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

[Mornengswede]

Fantasyland version:

Reconfigure to eight “power” conferences with ten teams each, 80 teams. Each conference plays a full round robin. In case of a tie, two teams are determined by AP rank, then settled by a conference championship game. Not needed if season produces outright champion.

Those eight conference champions go to the playoff.

Teams that finish last in their conference are dropped to a non “power” conference and replaced by the champion of that conference.

 

[Back Alley Gator]

Fantasyland version:

Reconfigure to eight “power” conferences with ten teams each, 80 teams. Each conference plays a full round robin. In case of a tie, two teams are determined by AP rank, then settled by a conference championship game. Not needed if season produces outright champion.

Those eight conference champions go to the playoff.

Teams that finish last in their conference are dropped to a non “power” conference and replaced by the champion of that conference.

Sounds so very much like soccer.

 

[G. Gordon Gator]

I thought the push to expand to 12 teams was a negotiating ploy by commissioners who wanted to go to eight teams, so that an 8-team playoff would start to look like a reasonable compromise to the ones who wanted to stay at four. Guess not.

As it turns out, nobody really wants to stay at four. Everybody is basically onboard with expanding to 12 teams, but nobody can agree on the logistics of it so it looks like it's not going to happen until the 2026-27 season. At that time the likely format will continue to use the current Top 25 ranking system; it will be the six highest-ranked conference champions (regardless of conference) followed by six at-large bids consisting of the next six highest-ranked teams.

 

[Mornengswede]

I thought the push to expand to 12 teams was a negotiating ploy by commissioners who wanted to go to eight teams, so that an 8-team playoff would start to look like a reasonable compromise to the ones who wanted to stay at four. Guess not.

As it turns out, nobody really wants to stay at four. Everybody is basically onboard with expanding to 12 teams, but nobody can agree on the logistics of it so it looks like it's not going to happen until the 2026-27 season. At that time the likely format will continue to use the current Top 25 ranking system; it will be the six highest-ranked conference champions (regardless of conference) followed by six at-large bids consisting of the next six highest-ranked teams.

So in every playoff there will be 3-5 SEC teams, and 2-3 total losers who have no chance like UCF. I enjoyed watching Cincinnati’s swagger turn into total futility this year, and look forward to seeing more underdogs get some needed shock collar training in the future.

 

[Spurffelbow833]

The best argument is you can't even get a competitive experience with 4 teams.

 

[G. Gordon Gator]

So in every playoff there will be 3-5 SEC teams, and 2-3 total losers who have no chance like UCF. I enjoyed watching Cincinnati’s swagger turn into total futility this year, and look forward to seeing more underdogs get some needed shock collar training in the future.

The best argument is you can't even get a competitive experience with 4 teams.

Ahh, I love a two-for-one, which reminds me, I haven't checked the Publix App for the BOGOs this week.

The mistake you both are making is that you are projecting the current state of affairs -- barely a handful of truly "championship caliber" teams -- onto what it will be like after the playoffs expand. The whole purpose of playoff expansion is to alter that situation by breaking up the gridlock. More teams making the playoffs every year will lead to more top recruits giving more consideration to more schools.

Of course, some people don't like the idea of more parity, and don't have a problem with the current state of gridlock -- the only change they want is for UF to somehow take the place of Alabama as the #1 team to beat every year. But ask them how they expect that to ever happen, and the only response you're likely to get is an insult for asking too many pesky questions.

 

[Back Alley Gator]

Wonderful! The zombie thread from hell, and just in time for lunch!

I didn't necro this thread...that was boss. :)

 

[MJMGator]

Ahh, I love a two-for-one, which reminds me, I haven't checked the Publix App for the BOGOs this week.

The mistake you both are making is that you are projecting the current state of affairs -- barely a handful of truly "championship caliber" teams -- onto what it will be like after the playoffs expand. The whole purpose of playoff expansion is to alter that situation by breaking up the gridlock. More teams making the playoffs every year will lead to more top recruits giving more consideration to more schools.

Of course, some people don't like the idea of more parity, and don't have a problem with the current state of gridlock -- the only change they want is for UF to somehow take the place of Alabama as the #1 team to beat every year. But ask them how they expect that to ever happen, and the only response you're likely to get is an insult for asking too many pesky questions.

Adding more teams isn’t going to automatically make those teams any better than they are now. It’ll simply water down the importance of the regular season like it has with every other sport that has a huge play-off/tournament. NCAA hoops, baseball, NFL, NBA, MLB, etc..

 

[ThreatMatrix]

Ahh, I love a two-for-one, which reminds me, I haven't checked the Publix App for the BOGOs this week.

The mistake you both are making is that you are projecting the current state of affairs -- barely a handful of truly "championship caliber" teams -- onto what it will be like after the playoffs expand. The whole purpose of playoff expansion is to alter that situation by breaking up the gridlock. More teams making the playoffs every year will lead to more top recruits giving more consideration to more schools.

Of course, some people don't like the idea of more parity, and don't have a problem with the current state of gridlock -- the only change they want is for UF to somehow take the place of Alabama as the #1 team to beat every year. But ask them how they expect that to ever happen, and the only response you're likely to get is an insult for asking too many pesky questions.

Moronic.

