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.

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