FishDuck Article Administrator No. 1 Share Posted December 25, 2023 Time to blow in between Christmas activities? Give Jon Joseph's article a read, and see if you can't jump in to offer some feedback on a very interesting topic... The 2024/25 CFB Playoff Format Will NOT Last | FishDuck FISHDUCK.COM Do you know what could save a lot of grief, angst, gnashing of teeth, and tearing of hair in CFB? The Playoff Committee (committee) keeping its collective mouth… It was a late publish this morning due to ANOTHER tech issue, but better late than... 1 1 Two Sites: FishDuck and the Our Beloved Ducks forum, The only "Forum with Decorum!" And All-Volunteer? What a wonderful community of Duck fans! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 2 Share Posted December 25, 2023 Jon...another great article! I agree with both your conclusion, and the suggestion to get to 16 teams right away. It is the same number of weeks to set aside, thus extra revenue for all! BTW...FishDuck Photographer Craig Strobeck provided all the pictures in this article, and he has had some pretty big organizations hire him for games besides FD.com. Lately he has been the photographer for USA Today at many Oregon games, and has been shooting picture at Autzen longer than the dozen years of FishDuck.com's presence. That photo in the article from the 2015 Rose Bowl...whew! My thanks to all who are a part of the FishDuck family such as Craig and Jon. Such high quality from such superb individuals! Another epic picture by Craig... 2 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Ducker1 No. 3 Share Posted December 25, 2023 I say lets make the Bowls count again. 24 teams. The Cream will rise to the top, but we will see teams with full rosters play. I have been disappointed in this years bowls. Great article Jon. 1 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JabbaNoBargain No. 4 Share Posted December 25, 2023 Great article! I always thought 12 was a weird number, but have come around to thinking that the bye week is a good incentive…16 is probably better though. Thanks for the thoughts! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDuck No. 5 Share Posted December 25, 2023 Imagine for a moment, 16 teams, no byes, in 2023-24: Jan. 15 – National Championship in Pasadena Jan. 8 – Sugar, Fiesta Dec. 31/Jan. 1 – Rose, Cotton, Orange, Peach Dec. 22/23 – Holiday, Las Vegas, Alamo, Sun, Music City, TaxSlayer, Citrus, Reliaquest Others: Arizona Bowl, Liberty, Gator, Pop Tarts, Pinstripe, Fenway, Texas, Duke’sMayo, Military, Guaranteed Rate, First Responder, Quick Lane, Hawaii, Ventures, Idaho Potato, Camilia, Birmingham, Gasparilla, Independence, LA Bowl, more If, for example, Alamo and Sun don't want to be before Christmas, then "fine, we'll substitute Gator and Texas, but now you guys are out of consideration". Uh, Rose - "we always want to be Jan. 1st." Uh fine, "we'll substitute Las Vegas and you likely won't have top rated teams in the Rose every season." And so forth, thru various scenarios where bowls are told, "you can either continue as a bowl of consequence, or see yourself wither away." Bowls not part of "the 14 perpetually designated" can pick dates whenever they want. The Rose Bowl has had dual dates in the past, a classic Rose and a Championship a few days later, but in the scenario above they should be prepared to be Jan. 8 only every 3 years and not stage a game on Jan. 1. Holes in this? Probably. But, it is written to demonstrate what is feasible if cooperation exists. It would take away winter home games for Midwest programs that qualify for an opening round game at home instead of a bowl site. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Moderator No. 6 Share Posted December 25, 2023 1Ducker1, thank you for the Kudos and the comment. Bowls? I don't know. If you had 12 bowls involved in a 24-team PO that would be splitting money with the bowls. And if use the bowls, this would be penalizing teams from the West and the Midwest. 24 makes sense for FSU but this would be a lot of games before the title game for teams that have played big-boy schedules. I like 16 and I do not believe that a team with a legitimate shot to win the title would be out. And with 24 teams, a lot of lesser opponents would give the top-seeded teams close to a 1st round bye. Like, Liberty at Michigan on steroids. I would prefer that the first two rounds be played on the field of the higher-seeded teams. Reward the home fans without making them travel hither and yon for the opening and quarter-final rounds. If the weather is a concern in the Midwest, use closed stadiums, Detroit, Indianapolis, and Minneapolis for the 1st 2 rounds. Again, everything possible not to share money with the bowls. Money that one way or another will likely be shared with the players. Of course, I would have no problem with a replay of the Cowboys/Packers Ice Bowl. Get at least a few of the southern teams out of Dixie where the majority of the 2024/25 games will be played. In 2024, Oregon could qualify for a home game and a first-round bye but could also be playing an opening game down south followed by a quarter-final Peach Bowl, a semifinal game in the Cotton or Orange Bowl, and the champ game in Atlanta. Game locations have to be fairer across the board for teams and played outside of the South to have an even chance at the title. Thanks again for your thoughts and kind comments. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyToBeADuck No. 7 Share Posted December 25, 2023 JJ, another solid article that makes sense. So much so that the networks, talking heads and SEC elites would be confused..... Common sense is not valued by these entities. Confusion, worry and anxiety cause fans to tune into the joke that is the ESPN broadcast of CFP rankings. Controversy helps drive ratings and dollars. Of course ESPN and any future broadcast network will know in advance the rankings. These broadcasts are not fly by the seat of our pants or televised by chance. The producer/director/stats and highlight team (s) need some notice to prepare the show...... And thats okay.....next year the seeding of 5-12 will dominate the social media uproar. The networks will have reporters magically appear, on campus with the HC 's of 13 thru 16. Pissing, whining and moaning drive ratings. FSU coaches and fans have given us academy award winning dramatic performances. Something similar when the BCS by passed the Ducks for the hapless Cornhuskers. Many a Oscar on the mantle of Duck fans after that announcement. JJ, i agree 16 teams would be best. Howrver the