College Football has seen a monumental shift in the last two years with the expansion to the 12-team playoff. It should come as a surprise to no one at this point that this change has completely redefined what it means for a team to have a successful season. Even in the four-team playoff era there was always a sense that ...

The Expanded Playoff is Redefining Success

This article inspires one to think internally. Well done!

If you make the playoffs, 11 teams end their season with a bad taste in their mouth with a loss. I was disappointed with the shellacking, it was down right comical. But, we were 2-1 in the Natty run. Splattered JMU and muddled TT. Nearly every 1st stringer is coming back and we are loaded with upper class men. 2025 was a roaring success. I’m not going to let Cignettis one off, probably never happen again, define how good Oregon played this year with basically no continuity. Next year already feels like a brotherhood of old men is forming.

….final thought, let’s just be done and get to the 16 team playoff already. And force ND into a conference. (PERIOD!)

I grew up in Eugene, attended the U of O, started as a Frosh in 1966, time out for 2 yrs in the US Marine Corps, then graduated in 1972. For me, anytime the Ducks win more than they lose is a successful season!

The Chip Kelly and now the Dan Lanning eras are dreams never thought possible 50 years ago. 12 and 13 wins in a season outstanding. Beating the Huskies and the Trojans regularly, fantastic!

The younger version of me, "Who woulda thunk?" This Duck is living on cloud nine!

Yes indeed, in 2026 (and beyond) with where we are as a program, it’s playoff or bust every year. That’s the equivalent of making a major bowl.

Within that framework, I think it is a relative scale. In 2025 I think getting a playoff win was the bar, so going 2-1 in the tourney was definitely a success given the expectations.

2026 on the other hand, given what we have on the roster at the moment, anything short of a competitive championship game appearance would probably not be a success. At the very least a final 4 appearance where we are competitive. Getting boat raced in the semis would be an unsuccessful season next year imo.

Great insight, David. It makes complete sense that making the playoff now is the new bowl season. Think about the 4-team PO days, it only mattered if one mad it to the PO or the other 5 major bowls, so that's 8 games and 16 teams. Before the 4-team PO, it was just the Natty and 5 bowls, so that's 6 games and 12 teams.

So we are really just shuffling the post-season around, plus a dusting of all the crazy money-driven NIL/Portal fun...

Success when you spend millions on NIL deals redefines how much patience boosters have with their win/loss record. Top coaches are paid almost $1 million a month to win.

Excuses for a coach having an average team revolve around money. At least money is not given to players in a brown paper bag anymore.

The game has changed. I will enjoy what it has become, but it does seem some semblance of sanity is needed to save our precious billionaires from themselves.

I couldn't agree more David. I've mentioned several of these points in previous comments, but your overall perspective is great.

Success is winning a whole bunch of games and making the playoffs. Anytime you make it deeper into the playoffs than the year before it's a success, and if you don't make it as far the next year it can feel like a step back.

I was a Jumper in track and field. I just did long and triple jump, but not high jump, partially because it took forever, but also I hated finishing by missing the bar 3 times in a row.

Needless to say, for me finishing the season with a loss is a very sharp side of the double edged sword of the playoffs.

Edited 23 hours ago23 hr by Solar

If this was the 4 team playoff the Ducks would've had one game with who knows who in a hopefully a decent bowl game but that's it. Instead they got 3 playoff games. The fans and the players got a 3 game extension for the season. To me this was the funnest Duck season yet. Playing teams we didn't used to play in stadiums we'd never see back in the P12.

I can remember when the Ducks would break into the top 25. That was a big moment. Then the next week they'd lose and never see the top 25 again and be fighting to make a bowl game.

Times have changed for the better for this Duck fan.

8 hours ago, Smith72 said:

I grew up in Eugene, attended the U of O, started as a Frosh in 1966, time out for 2 yrs in the US Marine Corps, then graduated in 1972. For me, anytime the Ducks win more than they lose is a successful season!

The Chip Kelly and now the Dan Lanning eras are dreams never thought possible 50 years ago. 12 and 13 wins in a season outstanding. Beating the Huskies and the Trojans regularly, fantastic!

The younger version of me, "Who woulda thunk?" This Duck is living on cloud nine!

Marines in 1966 - 2-year 'time out?'

My Forum Friend, I am happy you are alive to witness Oregon's success.

On behalf of my brother, a Marine who slogged through rice paddies and the jungle in 1967 and 1968, Semper Fi!

Good thoughts David.

The attempt to redefine the psychology of post-season college football through the lens of basketball’s bracketed play-off system is going to run into some big walls on the road to any satisfying conclusion.

Assuming some form of an expanded CFP is only a matter of time, BB’s focus on using the excitement of regular season games to build towards the highest possible tournament seed seems almost inevitable. The problem is football will never have the luxury of a 35 game season to overcome slumps. One or two bad games and you’re likely out of it.

But, the challenge remains. Football - for both teams and fans - is going to have to adopt some form of basketball’s realistic attitude towards the post season in order to feel success at the end - win or lose.

If you see yourself there, and the odds are you won’t get past the 2nd round - and that’s what happens - having BB’s mindset that already accepts that reality creates a sense of success and becomes a positive building block towards the next year.

The over-riding-psychology is it has very little to do with the present moment, and more about always building towards tomorrow.

That’s going to be a tough pill for football to swallow, but what other option is there if you want to feel good about yourself at the end, and you’re not the one left standing?

Edited 12 hours ago12 hr by Washington Waddler
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I define success to be what the team does in the December early signing period and then what happens with the portal.

The games just follow recruiting. The expanded playoffs were needed. When it was just the AP determining champions, every game was a playoff game - all charging ahead to get that number one spot and not lose it.

Two years in and the teams with byes lost 7 out of 8. Time to go to 16. The top 4 or 5 will get warm up games. It is also time to dump the group of whatever. If they are good, they can get ranked high enough to get in. Or... let their top teams play top 5 teams in the first three weeks, get a win, and then build a case for playoffs.

Thought provoking thread.

One thing I’d add, when comparing what is a successful season in football with the hoops tournament is that it is incredibly relative to what program you are talking about. Teams that are regularly top-2 seeds in March Madness probably don’t consider surviving the opening week a successful season…I wouldn’t know because our current hoops program feels good when it makes the round of 32 😜