What's your best argument against expanding the CFP to eight teams? (Poll!)

[Concrete Helmet]

I say we go back to 4 bowl games and then argue who's the best.......I like to argue....

 

[bayou gator]

Thats true, but its its a fvkking stupid argument.

I agree. It was more of a condemnation of Dan's mediocrity, than an honest attempt to justify our selection.

 

[gatorev12]

I think this biggest argument against is to look at what happened this year: LSU finally knocked Bama off their perch; and while UGAy has perennial top 5 recruiting classes--they once again lost when it counts and are not in the Playoffs; and all Utah had to do was beat Oregon and they were in.

Yes, the top names in college football have been at the table more often than not; but it's not a foregone conclusion that they'll be there every year ad infinitum. Heck, Clemson was one 2 pt conversion away from possibly being left out entirely: they would have won out, as they eventually did, but the Committee basically acknowledged that no one there respects the ACC and had push came to shove, Clemson would have been done with 1 loss in the weakest conference.

Oklahoma is going to eventually miss the playoff (sooner rather than later) because they always drop at least 1 conference game a year and they won't always have elite QBs (Hurts was a graduate transfer and gone this offseason); and heck: they *almost* screwed it up this year too (their performance on the back half was by no means dominant).

Ohio State recruits well, but they'll be losing elite talent this year; as will Bama (their 3 NFL-caliber WRs are gone, and likely Tua too).

The main differentiator to the consistent programs (Bama, Clemson, OSU) is depth everywhere on the roster...but even that isn't a guarantee. Bama missed the playoffs this year bc they didn't have an elite defense for the first time (NFL defections and early season injuries forced true freshman into the lineup). Similar things will happen to other schools too.

 

[Jake from State Farm]

I would go to 8 teams but that still wouldn't stop the bytching from teams 9 thru 150.

All P5 Conference Champs should be in automatically.

 

[G. Gordon Gator]

What trend? There are no examples in the last 30 years of having 4 legit teams and needing to hash it out via a playoff, and only 3-4 example of even needing a 3rd spot in the same time frame.

Maybe I misunderstood what you were saying.

The trend of people saying there's no need to expand to eight teams because there aren't even four legit title contenders in the first place. First @Swamp Donkey said it, then you, and probably someone else has said it by the time I'm done typing this.

My question is, why is that the case? Do you think there's only enough top talent in America to put together three teams that deserve to be considered the best? Or it because all the top talent keeps being stockpiled by those teams?

The situation you're talking about (the limited number of truly elite teams) existed when we had no playoff, because everyone wanted to go to whoever were the top two schools at any given time. Now that four teams get a shot, the perception of who those top two schools are has changed a little bit, but it's still just a handful who are always in the mix right now.

So how do we change that? I'm saying we should consider something different that we haven't tried yet.

 

[soflagator]

Get off your one-track Mullinz obsession. This isn't about him or Florida, it's about the general question of how can we increase the amount of parity across the board and make college football seasons more interesting.

You can't. But I also don't think it's as unique or as extreme as people want to make it. It's simply more publicized because of sites like Rivals and social media.

Numerically speaking, there's a 50% chance that a NC winner will emerge from the playoff that hasn't won one in the last decade. Assuming that's the case, 5 teams will have won it all, with an additional 2 teams playing for it and losing in the NC game(Ore x 2, uga 2nd & 26).

In the 2000s, it was 8 different teams winning a title.

In the 90s, it was 7.

Is there less parity to a degree, yes. But if you weren't fsu, Uf or Neb in the 90s, your life sucked. If you weren't Usc, Uf or Oklahoma in the 2000s, your life sucked. So what happened? The teams that got tired of their lives sucking(Alabama, Clemson), committed to making it better made moves to (re)assert themselves. It can and will be done again by down powerhouses.

 

[Jake from State Farm]

"My question is, why is that the case? Do you think there's only enough top talent in America to put together three teams that deserve to be considered the best?"

Fact is, the best team doesn't win every game. If they did there would be no reason to play the games, just give the win to the higher rated(best) team!

 

[Durty South Swamp]

I refuse to believe there's no way to break that cycle.

I already told you how to break it, and it has nothing to do with playoff expansion. How about the old fashioned way... beating someone. I know, I know...

 

[G. Gordon Gator]

It doesnt make it more interesting, it makes it less. People would stop watching if the game didnt matter.

Hell, coaches would stop playing their starters like they do in the NFL the last few games.

Consider the example of college basketball.

Yes, the regular NCAA hoops season is less important that the regular NCAA football season. It's a 64-team playoff so there's infinitely more room for error when it comes to qualifying for the field. But just because the regular season games aren't as important doesn't mean they aren't interesting and fun to watch.

If you like watching basketball you can enjoy watching lots of regular season games, because they are more competitive. Which in turn is because there's more parity. Which in turn is because more teams have a legit chance to win the title in any given year.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

The trend of people saying there's no need to expand to eight teams because there aren't even four legit title contenders in the first place. .