SEC will want 9 teams, not 7. It's just how it is! And annually the beavs and cougs will play each other a 3rd rime in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Ducker1 No. 8 Share Posted December 25, 2023 I agree that from a playoff perspective 16 is the number, however in the past (old days) it gave me a chance to see some great players that I didnt see during the season. I use to watch as many Bowls as I could see-now days Meh 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Duck No. 9 Share Posted December 25, 2023 Jon, You might want to consider how this human choice system, imperfect because it is human, came about. It was a negotiated settlement. Negotiated after decades of disagreement. Academic institutions, you know, our alma mater, did not want to impede the progress of the student athletes with too many post season games. Bowl committees with long-term contracts signed by those same academic institutions’ conferences, insisted that their annual influx of dollars into their motels, restaurants and tourist attractions during the holidays not be jeopardized. Conference commissioners, not only the now “Power-4” that was six, but also all of the little schools’ conferences insisted they not be left out. Hence Liberty with a spot in the New Years Day bowl, this year the Fiesta Bowl, that was guaranteed before they would vote “yes” to any form of playoff. Those little schools had the majority of votes! And the commissioners of every conference were making sure that their big dollar jobs remained secure. in “choosing” a National Champion we have come from one man backcasting into 1868, two centuries ago at a time before he was born, to various polling entities picking as many as four “disputed” champions, to the BCS selection by computer of teams in an actual game. Nobody was happy with that system, except the winner. The CFP four-team playoff is a compromise. It was never intended to be perfect. I happen to believe it is less controversial than the 12-team fiasco we probably will experience next year. But it was a necessary stepping stone to get to what I believe will follow in a few years. I will have an article about that early next year. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDuck No. 10 Share Posted December 25, 2023 "I used to watch as many Bowls as I could see,-nowadays Meh" Florida State's second-string QB announced portal entry today. That means their 3rd string guy will start, and there are no backups to him whom have appeared this season in a game. FSU already has significant numbers of guys who won't play, including former Duck Trey Benson who led the team in rushing. Georgia has a bunch of guys who entered the portal, but generally they were not starters. Neither Notre Dame or Oregon State will have their starting QBs...and so on...and so on...which affects ticket sales and TV viewership for bowl games. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven A Moderator No. 11 Share Posted December 25, 2023 I prefer a playoff without any team getting a bye. As for the "other bowls", they have been getting grey water products for the last few years with the opt-outs and sheer number of bowls that a 500 let alone a winning season is no longer a requirement. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 12 Share Posted December 25, 2023 "Grey water products" Perfect description Steven A. 1 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Moderator No. 13 Share Posted December 25, 2023 On 12/25/2023 at 3:59 PM, HDuck said: "I used to watch as many Bowls as I could see,-nowadays Meh" Florida State's second-string QB announced portal entry today. That means their 3rd string guy will start, and there are no backups to him whom have appeared this season in a game. FSU already has significant numbers of guys who won't play, including former Duck Trey Benson who led the team in rushing. Georgia has a bunch of guys who entered the portal, but generally they were not starters. Neither Notre Dame or Oregon State will have their starting QBs...and so on...and so on...which affects ticket sales and TV viewership for bowl games. Sigh and why play all of these games? A 'real' PO will put the best players on the field. And an even better PO come 2026 will provide broadcast competition beyond ESPN and likely, a deserved slice of the PO pie for the players. A true PO is coming with 2024/25 being a bridge to a more inclusive and better PO. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Moderator No. 14 Share Posted December 25, 2023 (edited) Grandpa, love you Man but I see it not as a fiasco but as a bridge to a 16-team PO that will have a true PO field. Of course, teams 17, 18, and 19 will be whining. The same thing happens with teams 69-72 in the CBB PO. Looking forward to your take my friend. 1868? Was Charles in the booth? Next to Abner Doubleday? Edited December 25, 2023 by Jon Joseph 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Duck No. 15 Share Posted December 25, 2023 I try to keep positive. There are too many entities involved. But the catalyst of paying players may lead to a solution. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike West No. 16 Share Posted December 26, 2023 Another great article Jon!!! I like the suggestions. I am also hoping the bowls go away, to be replaced by a second playoff similar to the NIT tournament format in college basketball. I believe it's is vital to the G5(and ultimately the ACC and Big12) schools in that they need revenue also in order to survive outside what seems clear to be coming: an all out BiG/SEC playoff fest. One thing for sure, change will continue for awhile. Let's hope consideration for the health of the sport is a priority. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartan2785 No. 17 Share Posted December 26, 2023 (edited) They might eventually go to 16, if they do, then I would imagine the first round will be at the higher seeds home ground (seeds 10-7 will be the new huge debate), I'm sure the bowls will try to make teams go to a neutral site in the quarterfinals, personally I think these should also be at home venues, then you have the semis and the final at a neutral venue. I really like the idea of a second tournament that Mike mentioned above. I know in Oregon at the 6A level they've gone away from a 32 team field to two 16 team fields, which I think just means not having some really really bad matchups in the first round. Still gives teams something to play for. Edited December 26, 2023 by spartan2785 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
