DrJacksPlaidPants Moderator No. 1 Share Posted October 26 I was thinking about the playoffs and conference championship games and it got me thinking about different strategies. Now, the conference championship is being sold as a great thing because you get a first round bye. However, isn’t that championship game just another playoff game? Is not making the conference championship game just another form of a bye? Sure, you’re probably playing tougher teams as a 5-12 seed, but everybody has to win 4 games after the regular season if they want to be national champions. However, the loser of the conference championship game would have to play 5 games after the regular season to win it all. Now, I am making assumptions that the losing team in the conference championship game will make the playoffs. It’s almost guaranteed in the SEC and B1G. This leaves me to wonder if there are any teams out there who might use a different strategy to avoid the conference championship game. There are a couple of reasons why it might be a good idea. First one is resting injured players in the final regular season game who might need the extra time to recover and be healthy for the playoffs. Another reason would be if you know you’re going to be overmatched in the conference championship game and you want to avoid that 5th game. Of course, this could backfire in a number of ways. Like if you assume you’re going to make the playoffs with one or two losses. However, the committee could take it into consideration that a really good SEC or B1G team lost their final regular season game because their QB was recovering from an injury. Especially if there are other one or two loss teams in the top 11 who you have already beaten. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicroBurst61 No. 2 Share Posted October 26 With the 12 to 16 teams playoffs the conference championship games will either be eliminated, or most likely to become the first round of games in the playoff format. We are half way through the regular 12 game season. But this years top teams will get another entirely "new" season of up to 4-5 games AFTER the regular season. So roster management and prepping for the end of season gauntlet against top teams After your regular 12 game season is a new power dynamic to be ready for. Seems to me that managing playing time over the course of a season will become more and more pivotal in reaching and winning the national championship on any given year. Let's hope our Beloved Ducks are up for the challenges presented. GO DUCKS! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haywarduck Moderator No. 3 Share Posted October 26 You have two weeks, or three weeks to prepare for the playoffs after the championship game. The big difficulty will be getting through the quarter final, then semi final games on back to back weekends. The quarters an semi games will be like two bowl games in a row. Then you have a week off and then the real championship game. Imagine just having all the different uniforms ready for those games, let alone strategies for a situation no one has been through before. I have no doubt Oregon will have the uniforms ready, and Dan and his brain trust will have the team one step ahead of most programs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 4 Share Posted October 26 I wish we could expand to 16 teams and drop the conference championships games. 1 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastBayDuckDad Moderator No. 5 Share Posted October 26 On 10/26/2024 at 6:54 AM, MicroBurst61 said: With the 12 to 16 teams playoffs the conference championship games will either be eliminated, or most likely to become the first round of games in the playoff format. I don't see this happening as that would shut the loser of the B1G and SEC CGs out of the playoffs, teams that will routinely be in the top 10, while advancing weaker teams from other conferences. Like others here, I would be in favor of ranking teams at the end of the regular season for the playoffs ( crowning the reg season winner conference champs). That would obviate having the two best teams in a conference beat each other up before the playoffs. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
30Duck No. 6 Share Posted October 26 On 10/26/2024 at 9:25 AM, EastBayDuckDad said: Like others here, I would be in favor of ranking teams at the end of the regular season for the playoffs ( crowning the reg season winner conference champs). That would obviate having the two best teams in a conference beat each other up before the playoffs. Obviate is a great word, and this would really put value on the regular season. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJacksPlaidPants Author Moderator No. 7 Share Posted October 26 On 10/26/2024 at 11:08 AM, Charles Fischer said: I wish we could expand to 16 teams and drop the conference championships games. I think they want to be like the NCAA BB tournament; however, I hate the automatic bid justification in CFB because It could eliminate a much better team. In a field of 68 teams it’s OK. Not for a field of 12 teams. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
