Jacksonville Jaguars Fan Forums

1. Miss. St.

2. Oregon

3. FSU

4. TCU

5. Bama

6. Arizona St.

7. Baylor

8. Ohio St.

9. Auburn

10. Ole Miss

I don't understand why FSU keeps sliding... And I'm always rooting for them to lose, but they looked to be the best team (IMO)

Quote:I don't understand why FSU keeps sliding... And I'm always rooting for them to lose, but they looked to be the best team (IMO)

 

There's a lot of JW haters out there.

I think everything will be well and sorted by the end of the season. Last weekend cleaned up the SEC a little bit, removing Auburn from the picture. Now if MissSt handles it's business, Alabama will be out and there will be no chance for two SEC teams in the playoffs, which is the way it should be. Otherwise, we will have to go through the "Two of the best four teams are in the same division" garbage from 2011. 

 

Currently, I project a top four including:

Mississippi State (13-0)

Florida State (13-0)

Oregon (12-1)

Baylor (11-1)

 

I just know that somehow, TCU is going to screw up to end the season and this is where things will land. First four out would include some combination of Ohio State/Nebraska(11-1), TCU(10-2), Alabama(10-2), and Marshall (13-0). 

 

I love prognosticating but I would wager that my prediction is completely meaningless after this weekend.

I think Bama will beat Miss. St. at home.

 

What I don't understand is TCU at 4. They're a one loss team, and lost to Baylor.

It definitely looks like a big focus from the committee will be on quality wins.


Do you guys think that should be the case or should there be an emphasis on win/loss record?

Quote:It definitely looks like a big focus from the committee will be on quality wins.


Do you guys think that should be the case or should there be an emphasis on win/loss record?

Have to factor both I think.

 

Here's another head scratcher. The committee is showing that the Baylor loss to West Virginia as bad, but the WV win for TCU as impressive. If that is true, then the Bama win over WV should vault Bama to 4 currently past TCU, imo.

TCU and Oregon are just teams that impress with flashy stuff.  People like flashy

Quote:Have to factor both I think.


Here's another head scratcher. The committee is showing that the Baylor loss to West Virginia as bad, but the WV win for TCU as impressive. If that is true, then the Bama win over WV should vault Bama to 4 currently past TCU, imo.

This playoff format is setting up to cause more controversy than the BCS.

Quote:This playoff format is setting up to cause more controversy than the BCS.

Four is to little. I truly think the top 10 could beat each other on any given day. The games would be super competitive. I still would love a 16 team playoff.

 

I'll also add that I think for the most part, from year to year those 11-16 would provide extremely competitive games. You'd get some ugly ones here and there, but we've had ugly national title games, and BCS games as well, happens.

Quote:Four is to little. I truly think the top 10 could beat each other on any given day. The games would be super competitive. I still would love a 16 team playoff.


I'll also add that I think for the most part, from year to year those 11-16 would provide extremely competitive games. You'd get some ugly ones here and there, but we've had ugly national title games, and BCS games as well, happens.

I wouldn't mind seeing 12 teams like the NFL.


The thing I don't like is having these neutral site semifinal games. I know they want to keep the bowl system too, but travel will be a nightmare. Not to mention the financial costs as well. I think it should just be how the NFL does where the lower seeded teams travel to the higher seeds and then play the championship at a neutral site.

Quote:TCU and Oregon are just teams that impress with flashy stuff. People like flashy

I agree TCU and Oregon like to run up the score on teams. I dont like seeing a one loss team jump a defending national champion who is undefeated but im glad to be in playoff regardless. The top 4 will play themselves out by end of season im sure. Definitely feel the playoff will expand.

Because it is relevant and because the last thread went sour, what do you guys think about how this 8 team format would currently look? 

 

 

Rose Bowl (Big Ten champ vs Pac 12 champ)

Ohio St. vs Oregon

 

Fiesta Bowl (Pac 12 champ vs At-large #1)

TCU vs Alabama

 

Sugar Bowl (SEC champ vs At large #2)

Mississippi St. vs Baylor

 

Orange Bowl

Florida St. vs Arizona St.(ACC champ vs At large #3)

There is still a LONG way to go and every team has at least one game that could really modify how the top 4 looks today!

Quote:This playoff format is setting up to cause more controversy than the BCS.

 

Exactly- but it is not supposed to be that way. 
Choosing the 4 best teams was supposed to be easier than choosing just the 2 best teams.


 

At least now the #3 and #4 teams get a shot at the title.  That is an improvement.
 

Quote:There is still a LONG way to go and every team has at least one game that could really modify how the top 4 looks today!

Of course there is. The water cooler talk is the fun part about it though.

Quote:Of course there is. The water cooler talk is the fun part about it though.

 

That is the whole point of these polls. To get people talking and build interest. It's working from what I can see.

Quote:That is the whole point of these polls. To get people talking and build interest. It's working from what I can see.

For sure. Always has.

Admittedly I wasnt always on board with the idea of a playoff because I was worried about what it would do to the regular season.  However a few years ago I did get on board with a 4 team playoff because it just seemed that whatever situation would make a regular season game irrelevant seemed few and far between.  Not enough examples of where a 4 team playoff would cheapen any games.  I do think an 8 team playoff would make too many games irrelevant though.

 

For example, FSU to me is not a lock to make the playoff were they to lose to Miami or BC or Florida.  However they are basically a lock to win the ACC.  So I'm very interested to see if Miami can beat them.  And if that game is close in the 2nd half, it will have my undivided attention.  But in an 8 team playoff who cares?  If they lose it doesnt matter.  Sure maybe their seed in the playoff would be affected but who cares about seeding?  I've never once in my life watched an NFL game and was glued to the TV because if a team wins they get homefield but if they lose they get the #2 seed.  If you arent a fan of that team, nobody cares about seeding.

