fears another two teams from the SEC in the CFP.

Personally, I don't see that happening this year, but that's what they fear.

What if the unthinkable happens this week and Michigan State tags a sluggish Buckeye team with another L while Oklahoma State outscores the Sooners? That sets up a world in which OU could hand WVU a second loss the last weekend of the season, a world in which Ohio State could then put it together for their most hated rival and hand Michigan loss #2 and Washington beating Washington St. is hardly unlikely.

What happens in world where every team in the PAC / Big 12 / and Big 10 have two losses?

That's a world in which a two loss L.S.U. might get in if Alabama embarrasses Georgia in the SEC CCG or where an Auburn upset of UGA occurs prior to the CCG and Georgia picks up loss #3 at Alabama's hands.

Then all of the sudden the CFP could be Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame and L.S.U..

Should that happen how do you think the college football world would react? Notre Dame / Alabama vs Clemson / L.S.U. would tick off the rest of college football fans to no end. And nothing could bring about consolidation into a P4 with champs only faster than that ending.

So Hokie Mark there are a lot of reasons left to watch and not the least of these is the fear that somehow this year the SEC gets 2 in and the ACC gets 1.5 in and ESPN laughs all the way to the bank because the fiasco would be the perfect recipe for a move to a format that guarantees that all regions are involved in the semi finals annually and that would meet their advertisers desires completely.

Agreed, true fans will watch, drama or no.

BTW, I hope you're right about this year forcing a change in the CFP format - should've included the P5 champs anyway.

I agree with JR that there will be plenty of reason to watch SEC football down the stretch.

However, I tend to think that the Bama-ND and Clemson-LSU ending would motivate an expansion of the CFP rather than P4 contraction.

Expansion of the "playoff" is what happened the last time both Alabama and LSU were in it.

It all depends on whether ESPN or some other TV outlet offers so much money for an 8-team playoff that it can't be turned down.

An 8-team playoff would absolutely make the P5 CCGs more valuable, because each of them would be a play-in game. That might double the TV value of each of those CCGs. It's one thing if an Iowa-Michigan CCG only gives Iowa the chance to knock out Michigan; it's a lot more interesting for casual viewers if an Iowa win gives them a place in the playoff.

(11-07-2018 02:20 PM)Wedge Wrote:  Expansion of the "playoff" is what happened the last time both Alabama and LSU were in it.

It all depends on whether ESPN or some other TV outlet offers so much money for an 8-team playoff that it can't be turned down.

An 8-team playoff would absolutely make the P5 CCGs more valuable, because each of them would be a play-in game. That might double the TV value of each of those CCGs. It's one thing if an Iowa-Michigan CCG only gives Iowa the chance to knock out Michigan; it's a lot more interesting for casual viewers if an Iowa win gives them a place in the playoff.

And a 4 team playoff with a consolidation to a P4 would do the same without watering down the # of conferences it has to pay out too.

(11-07-2018 02:44 PM)ChrisLords Wrote:  

(11-07-2018 02:20 PM)Wedge Wrote:  Expansion of the "playoff" is what happened the last time both Alabama and LSU were in it.

It all depends on whether ESPN or some other TV outlet offers so much money for an 8-team playoff that it can't be turned down.

An 8-team playoff would absolutely make the P5 CCGs more valuable, because each of them would be a play-in game. That might double the TV value of each of those CCGs. It's one thing if an Iowa-Michigan CCG only gives Iowa the chance to knock out Michigan; it's a lot more interesting for casual viewers if an Iowa win gives them a place in the playoff.

And a 4 team playoff with a consolidation to a P4 would do the same without watering down the # of conferences it has to pay out too.

And most importantly it keeps the various regional viewers involved which is what advertisers want from the networks. Want better payouts then a Champs Only from a P4 is going to have to eventually emerge. We need the eyes of the nation on the CFP Semis to keep this pumping in the cash.

Expand it to the best 8 and the SEC will likely get 3 in most years. What happens to the CFP if three SEC schools and Clemson or F.S.U. sweep into the Semis every year leaving the other regions out of the final two rounds? The answer is massive lost of interest in the West, Northeast, and Midwest. It's a totally stupid idea with regard to the future funding of the event.

Consolidate into a P4 where each conference race is then emphasized so that their champion gets a shot and you keep all areas engaged and therefore profitable. It's really not that hard to figure out. What's more is that it becomes a 4 team tournament of conference Champions. The question is then who is the Champion among champions, not, "Which conference is dominant?" That's the angle that keeps the interest and the cash flowing in.