It has nothing to do with your roster, it has to do with your season.

You dont have a claim to a bc you FVKKING LOST.

The first week of the playoffs is in Sept, Oct and Nov. Week 2 is Dec whatever (fvkk you Ugaly).

 

[soflagator]

I would go to 8 teams but that still wouldn't stop the bytching from teams 9 thru 150.

All P5 Conference Champs should be in automatically.

Totally disagree. If I wanted to watch a 4 loss team somehow making a magical run in a few games and winning it all, I'd watch any of the Giants' Super Bowls. The reality is, while on the surface that makes it seem more fair, again using the NFL as an example, how many better NFC teams will be sitting at home while the Eagles or cowboys host a playoff game? I disagree with expansion in general, but the automatic qualifier is the worst idea of them all.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

I already told you how to break it, and it has nothing to do with playoff expansion. How about the old fashioned way... beating someone. I know, I know...

The way to break the cycle is fire the shytty coaches you brought with you from cowbell (or most of them).

 

[TheDouglas78]

Totally disagree. If I wanted to watch a 4 loss team somehow making a magical run in a few games and winning it all, I'd watch any of the Giants' Super Bowls. The reality is, while on the surface that makes it seem more fair, again using the NFL as an example, how many better NFC teams will be sitting at home while the Cowboys host a playoff game? I disagree with expansion in general, but the automatic qualifier is the worst idea of them all.

Fixed your post for you.

 

[soflagator]

Fixed your post for you.

Figured you'd appreciate and get swept up in the Giants reference, but you stayed focused. I can respect that.

 

[G. Gordon Gator]

I would go to 8 teams but that still wouldn't stop the bytching from teams 9 thru 150.

All P5 Conference Champs should be in automatically.

Agreed, I'd say all P5 champs, plus the top-ranked non-P5, plus the two remaining highest-ranked teams regardless of conference.

I believe after a few years of doing it that way, you'd start to see a much wider distribution of talent.

 

[Captain Sasquatch]

We already have enough non-competitive games in a four team playoff. Why make it worse?

 

[G. Gordon Gator]

The way to break the cycle is fire the shytty coaches you brought with you from cowbell (or most of them).

Okay. :rolleyes: You really are a one-trick Donkey.

 

[NOLAGATOR]

Dude, youre Mr Circular. Dildo Dan cant get in the playoffs bc he cant win against good teams in October, so why the fvkk do you think he is going to beat good teams in the playoff.

The reason he cant recruit is bc he sucks as a recruiter, not bc the playoff isnt 8 teams.

Nothing about an 8 team playoff means shytty coaches are going to be any less shytty in January than in October.

This is one doozy of an argument.

UN-believable...In 2 years we've gone from 4 Ws to 9 Ws to 10 Ws but you are not happy.

We have 21 Good Recruits and should pick-up 4-6 more. We have filled every need but two, RB and WR and you are not happy.

Sure we missed on a few but 3 of those were DL...We recruited 8 DL.

We brought in a 4+ QB WHO IS PRACTICING.

Back to the Augment...I'm for more in the play-offs, fewer Bowls, better scheduling

 

[soflagator]

I don't mean this as a shot at you, but with that answer you strike me as someone who, truth be told, likes math better than sports. Or maybe you're just a degenerate gambler. ;) Because it sounds like you're saying you like predictable outcomes better than unpredictable ones.

For my part, I think a seemingly mediocre team making a magical run and somehow winning it all is a beautiful thing. To me that's the very essence of what's so great about sports. You don't know what's going to happen!

Well, the lion's share of my career has consisted of obsessing over math, predictability and in essence, "gambling". So you pretty well nailed me there.

To your second point about a team going on a magical run, that can be beautiful. And we get to watch it all day on Sundays, and almost the entire month of March. Leave that mentality to those sports. The greatness and uniqueness of college football is that it damn near requires perfection. And when it's achieved, that is beautiful. It's what makes early October Saturdays against a rival such a wild scene, why we're too nervous to eat before the game in Jax, and why we take that one loss so much harder. No other sport can boast that and what makes it the best sport out on the planet. So leave it alone.

 

[SeabeeGator]

I’m With @G. Gordon Gator here. Switch to an 8 team playoff and the talent will disperse. Plus, the more competitive football the better. I’d add:

Max 1 FCS team. All 9 game conference schedules. Remove all divisions and require top 2 teams in conference by some standard system play for P5 conference championships. Those 5 get auto-bids. Other three spots are at-large, top ranked teams. And cap staff sizes for each team.

There’s a reason guys like Saban oppose these types of changes - they have it made right now and any of these changes eat away at their advantage. HUNH offenses, transfer portal, etc. all change the calculus enough that these guys have adapt from something that is currently dominating. Throw the 8 team playoff hand grenade in there and watch the chaos.