There Are Too Many Bowls, And A Six Team Playoff that Makes More Sense - RaychelSnr's Blog

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RaychelSnr's Blog

There Are Too Many Bowls, And A Six Team Playoff that Makes More Sense Stuck

Posted on December 11, 2012 at 05:24 PM.

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Many Minor Bowls are simply played in front of half empty stadiums with little if any fan enthusiasm.

The four team playoff is coming sooner rather than later, for the 2014 Football Season. But let's face it, the Playoffs will have to expand sometime in the future, and I think the easiest path and most inclusive path forward will be via a six team bracket with the top five conference champs and a single at-large team making the cut. But that's not all that is going to have to change with college football's post season.

Politically speaking (and CFB is about politics), including the most conferences possible (5 minimum) is important to get enough conferences on board. In the land of the future of dwindling Cable TV usage, one should expect the era of the Superconference to arrive and vamoose about as quickly when the thing holding them together (TV Dollars) no longer does.

Call that a bold prediction.

So what do you do with the college football post-season in the future when Cable Dollars aren't as prevalent and the value of leagues depends on their ability to sell themselves directly to subscribers -- aka their fans?

My plan would be two pronged for the best post season possible. First, as I've already mentioned, expand the playoffs to six teams with five conference champs and playoffs.

Second, given the likely diminished money within 'TV' as we know it, some Bowls will have to go away -- so make 7-5 the benchmark for a Bowl Season. No more 6-6 teams playing in bowl games. Iowa State went 3-6 in the Big 12, played three cupcakes and they're now a Bowl team. Duke was 3-5 in the ACC, yes that ACC, and is going bowling. Purdue managed to scrape together 6 wins after going 3-5 in the Big Ten. Yes, that Big Ten.

But that pales in comparison with Minnesota going 2-6 in the Big Ten only to be rewarded with a bowl game with a glorious 6-6 record.

And then there's the golden goose of Georgia Tech, who at 6-7 will be playing 7-5 USC in what can best be described as the Disappointment Bowl.

So to put it frankly, when people wonder why no one is watching Bowl Games anymore, it should be quite simple to figure out. There's too many good teams spread out over too many bad games.

Some teams actually lose money from their Bowl Trips as well. A reward for the players? Yes maybe...but a reward for the program some bowls most certainly are not.

So my two pronged plan is simple, play the first round of the playoffs the week after conference title games (otherwise known as the second week in December) followed by semis on New Years and the Championship on 1/10. Start the Bowls on 12/21 at the earliest, end them on 1/2 or 1/3 at the latest, cut their numbers by at least 30-40% and profit.

Here's a sampling of how a six team playoff with five conference champs and an at large plays out over a few years, generally not so bad with this year being a notable exception with the heavy SEC bias in the polls:

Sample of my Six Team Playoff

This Year

#1 Notre Dame (At Large) vs. #4/5 or 6
#2 Alabama (SEC) vs. #3 or #4/5

#3 Kansas State (Big XII) vs. #6 Northern Illinois (MAC)
#4 Stanford (Pac 12) vs. #5 Florida State (ACC)

Last Year

#1 Alabama (SEC) vs. #4/5 or 6
#2 LSU (At Large) vs. #3 or #4/5

#3 Oklahoma State (Big 12) vs. #6 Wisconsin (Big Ten)
#4 Oregon (Pac 12) vs. #5 Boise State (WAC)

2010

#1 Auburn (SEC) vs. #4/5 or 6
#2 Oregon (Pac 12) vs. #3 or #4/5

#3 TCU (MWC) vs. #6 Oklahoma (Big 12)
#4 Stanford (At Large) vs. #5 Wisconsin (Big Ten)

2009

#1 Alabama (SEC) vs. #4/5 or 6
#2 Texas (Big 12) vs. #3 or #4/5

#3 Cincinnati (Big East) vs. #6 Boise State (WAC)
#4 TCU (MWC) vs. #5 Florida (At Large)

2008

#1 Oklahoma (Big 12) vs. #4/5 or 6
#2 Florida (SEC) vs. #3 or #4/5

#3 Texas (At Large) vs. #6 Penn State (Big Ten)
#4 USC (Pac 10) vs. #5 Utah (MWC)

Sound off: What is your ideal college football post-season?

Comments

# 1 Retropyro @ Dec 11

They should not count victories over FCS opponents but should count it if there is a loss. Maybe that will cut down on all the easy early wins and promote tougher schedules. Personally I'd love to see the FBS cut down to no more than 100 teams.

# 2 Tdgsport27 @ Dec 11

Doesn't it all start with the money grab that has "restructured" college football? Half of the conference realignment isn't even about nabbing a good program, it's about money, and markets. I have a good system in mind but let's save that for another day. With the current BCS set up I like the little man having a chance to have a nationally broadcast game and the opportunity to win something. I do agree on making the mark 7-5 though. That would eliminate at least 7 bowls. This would hopefully level out the competition a little bit.