With College Football Playoff change looming, a 12-team model leads the way

Why does everyone say that an expansion makes the regular season less meaningful?

current state, you lose one game and you’re probably out of contention unless you were a preseason top 3 team. I almost think that expansion makes the regular season more meaningful for the majority of fans. Now this is not applicable to the ultra elite/top tier teams, but if someone is a fan of a really strong team floating in that #5-25 range, it extends your high level postseason hopes a little longer.

Say you’re an Iowa fan, or similar program ….perennial top 15-30 but not elite right? You might get on a hot streak and inevitably you slip up mid season, and for all intents and purposes your post season high level aspirations are done. I feel like an 8-12 team playoff at least allows you to hold onto postseason playoff hopes longer into the season instead of week 6 those dreams being crushed.

Maybe I’m completely wrong, but in my mind I think the expansion perhaps makes the regular season more meaningful to a broader spectrum of fans than the current setup, or any previous iteration….
 
Well, when this happens, then all Tennessee will have to do is get to #12 to be in the playoffs . First we have to work our way into the top 25, and win to get there.
 
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I don't see how giving the smaller schools an automatic bid to playoffs does anything for them other than give them more money they didnt deserve

I already explained what it does for them...

1. It gives them immediate representation at the table to compete for the biggest trophy, which in turn gives them something to sell to higher caliber recruits. How can a G5 program ever hope to elevate itself beyond a "somewhat above FCS" level if it can't even be there to compete? Under the current system a G5 program will NEVER be in the playoff picture. They are systematically locked out. The hope is that by having more teams represented in the playoffs, it will have a trickle down effect with blue chip recruits and you won't see such a huge glut of them going to the same 5 or 6 programs each year and it will create at least a LITTLE more parity.

2. It also gives those schools a better shot at retaining coaches that otherwise would be guaranteed to bolt for a P5 school. We see it every year. A young hot shot up and comer makes good at a G5 school and is immediately poached by a P5 school. This is another thing that's keeping G5 schools from ever ascending. They can't keep quality coaches because not only do coaches want to get paid, they want to compete for championships. They know full well that will never happen at a G5 school, therefore they bolt for greener pastures. If those schools were represented in the playoffs the extra revenue generated could go towards better facilities, more money to pay staffs, and would provide extra incentives to help retain quality coaches.

Look, if you see no potential to grow college football and you're fine with the NCAA keeping the status quo then just say it. I for one think it's in the best interest of everyone to try to elevate more programs. This cannot and will not happen under the current structure.
 
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Lots of changes, that's for sure. Just hope honesty & doing what's truly best for the game is the result. So many after $$$ & personal notoriety (attorneys, bookies, sports "journalists", etc.) Playing my role as a curmudgeon, let's return to 10 SEC teams, no playoffs, no overtime games, etc. Now get off my lawn. :cool:;)
 
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Well, when this happens, then all Tennessee will have to do is get to #12 to be in the playoffs . First we have to work our way into the top 25, and win to get there.

heard old pete thamel yesterday. He said you would need to win 12 games to get in, which means there is an expanded season that comes with this prolly. I am an 8 team guy, always have been. It should be 8 geographic conferences with 8 conference winners, but we all know the rich would never be satisfied with that. It really doesn't matter what they do rn, we will still watch.
 
8 max, and even then there's going to be a big gap between 1-3 and #8. Means Notre Dame gets in often, only to be blown out time and again.
 
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I said this years ago. Once the playoff started at 4 teams that was not going to be enough to satisfy fans. At least not in the long run. An 8 team playoff will satisfy fans for awhile before they start calling for a 16 team playoff.

At this point I would prefer one of two things. Bring back the BCS. And if there is controversy on who is the national champ or who should have or should not have been in the national championship game then so be it. Fans can debate up to the national championship game, in the offseason, and for years to come. Personally I enjoyed all the controversy involved in years where there was debate on who should have been the national champ or who should have played in the championship game.

Second. If they are eventually going to go to a 16 team playoff, which will happen, then let's just scrap the bowl system altogether and have a 32 team playoff. A 32 team playoff would make sense. The games would be home games for the highest seeded team. The only neutral site game would be the national championship. Have four number 1 seeds. Start the season a week early. Go back to an 11 game regular season schedule and have only 1 bye week. Every other division in college football has a playoff and it works and there is no controversy involved when a national championship is determined. A 32 team playoff would also ensure every conference champ is represented and that at least most teams who finished in the top 25 would be represented as well.

Some will argue that 32 teams is too much. It is not. There are already over 60 teams playing in bowl games and many of those teams are finishing with a 6-6 record or sometimes even 5-7. This would also eliminate teams that have a mediocre regular season from playing in a postseason bowl game.
 
The changes that come from playoff expansion will change SEC scheduling significantly. The SEC has stayed with divisions (SEC east and SEC west) and an 6-1-1 scheduling rotation (6 permanent division, 1 permanent cross division and 1 rotating cross division). The SEC has done this because they believe it gives them the greatest chances of sending teams to the playoffs. After expansion and added at large spots, the SEC will be able to drop divisions and go divisionless. The 2 top teams would play in the SEC championship game like what the Big 12 currently does. When we go divisionless, I think the scheduling model will change to 3 permanent rivals and 5 rotating. If this happens, then a 4 year football player will be able to play home and away with every SEC team. I view this change as very positive. In UT’s case, I think our 3 permanent rivals will be Vandy, Bama, UF or Vandy, Bama, UK.
 