 

Same with Oregon.  I think they've already clinched a bid to the Pac12 title game.  In an 8 team playoff, if they lost their next two but won the Pac12 championship, they'd still be in.  They'd be better off doing exactly what they do in the NFL and thats rest their starters.  who wants to see that?  I dont think theyll lose any of their next two games but it certainly matters in our current 4 team format.

 

I can go on and on here....

 

The only regular season game I can think of that is cheapened because of this playoff format is the Egg Bowl assuming Miss St is still undefeated.  If they are, that means they've taken down Alabama and already have their ticket punched to the SEC title game... and are squarely #1 in the playoff committee's poll.  If they were to lose to Ole Miss, but win the SEC title, I still think there is a strong chance they'd make it in to the 4 team playoff.  It wouldnt be a lock... it would depend on what happens around the country and by how they look when they lose.... but I still think their chances of making it as a 12-1 SEC champ would be very strong.  Thats the only game that this 4 team playoff has really cheapened.  An 8 team playoff?  That game would be absolutely irrelevant.  Shouldnt even bother watching it.  

 

So going from 4 to 8 would only add 4 playoff games but would lessen, cheapen, and/or make irrelevant an untold number of regular season games.  Not worth it in the slightest.  I'm not sure you could make a season any more exciting than what we've seen so far this year.  Anybody that gets left out can complain all they want, but every single one of them will have a loss.  All they'll have is sour grapes.  Keep the playoff at 4!

Quote:Admittedly I wasnt always on board with the idea of a playoff because I was worried about what it would do to the regular season.  However a few years ago I did get on board with a 4 team playoff because it just seemed that whatever situation would make a regular season game irrelevant seemed few and far between.  Not enough examples of where a 4 team playoff would cheapen any games.  I do think an 8 team playoff would make too many games irrelevant though.

 

For example, FSU to me is not a lock to make the playoff were they to lose to Miami or BC or Florida.  However they are basically a lock to win the ACC.  So I'm very interested to see if Miami can beat them.  And if that game is close in the 2nd half, it will have my undivided attention.  But in an 8 team playoff who cares?  If they lose it doesnt matter.  Sure maybe their seed in the playoff would be affected but who cares about seeding?  I've never once in my life watched an NFL game and was glued to the TV because if a team wins they get homefield but if they lose they get the #2 seed.  If you arent a fan of that team, nobody cares about seeding.

 

Same with Oregon.  I think they've already clinched a bid to the Pac12 title game.  In an 8 team playoff, if they lost their next two but won the Pac12 championship, they'd still be in.  They'd be better off doing exactly what they do in the NFL and thats rest their starters.  who wants to see that?  I dont think theyll lose any of their next two games but it certainly matters in our current 4 team format.

 

I can go on and on here....

 

The only regular season game I can think of that is cheapened because of this playoff format is the Egg Bowl assuming Miss St is still undefeated.  If they are, that means they've taken down Alabama and already have their ticket punched to the SEC title game... and are squarely #1 in the playoff committee's poll.  If they were to lose to Ole Miss, but win the SEC title, I still think there is a strong chance they'd make it in to the 4 team playoff.  It wouldnt be a lock... it would depend on what happens around the country and by how they look when they lose.... but I still think their chances of making it as a 12-1 SEC champ would be very strong.  Thats the only game that this 4 team playoff has really cheapened.  An 8 team playoff?  That game would be absolutely irrelevant.  Shouldnt even bother watching it.  

 

So going from 4 to 8 would only add 4 playoff games but would lessen, cheapen, and/or make irrelevant an untold number of regular season games.  Not worth it in the slightest.  I'm not sure you could make a season any more exciting than what we've seen so far this year.  Anybody that gets left out can complain all they want, but every single one of them will have a loss.  All they'll have is sour grapes.  Keep the playoff at 4!

 

Very good post and very respectable opinions. I do think that 6 or 8 teams would be better than 4, though. I'll respond to a few of your concerns with my opinions.

 

Regarding resting starters...

The difference in college football is that you already have 1 month or more of rest, so everyone goes into the post-season completely rested. In the NFL, teams rest their starters because they get 1 week off at most. The majority of NFL teams don't get any rest before the posteason starts. Also, I think that college coaches would be more inclined to give their 18-22 year old kids another game of experience and another game of film to fix errors. If you play for a powerhouse like Oregon, your starters only really get tested a couple times a year. That experience and film-study is invaluable.

 

Regarding seeding...

Seeding is actually a significant advantage or disadvantage in the NFL. I do admit that the 8 team format I suggested doesn't reward seeding enough, but the trade off was keeping the Bowls happy and keeping some history in place. The Rose Bowl is historic and for decades put the top Big Ten team against the top Pac 12 team. The format I presented keeps that history and even intensifies it by giving it more implications. I agree with giving top seeds a slight advantage, though, and to do that you could scrap the history of bowls and give home field advantage to the top 4 seeds. Home field advantage is huge in college football (more enthusiastic fanbases, larger stadiums, climate, etc.). Teams will most certainly put 100% effort into getting a 1-4 seed vs a 5-8 seed.

 

With a 6 team format, there are many ways to give advantages to higher seeds. Seeds 1 and 2 get byes (huge advantage), seeds 3 and 4 get homes games. While you may not have any interest in the teams seeding, the impact of seeding advantages does make the game worthwhile.

 

Regarding keeping it at 4...

First, in 2009 there were 5 teams that were undefeated. In other years, there are more than 4 teams with legitimate cases for best team in the country. Look at 2008. Try deciding which 4 teams make the playoff that year without second guessing yourself. With 4 teams, you run the risk of leaving out National Championship caliber teams with National Championship caliber resumes.