Did Cincinatti belong in the college football playoff?

[cockofdawn]

I'd go a step further and eliminate conference championship games for the power 5.

Each power 5 conference division winner gets in (that's 10 teams).

Each conference winner of Group of 5 conference gets in (that's 5 more teams).

Have 1 at-large for other team (Notre Dame or other "deserving" team).

That is 16 teams that use the regular season to earn their way in.

With this system, you take out the subjectivity of the playoff committee for 15 of the 16 teams. The committee only "chooses" one team in the field (either ND or other team). Then there would need to be some system/setup to seed the teams correctly.

Makes great sense to me.

16?? LOL Then make it 32... WAIT 64 sounds good..

 

[midline]

Not really. They weren't the 4th best team in the country. But the same probably could be said for Michigan after UGA destroyed them. But it was bound to happen. And this year provided the perfect setup to stop the non power 5 schools from crying after one of their teams goes undefeated, but mostly against a schedule of 10-11 JV type games, yet doesn't get in.

 

[RattleCock]

I’m just going to say it.......I think OSU would have given Bama or Georgia a hell of a game. They slipped against Oregon and I think the weather at Michigan played a role in that loss. The idea that nobody can compete with Bama and Georgia is just not true. Georgia got hammered by Bama and a team like OSU has an elite QB and elite WRs that could do the same thing. Let’s not forget that Bama lost to aTm and almost lost to Auburn. They’re capable of losing a game. Michigan and Cincy didn’t provide a strong challenge for Georgia and Bama, but there are a couple teams that could.

OSU would have scored multiple TDs. Probably wouldn’t win, but they’d have at least found the end zone. There are a number of other teams who would have performed better. Bama’s D had zero respect for Cincy’s offense. Consequently, Bama was perfectly content to mostly grind it out on the ground.

 

[CockyinNoVa]

I'd go a step further and eliminate conference championship games for the power 5.

Each power 5 conference division winner gets in (that's 10 teams).

Each conference winner of Group of 5 conference gets in (that's 5 more teams).

Have 1 at-large for other team (Notre Dame or other "deserving" team).

That is 16 teams that use the regular season to earn their way in.

With this system, you take out the subjectivity of the playoff committee for 15 of the 16 teams. The committee only "chooses" one team in the field (either ND or other team). Then there would need to be some system/setup to seed the teams correctly.

Makes great sense to me.

I’m not a fan of this idea but if you did this, I’d just have default rotation that split the 2 conference teams on opposite sides of the bracket. So year one side could have SEC East vs ACC Coastal while on opposite side be West vs Atlantic then next year it could be setup where the SEC play two PAC 12 and so on. This hopefully prevents rematches before title game and removes subjectivity of rankings.

 

[atl-cock]

I hear ya. I honestly don't think ND would put up much of a fight if they were coerced in to joining a league. They seemed to have softened quite a bit on the subject. What we do know is they will do what's in their best interest and we saw in 2020 what they are willing to do. I don't think it would be like them kicking and screaming in to a league, but yeah, forcing them may not be the right move... but I sure would strongly suggest it may be in their best interest. Or go ahead and play a ACC heavy schedule without the benefit of a conference championship and see how far that gets you.

Recall that part of the deal regarding ND joining the ACC for all league-sponsored sports except football is that they would schedule 5 games each season with ACC members on some sort of rotation. Heavy enough for ya?

When these discussions come up, I hearken back to the history, and to ND's interest in joining the B1G back in the 1920s. The league rejected their interest then because they were a Catholic school. Hard to conceive of this 95 years later.

 

[Pauliecock]

Then think what they would do to the number 39th defense in the country. It would be a blood bath - worse than Utah. Also, you're trying to make the circular argument that if one team beats another, and a third team beats that team then the third team could beat the first team. We all know that is a bogus comparison that doesn't work. But even so, in making that your central argument you conveniently leave out the fact that Georgia killed Michigan who beat OSU. Using your logic then wouldn't Georgia absolutely destroy OSU?

I’m not using the transitive property any more than you did. I’ve never seen a season where teams play so differently week to week. OSU’s offense can score on anyone and I think they would have played Bama or Georgia much closer than Cincy or Michigan. The idea that Georgia and Bama are unbeatable is just not true. Bama struggled against some mediocre teams and Georgia’s vaunted defense was torched by Bama. Just disappointed that the playoff games were blowouts. Gotta believe there are teams out there that could have competed better.

 

[bucketdad]

Recall that part of the deal regarding ND joining the ACC for all league-sponsored sports except football is that they would schedule 5 games each season with ACC members on some sort of rotation. Heavy enough for ya?

When these discussions come up, I hearken back to the history, and to ND's interest in joining the B1G back in the 1920s. The league rejected their interest then because they were a Catholic school. Hard to conceive of this 95 years later.

By heavy I mean playing more from that conference than any other. I would imagine once they finish the next two years with clemson on the schedule, it will be quite some time before they get them again but idk. Not sure how much it helps with Navy and a couple of Pac12 and a Tulane type team to boot. Saving grace is a few Big10. If it were me, I'd be concerned.

 

[turncock]

Surprised any Gamecock fan is arguing against expansion. At least it would offer us a puncher's chance.

 

[Bigjune121]

If UGA gets a second shot at Alabama, why didn’t Notre dame deserve a second shot at Cincinnati (there only loss) .

I am not a ND fan, just don’t see how a team that lost their conference can win national championship. If they beat AL it’s a tie , no other way to look at it. Losses within a conference might show indication of strength of conference.

 

[turncock]

If UGA gets a second shot at Alabama, why didn’t Notre dame deserve a second shot at Cincinnati (there only loss) .

I am not a ND fan, just don’t see how a team that lost their conference can win national championship. If they beat AL it’s a tie , no other way to look at it. Losses within a conference might show indication of strength of conference.

It's an imperfect solution. There are too many variables at hand and there's always going to be these discussions regardless of the format.

Ideally, teams would play 10 games against each other and see who takes more. That would get us closer to a definitive truth. Until then, we have discussion forums.

 

[atl-cock]

Surprised any Gamecock fan is arguing against expansion. At least it would offer us a puncher's chance.

Don't be. I think 12 members is more than enough, and I personally prefer 8. I like the idea of playing every school in your conference in every sport every year.

 

[rogue cock]

Don't be. I think 12 members is more than enough, and I personally prefer 8. I like the idea of playing every school in your conference in every sport every year.

Agree.

 

[turncock]

Don't be. I think 12 members is more than enough, and I personally prefer 8. I like the idea of playing every school in your conference in every sport every year.

Agree. I like 8 too. That's expansion.

 

[JGH 35]

I’m not using the transitive property any more than you did. I’ve never seen a season where teams play so differently week to week. OSU’s offense can score on anyone and I think they would have played Bama or Georgia much closer than Cincy or Michigan. The idea that Georgia and Bama are unbeatable is just not true. Bama struggled against some mediocre teams and Georgia’s vaunted defense was torched by Bama. Just disappointed that the playoff games were blowouts. Gotta believe there are teams out there that could have competed better.

There is nothing that has happened this season that would make anyone think that OSU could have fared any better against Bama or Georgia. That is purely baseless rhetoric.