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alathIN wrote: ↑Sun Jun 13, 2021 9:16 am

mathguy wrote: ↑Fri Jun 11, 2021 4:28 pm If a Group of 5 team actually *IS* the best team in the nation, I want them to win a national title.

Correction:
"If a Group of 5 team actually *IS* the 3rd or 4th best team in the nation, I want them to have the honor of being stomped by Alabama."¹

This is to me the big problem with the playoff. There is only one team that is consistently capable of winning it, and a handful of others that might be semiplausible underdogs if they're having an "up" year.
There are small handful of elite programs that are vastly better than everyone else - and one program that is vastly better than those elites.
No matter how many teams or how it's structured, this is not a playoff. It's a coronation.

1: Once every 11 years, there is a remote probability barely distinguishable from zero that Clemson, Ohio State, LSU, or Georgia may be substituted for Alabama in this sentence.

Clemson would like to respectfully disagree with the level of Alabama's dominance ... but largely you are right.

Nevertheless, my point still stands...

12 seems way too high. How many games a year does Alabama or Ohio St or Clemson play where you think there is the possibility they could lose? 4 or 5? So they go 2-2 in their interesting games, go 10-2 overall on the year and they are still a lock to make a 12 team playoff. Regular season becomes a lot less interesting. What always made college football interesting (and unique) was that the best teams had to win their games down the stretch late in the season or risk missing out on a title opportunity. Now all these best teams will be playing their rivalry game or conference title game with nothing on the line other than bragging rights and playoff seeding. And while that may be important to them or their fans, if you aren't a fan of Bama or Ohio St or Clemson then who cares. I watch the Big10 title game or the UM/OSU game knowing of Ohio St loses they are probably out of the playoffs. That makes it compelling. But if all that would happen is that they now drop from the 3 seed to the 8 seed, I couldnt care less.

There are plenty of cupcakes that are members of Power 5 conferences for someone to run the table playing 11 of 12 from Power 5 leagues. It may not happen, because nobody can demand that someone accept the offer to play. Everybody wants the blue blood programs to play an all-Power 5 schedule, but they want someone else to be the one to step into the meat grinder.