 

[G. Gordon Gator]

Adding more teams isn’t going to automatically make those teams any better than they are now. It’ll simply water down the importance of the regular season like it has with every other sport that has a huge play-off/tournament. NCAA hoops, baseball, NFL, NBA, MLB, etc..

Within the world of fans there are different types with different mindsets who will never agree on this issue. It's like comic book nerds arguing DC vs. Marvel.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

The mistake you both are making is that you are projecting the current state of affairs -- barely a handful of truly "championship caliber" teams -- onto what it will be like after the playoffs expand. The whole purpose of playoff expansion is to alter that situation by breaking up the gridlock. More teams making the playoffs every year will lead to more top recruits giving more consideration to more schools.

I think that your scenario might have played out over time if CFB had stayed the same. Alas, it did not. I'm convinced that NIL will lead to fewer teams that will be able to reasonably compete; not more. We will see.

 

[Mornengswede]

Ahh, I love a two-for-one, which reminds me, I haven't checked the Publix App for the BOGOs this week.

The mistake you both are making is that you are projecting the current state of affairs -- barely a handful of truly "championship caliber" teams -- onto what it will be like after the playoffs expand. The whole purpose of playoff expansion is to alter that situation by breaking up the gridlock. More teams making the playoffs every year will lead to more top recruits giving more consideration to more schools.

Of course, some people don't like the idea of more parity, and don't have a problem with the current state of gridlock -- the only change they want is for UF to somehow take the place of Alabama as the #1 team to beat every year. But ask them how they expect that to ever happen, and the only response you're likely to get is an insult for asking too many pesky questions.

I think you make a good point in that it could increase parity. But anything technically could happen. I don’t think watching Cincinnati get dominated by the gumps inspired many top recruits to go play there. I could be wrong and they might be two or three more playoff losses away from a top ten class. It’s strictly possible. Maybe it will work for some other schools.

And the path to being a dominant program lies in the level of commitment at different levels: admin, fanbase, boosters. Not many schools have that commitment, and that number isn’t bound to increase with an expanded playoff.

Again, I’m for expansion just for the entertainment value. I just think that twenty years after it starts, you’ll only have ten or less schools winning those titles, and six of them will be from the SEC.

 

[NOLAGATOR]

My plan has been 6 Power Conferences

4 at large.

Power Conferences have a championship

The 4 at large play for wild card.

Winners play 8 team play-off

 

[Durty South Swamp]

The idea that a blue chipper will select a mediocre team or a g5 team instead of a top level blue blood simply bc there's more playoff spots than the blue bloods can fill was wishful thinking to start with. Now that there's NIL it's just pure lunacy. Top kids are picking based on $$, geography, coaching staff and scheme fit. Same as it's always been, the only difference being now all are legal. If playoff expansion is a factor at all for any of them, it's dead last in the pecking order. But one things for certain, little g will make ox get to 2 million posts in this thread if that's what it takes to have the last word lol.

 

[URGatorBait]

The idea that a blue chipper will select a mediocre team or a g5 team instead of a top level blue blood simply bc there's more playoff spots than the blue bloods can fill was wishful thinking to start with. Now that there's NIL it's just pure lunacy. Top kids are picking based on $$, geography, coaching staff and scheme fit. Same as it's always been, the only difference being now all are legal. If playoff expansion is a factor at all for any of them, it's dead last in the pecking order. But one things for certain, little g will make ox get to 2 million posts in this thread if that's what it takes to have the last word lol.

Little g

 

[MJMGator]

Within the world of fans there are different types with different mindsets who will never agree on this issue. It's like comic book nerds arguing DC vs. Marvel.

Do you disagree with what I said? Hasn’t playoff expansion watered down the regular season for all those other sports? What makes you think it wouldn’t have the same impact on college football?

 

[Back Alley Gator]

Within the world of fans there are different types with different mindsets who will never agree on this issue. It's like comic book nerds arguing DC vs. Marvel.

That doesn't make you less wrong.

 

[YLGator]

Go back and find the 8th ranked team at the end of any regular season over the past 120 years that deserved to play for the national title over the team that won it and I’ll listen………………… I think I’ll be waiting a long, long time.

 

[soflagator]

It’s not very often that @G. Gordon Gator is right on the money with a viewpoint…


No, that’s all. I was done. Just that.

 

[G. Gordon Gator]

Do you disagree with what I said? Hasn’t playoff expansion watered down the regular season for all those other sports? What makes you think it wouldn’t have the same impact on college football?

Absolutely, I disagree with what you said. For example, I am a huge Miami Heat fan and I watch every regular-season game that I can. During the season it's basically my favorite TV show.

The only time the regular season Heat games were meaningless to me was during the "Dream Team" era, when it was a given that we were not only going to make the playoffs but go all the way to the Finals every year.

I like the current team better and enjoy watching them play. My favorite Heat playoff series of all time was the one a couple years ago when we scrapped and fought our way to the Finals in the Bubble, even though we didn't win.

Like I said, there are different types of fans. Some enjoy watching the process, and embrace challenges because the greater they are, the more meaningful the victories. For others, their team loyalty is so much a part of their identity that all they care about are the results, because they define themselves by them.

Anyway, to answer your question, no, expanding the College Football Playoffs will not make the regular season meaningless because the regular season is what determines who makes the playoffs.