Alliance Member Blocking Playoff Expansion

[Jon Joseph]

To date, Alliance members B1G and Pac-12 conferences have indicated that both would be fine with an 8 or 12 team expanded Playoff field. However, the ACC is insisting on an 8 team field with all P5 champs in, the top G5 team in, with two at large teams completing the field. An 8 team field is a no go for the SEC, Notre Dame and G5. One out of 11 members of the Playoff Committee appears to be vetoing an expanded Playoff field.

 

What would an 8 team field per the ACC formula have looked like in 2021?

 

1. Alabama - SEC -  No. 1 in the Playoff Committee's (PC) final ranking.

2. Michigan - B1G - No. 2 in the PC.

3. Georgia - At Large - No. 3 in the PC

4. Cincinnati - G5 - No. 4 in the PC

5. Notre Dame -At Large - No. 5 in the PC

6. Baylor - B12 - No. 7 in the PC

7. Utah - Pac-12 - No. 11 in the PC

8. Pittsburgh - ACC - No. 12 in the PC

 

Now, let's assume the NY6 bowls were used to host the quarter final and semifinal games.

 

Cotton Bowl - 1. Alabama vs 8. Pittsburgh - Heisman finalist Pitt QB Pickett would likely not have opted out, along with 3 other starters on the Pitt roster.

Orange Bowl - 4. Cincinnati vs 5 Notre Dame - The Irish top RB and its best player on D would likely have not opted out.

Semifinal - Played in the Sugar Bowl

 

Fiesta Bowl - 2. Michigan vs 7 Utah - Utah did not suffer from drop outs but from injury to DBs. No Michigan player dropped out.

Peach Bowl - 3. Georgia vs 6. Baylor - Neither team had a 2021 opt out.

Semifinal - Played in the Rose Bowl.

 

To make this work calendar-wise all conferences and Notre Dame begin the season in Week Zero. Quarterfinals are played in December with the semifinal games played on New Year's Day. All NY6 bowls 'matter.' Playoff teams do not sit idle for 30 plus days. 

 

So, the ACC proposal at least to me, seems to be reasonable. And no conference needs playoff field expansion more than the Pac-12. But as noted above an 8 team field will not be approved by 8 of the 11 Playoff Committee members. Interestingly, in 2021, using the ACC formula Notre Dame would have been in. Cincinnati would have been in. And the SEC would have comprised 25% of the playoff field.

 

I do not disagree with the ACC's formula but I do disagree with an Alliance member frustrating Playoff expansion before 2026. An Alliance member that thanks mainly to Clemson, has appeared in 7 of 8 Playoff final 4s.

 

The Playoff powers-that-be meet again in March to discuss Playoff expansion. IMO and with ESPN, the exclusive Playoff broadcaster, agreeing to sweeten the pot prior to the existing deal expiring after the 2025 season,  I hope expansion will not be stymied by the ACC?

 

Is the ACC 'in' the Alliance or is it not?

[Jon Joseph]

ACC's position was confirmed yesterday by Brent McMurphy. Dabo and Mack Brown among other ACC coaches do not want more than an 8 team field. Of course Dabo and Brown have both won NCs.

[Tandaian]

SEC has to be careful, they might get left behind.  If BIG, P12 and ACC all want 8, then they can go off and leave the SEC and B12.  P5 conference champs and top G5 conference champ, plus 2 works.  P5 also don't care about the G5 conferences either.  SEC and G5 can go play each other.

 

If B1G, P12, ACC and B12 are all smart, they limit the payout for playoffs.  You can have as many teams as possible, but if you are splitting the pie, you can't have it split evenly 8 or 12 ways.  You can get extra for a second team, but at 3 or more no way in my opinion.  It won't be done that way, but it should be.

[Jon Joseph]

On 1/5/2022 at 2:29 PM, Tandaian said:

SEC has to be careful, they might get left behind.  If BIG, P12 and ACC all want 8, then they can go off and leave the SEC and B12.  P5 conference champs and top G5 conference champ, plus 2 works.  P5 also don't care about the G5 conferences either.  SEC and G5 can go play each other.

 

If B1G, P12, ACC and B12 are all smart, they limit the payout for playoffs.  You can have as many teams as possible, but if you are splitting the pie, you can't have it split evenly 8 or 12 ways.  You can get extra for a second team, but at 3 or more no way in my opinion.  It won't be done that way, but it should be.

 

I have advocated for this. And I would consider including the 'new B12' in the mix. Have the games broadcast by FOX, CBS, NBC, TNT, etc. Unless something like this happens and there are rules regarding NIL pay, the transfer portal free agency, a cap on what can be spent on recruiting, etc., a CFB professional Super League is inevitable. The Pac-12 but for 2 and possibly 3 teams cannot compete today at the highest level of CFB. That's the reality and not the myth of the 'good old days' returning for the Pac-12.

[Carl LeDuck 85]

For many years. from a pragmatic perspective I had been advocating for the 8 team playoff. But seeing the bowl game system slide into a state of irrelevance and mediocrity, I am changing my tune. While it would be challenging to gain agreement and figure out the logistics, a 16 team playoff makes 16 teams relevant. It gives more teams something to strive for.

 

We are still left with what post season games outside of a playoff have relevance, and how do we make them more important to the players, and for fans to watch. How many bowl games should there be? I don't know. If somebody wants to sponsor a bowl game between two marginally average teams that few fans will tune into, who am I to say no? As silly as it seems. 

 

If money, power and conference politics were not involved - it would likely be done by now. For now, I can only dream. 

[Mike West]

Good arguments here.

 

My concern is how teams schedule from the time the playoffs expand.

 

This year we saw Cinci at  " No Dame "( who hasn't won a bowl game in years); MSU at Miami; Oregon at tOSU: Oklahoma State at Boise State; LSU at UCLA.  

 

Sure, players will stay if the playoffs expand.  But won't we just see the G5 get annihilated time and again now that P5 teams will have something at stake ( especially if they don't get vetted by having to play two legit P5 teams)?

 

What about a three loss conference champs?  Teams won't concentrate on winning in the  regular season, and will avoid challenging matchups OOC ( see the SEC already, and G5 teams will definitely avoid tough games) to pad their record.

 

I already know Cincinnati is unqualified.  The only benefit to me is my bank account expands.  But we'll see garbage playoff games because a diluted playoff pool with expose an already unbalanced talent pool ( do you really think the recruiting powers are going to lose out- especially the well coached teams? I don't).

 

Scheduling hides the pretenders till November.  And November already acts like the playoffs.  You have to win to qualify.  

 

So do we want to expand to see some ( fewer than twenty actually) stay another game? We already see blowouts at the semi final level.  That will only look worse if some Cinderella advances. 

 

The regular season will be dead, and it will only look like a money grab since we won't see the likes of Oklahoma State vs Boise  State anymore.  Not to mention,  three to four years of boring and predictable playoffs.

 

Just my take.