ESPN's early top 25 for 2015

[Sirhornsalot]

Think about this, boys and girls. If there had not been a playoff this year, Alabama and Florida State would have played for the National Championship in the BCS system.

 

[echeese]

Think about this, boys and girls. If there had not been a playoff this year, Alabama and Florida State would have played for the National Championship in the BCS system.

Yep

a sobering thought . .. .

But I'm sticking to the opinion going to 8 would be a mistake. . . .

Did TCU get screwed?   Only by very poor coaching decisions late in a game but despite the BigXII's pussy footing. . .they didn't win their conference. . at least on the field. . . 

 

[DocHorn]

Think about this, boys and girls. If there had not been a playoff this year, Alabama and Florida State would have played for the National Championship in the BCS system.

Indeed, now with what happened this yr, you have to wonder how TCU would have fared.

You need a system that is inclusive of all the legitimate teams, it may mean a few not so good teams make it in, but they will get weeded out, just like in the NFL.  They need an 8 team playoff minimum

 

[Mike Garland]

Think about this, boys and girls. If there had not been a playoff this year, Alabama and Florida State would have played for the National Championship in the BCS system.

Think about this..

Let's say Ohio State only beat Wisconsin 31-21 or something like that. Would they have got in? 

 

[Mike Garland]

Not sure I'd call tOSU a miss. . .

I am sad OU isn't ranked high again, always good to see them under perform. . . 

Don't think I'd call them a miss either. Meyer said on one of the shows that half way through the season he wouldn't of thought this. 

 

[streettopeschel]

Think about this, boys and girls. If there had not been a playoff this year, Alabama and Florida State would have played for the National Championship in the BCS system.

yep. and until 1973, the coaches poll crowned a NC before the bowl games. so Bama would be claiming another natty. 

i agree with cheese...4 teams is fine. the regular season still means something at 4. expanding to 8 and you start having 2-loss teams in the mix. not necessary.

 

[DocHorn]

yep. and until 1973, the coaches poll crowned a NC before the bowl games. so Bama would be claiming another natty. 

i agree with cheese...4 teams is fine. the regular season still means something at 4. expanding to 8 and you start having 2-loss teams in the mix. not necessary.

I have to disagree, this yr there were 2 teams that appeared to belong that didn't get in.  Some yrs, it will be more.

 In the old BCS, OSU would not be your champion.  This yr, TCU may well have won it had they been included.

I would rather see 8 and eventually 16, of course I would prefer for the bowl system to disappear, I think it suxx.

Having a real playoff would greatly increase the interest and fun of  college football.

I would like to see all the good teams involved with a chance at the ring.

 

[streettopeschel]

i'd hate 16 teams. what's the point of going 12-0 in the season if you have to play 4 playoff games starting with the 8-4 or 9-3 16 seed? yeah...tcu might have won it. so might michigan state. so what? sure, if you add more teams you have more teams that could win it. is that good ?  

the college basketball season is meaningless. is anybody following any of the teams/games other than UT ? every game, every week means something in college football. i'd hate to lose that. 

 

[Matt Cotcher]

i agree with cheese...4 teams is fine. the regular season still means something at 4. expanding to 8 and you start having 2-loss teams in the mix. not necessary.

I agree that 8 is too many. Ideally I'd like to see 6 teams make the playoff - the Power 5 conference champions, and the highest ranked conference champion from a non-power 5 conference.

No at-large bids. If you don't win your conference, you're not invited.

 

[DocHorn]

i'd hate 16 teams. what's the point of going 12-0 in the season if you have to play 4 playoff games starting with the 8-4 or 9-3 16 seed? yeah...tcu might have won it. so might michigan state. so what? sure, if you add more teams you have more teams that could win it. is that good ?  

the college basketball season is meaningless. is anybody following any of the teams/games other than UT ? every game, every week means something in college football. i'd hate to lose that. 

Well we will disagree

1 A higher seed would mean an easier game and homefield in the first round, assuming the first round was played at home

2 Positioning to get into the playoffs would be huge toward the end of the year.  Every yr in the NFL the last 2 or 3 weeks produces fascinating matchups with playoff implications that are huge.

3 I believe the end of the yr games, often with playoff implications, would make the regular season even more important.  Right now the last few weeks of the college season are meaningless in about 80% of the games

Once a real playoff system takes off the bowl system will die and people will wonder what took it so long to happen.

It seems to work pretty well for the FCS teams

 

[streettopeschel]

i don't have a problem with the bowls for the teams that don't make the final-4 and don't see why it needs to die. who is it hurting?

and if you want to see some meaningless games, have a 12-0 team already assured of a first round home game in a 16 team playoff start resting players in a CCG. that's what happens in the NFL and that's what you'd get.

hey, it's all fodder for now. it took 130 years for a 2 team (BCS) playoff and another 16 for a 4-team set up. works for me.