If you have 8 conference games with a 32 team playoff, that suggests OOC games become a thing of the past, right? Or maybe they all get scheduled during the bowl games. That's okay, I think. It would certainly be different as you wouldn't know for sure 2 years from now whether you'd be playing them or not. We could probably talk a long time about what those games do and don't accomplish.
 
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heard old pete thamel yesterday. He said you would need to win 12 games to get in, which means there is an expanded season that comes with this prolly. I am an 8 team guy, always have been. It should be 8 geographic conferences with 8 conference winners, but we all know the rich would never be satisfied with that. It really doesn't matter what they do rn, we will still watch.
I can live with 12 teams. If it’s 12, then winning 12 games sounds about right, with extra games? I do believe that some teams from 8 through 12 with 2 losses or three might be able to sneak up to 12th and get in. The powerful would want 12 to 16 teams Could you imagine 9 sec teams getting into the playoffs? Whooo, what a nightmare.
 
I can live with 12 teams. If it’s 12, then winning 12 games sounds about right, with extra games? I do believe that some teams from 8 through 12 with 2 losses or three might be able to sneak up to 12th and get in. The powerful would want 12 to 16 teams Could you imagine 9 sec teams getting into the playoffs? Whooo, what a nightmare.
9 SEC?

Can you name a time in the past 20 years when there have been 9 SEC teams in the top 12, or 16 for that matter? Seven? Yeah, that's happened a few times, but 5 out of the top 12/16 is a pretty good historical average.
Yes, you'd have country-wide freakout if 5 of the 16 were sec, but it's gonna happen because we are that strong.
 
9 SEC?

Can you name a time in the past 20 years when there have been 9 SEC teams in the top 12, or 16 for that matter? Seven? Yeah, that's happened a few times, but 5 out of the top 12/16 is a pretty good historical average.
Yes, you'd have country-wide freakout if 5 of the 16 were sec, but it's gonna happen because we are that strong.
That's why it's important to emphasize winning your conference and why I believe conference winners should get automatic bids. This keeps any one conference from having a glut of teams in the playoffs, it finally gives Group of 5 conferences a place at the playoff table, and it keeps the importance of the regular season high for all teams. The remaining 6 slots would be filled out by "at large" bids based on ranking. That way, independents still have their way in if they're ranked high enough and any remaing highly ranked 1 or 2 loss teams can still get in.
 
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The whole thing is circling the drain now that this NIL thing is apparently going to actually happen. The glory that was college football is going to only exist in our memories like Leonardo Dicaprio existed only in the memory of the senile old broad in Titanic that threw the multi-million dollar diamond in ocean.
 
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That's why it's important to emphasize winning your conference and why I believe conference winners should get automatic bids. This keeps any one conference from having a glut of teams in the playoffs, it finally gives Group of 5 conferences a place at the playoff table, and it keeps the importance of the regular season high for all teams. The remaining 6 slots would be filled out by "at large" bids based on ranking. That way, independents still have their way in if they're ranked high enough and any remaing highly ranked 1 or 2 loss teams can still get in.
I do like the 16 format and that it grants all 10 conferences a seat for winning the championship. Also critically important that it leaves 6 spots for "wildcards." Which, of course, will be mostly taken (rightly so) by SEC teams in a normal year.
 
I do like the 16 format and that it grants all 10 conferences a seat for winning the championship. Also critically important that it leaves 6 spots for "wildcards." Which, of course, will be mostly taken (rightly so) by SEC teams in a normal year.

I would say on average in this scenario, the SEC would probably occupy 2 of the remaining 6 at larges. Probably by the loser of the SEC Championship game and one of the 2nd place east/west teams. Notre Dame would probably occupy one of the slots in most years unless they got off their ass and joined a conference. The remaining 3 slots would go to runner ups of Big 10, Pac 12, Big 12, and/or ACC. G5 schools who can't win their conference would have no shot in hell of getting an at large bid.
 
Looks like 12 it is.
6 highest ranked conf champs (no conference champ guaranteed to get it). After that, six highest ranked teams left. Say hello to 4 SEC most years.
 
9 SEC?

Can you name a time in the past 20 years when there have been 9 SEC teams in the top 12, or 16 for that matter? Seven? Yeah, that's happened a few times, but 5 out of the top 12/16 is a pretty good historical average.
Yes, you'd have country-wide freakout if 5 of the 16 were sec, but it's gonna happen because we are that strong.
And Tennessee will never be one of those teams
 
I actually disagree. As much as I loathe the idea of expansion, I do like the idea of byes to keep the regular season as relevant as possible.
Agreed. You have to make being at the top of the rankings very important. I still think the 6 team playoff with 1-2 getting a bye is the best option. 12 is too many and will probably reflect on cutting down the 12 season games. I have a feeling under the 12 team format they will go to a 10 game season.
 
I have a feeling under the 12 team format they will go to a 10 game season.

Why?

Literally only affects a handful of teams (a max of 2 teams/year could ever possibly have to play 17 games...4/year could play 16 games). The current max is 15 games (max 2 teams/year).

For a max of 6 teams out of 130+ playing an extra game or 2 is hardly reason to lower regular season game totals for the other 124+ teams. Jmo
 

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