SI's Mock 4-Team Playoff Selection Committee

This article, while long, is very interesting. It's got something for everyone in terms of the difficulty of choosing that 4th team. I think it's Scott who has lobbied here for an 8-team playoff. He'll enjoy reading about the reactions of a couple of the ADs to the selection process. TOK, I share your feelings about eliminating the possibility of two teams from the same conference in the final game. You'll be pleased with the results of the mock selection.

SI's Mock Selection Committee for Football Playoffs

 

I didn't read the article but the graphic of course show's the UF/Bama on one side and the ND/UO on the other side.

The problem comes if UF is seed #4 and Alabama seeded #2. If they stick to the 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 then we have a possiblity for what I don't think we should ever have again and that is a Championship game between 2 teams from the same conference.

 

Shouldn't you have to at least win your division before you can play for a National Championship?

 

Personally I think that is the way it should be. I'm sure though that the fan of any team who didn't and still ended the season ranked in the top 4 wouldn't agree with me, and there is precedent for this.

We have had many Championships involving conference teams that didn't win their conference or division. The year that Neb played Miami they didn't win the North Division of the B12 but still finished #2 in the BCS. OU played LSU and didn't win the B12 championship and in fact were soundly beaten by KSU but still made the Championship game.

But with the advent of the "wildcard" team in the NFL and MLB we have pretty much legitimized that you don't have to win your division to win the big prize. Cardinals have a WS ring as a wildcard and the Packers Super Bowl ring in 2010 was as a wildcard and when they won their division last year and were pretty much considered the top team in the NFL, they lost early and the wildcard Giants won. But what no league has allowed is for 2 teams from the same division/conference play for the big prize and I don't think college should allow it either.

 

I’m not finished with the article, but here are my thoughts so far:
1. I am all for an 8-team playoff vs. a 4-team. It is easy to have 5 really good teams that can be discussed, slandered, and slathered over to reach the “four best”. And even though there will always be the next one out (8/9, 16/17, 32/33, 64/65) I would MUCH rather tell the ninth no than the fifth. I also feel that if you can’t make it into the top 8, there is very little complaint avavilable since most of the time, the ninth team will have 2 or more losses and could have fixed that by winning.
2. I am all for a selection committee IF all their votes/scores are made public so each of the participants are held accountable for their vote. I don’t want any vote fixing, such as voting Oregon #25 and Texas Tech #1 to skew the results.
3. I am not against two teams from the same conference playing for the national championship in a format such as the NCAA Basketball Tournament in which there were 64 teams that all could have knocked off those conference leaders. In a format with only four (or hopefully soon eight) teams? Out of 120 in the country? Not a chance.

 

Just got to this one:

Gig 'em Cougs!

 

Thanks for the article Sid!
I am rabid for an 8 team playoff.
It allows us to keep bowls, but makes pretty darned sure that the national champ is from the best available teams...

 

The reason that two teams from the same conference can't play for the championship in the NFL, MLB or NBA is because there is a clear division of who plays who and there will be one team from each conference in the finals, thus impossible.

The way it could be prevented is what Terry said, make sure that if you have two teams from the same conference they matchup before the finals.

By the way two teams from the same conference can end up playing for the NCAA Basketball Championship.

I agree with all of you that say every effort should be made to avoid two from the same conference, but I don't think it should be outlawed. I wasn't in favor of what happened last year in theory but when it came down to it I do think the two best teams were in the finals.

 

I looked for a way to merge the topics and didn't find one.

Sorry Sid.

 

Bill, check my reply in your topic. You'll get a kick out of it.

Thanks for the deference. You are a gentleman.

 

Pretty funny Sid, I hope you are through sniffing now though.

Yeah some good Sat morning traffic.

I feel the same way about you and know my fellow Gators do also. Now if you can convince some of your fellow Irish fans about me, then I would be in good shape.