 

[DocHorn]

i don't have a problem with the bowls for the teams that don't make the final-4 and don't see why it needs to die. who is it hurting?

and if you want to see some meaningless games, have a 12-0 team already assured of a first round home game in a 16 team playoff start resting players in a CCG. that's what happens in the NFL and that's what you'd get.

hey, it's all fodder for now. it took 130 years for a 2 team (BCS) playoff and another 16 for a 4-team set up. works for me.

I have intense dislike for the bowl system.  It is a bunch of meaningless games that reminds me of the participation ribbons so prevelant in our society.

I much prefer games with meaning.  I truly think the NFL has it right. Tough to make the playoffs, intense competition to make it, terrific competitive games during the playoffs( at least most of them)

If you want to know my ideal scenario it would be a 24 team playoff system with the eight highest seeds getting byes.

First round games played at the higher seeds home field, same with the second round games ie round of 16..

After that you would be left with 8 teams, and one could utilize 7 "bowls" to host the  4 quarter final games, 2 semifinal games and then the one Championship game.  

If the minor current bowls want to continue, thats is fine as long as it doesn't interfere with the playoff system and takes teams that did not make the playoffs.

The competetion to make it into the playoffs and into the top eight for a seond round home game,  would be intense in the regular season

Personally I think you can get rid of the CCG's under that system

 

[streettopeschel]

yeah doc we just see it differently and that's fine.


a couple of notes on your last post...a 24 team playoff would mean teams playing FIVE playoff games. i just don't see that happening.

and as 'the nfl has it right...tough to make the playoffs' two LOSING teams have made it in recent years. 

as for the bowls...are there too many? almost certainly. 6-6 teams need to stay home. but i don't see a problem for rewarding a team (and it's fanbase) with a trip following a nice 8-4 or 9-3 type season. if that seems 'participation ribbon-esque' to you, ok.

i don't need college ball to be the nfl. they both have their place as is IMO.

 

[echeese]

Think about this..

Let's say Ohio State only beat Wisconsin 31-21 or something like that. Would they have got in? 

I tend to doubt it. . . 

Just like Baylor leap frogged TCU with a strong last game performance though Baylor deserved to be ranked higher, they won on the field. . . .unless someone wants to argue that TEXAS did not get screwed in 2008.

But at the end of the day . ..if you go to 8. . .9 will cry they deserved. . . 

CFB is great, every game in the season matters.  .. that is not the case in basketball or the NFL. . . .don't water down a great product. . .

 

[DocHorn]

We just see this different. Since very few. College games really count, SMU vs UNT etc. those game have no meaning IMHO

Having a dynamic and robust playoff system would make the college season more exciting and would make more games truly meaningful

 

[streettopeschel]

We just see this different. Since very few. College games really count, SMU vs UNT etc. those game have no meaning IMHO

Having a dynamic and robust playoff system would make the college season more exciting and would make more games truly meaningful

for SMU vs UNT to have meaning you'd need a 128-team playoff at a minimum. which i think is the number of FBS teams there are. there's your participation ribbon.

 

[jrcruz1026]

IMO, the top 4 is fine, it does not matter how many teams you put in a playoff scenario, whether it's 4, 6, or 8. Someone will always be disappointed that they got left out of the Playoff. TCU should have beaten Baylor, and that's it. Baylor ultimately cost the BIG 12 its spot in the playoff by scheduling a terrible out of conference schedule. And because they truly were the BIG 12 champion, they spoiled it for TCU.

Time to move on and look forward to 2015...

 

[Bear19]

IMO, the top 4 is fine, it does not matter how many teams you put in a playoff scenario, whether it's 4, 6, or 8. Someone will always be disappointed that they got left out of the Playoff. TCU should have beaten Baylor, and that's it. Baylor ultimately cost the BIG 12 its spot in the playoff by scheduling a terrible out of conference schedule. And because they truly were the BIG 12 champion, they spoiled it for TCU.

Time to move on and look forward to 2015...

Exactly right.

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Only reason I prefer 8 is it will get all P5 champs in and maybe open up a slot or two for the top G5 teams.

AAC and MWC teams have proven they can compete with anyone.

 

[Matt Cotcher]

Only reason I prefer 8 is it will get all P5 champs in and maybe open up a slot or two for the top G5 teams.

AAC and MWC teams have proven they can compete with anyone.

Agree. That's why I said this above:

I agree that 8 is too many. Ideally I'd like to see 6 teams make the playoff - the Power 5 conference champions, and the highest ranked conference champion from a non-power 5 conference.

No at-large bids. If you don't win your conference, you're not invited.

Although I'd restrict it to one additional team. If you open it up to 1-2 "at large" teams, you lose value.