So the Big Ten is discussing a 16-team Playoff? That speaks to the conference's awful CFP showing so far
Close your eyes and think back to when you were a little kid at the batting cages.
If you were bold, you’d step into the cage with the 85 MPH heaters coming in. Your goal was simply to make contact. A foul tip was followed up with a quick turn of the head to your dad/buddies and a “did you see that?!?!” But ultimately, you’d whiff at pitch after pitch until reality set in — you couldn’t keep up.
That meant making your way over to the slow pitch softball or the 55 MPH meatballs. Nobody goes to the batting cages to whiff at pitch after pitch. Everyone wants to make some solid contact, even if it means sheepishly admitting that you can’t get around on college-level pitching.
That’s essentially what the Big Ten is doing by discussing the idea of a 16-team Playoff. As we found out on Tuesday at Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis, those talks are indeed happening:
One new wrinkle that came up when Big Ten ADs met this week about the playoff is increased conversation about a 16-team playoff. OSU AD Gene Smith to ESPN: “Sixteen just seems to be out there. You can’t ignore it.”
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 26, 2022
For what it’s worth, Greg Sankey told Thamel that the 16-team model was being discussed. I suppose a variety of possibilities are on the table now that The Alliance is no longer a thing (what a blessed short life it lived).
But if this is something that’s actually being discussed, who do we think is driving the bus? The commissioner of the league who dominated the 4-team Playoff in overwhelming fashion or the commissioner of the league who won just 1 Playoff game in the 7 seasons after Ohio State claimed the first title of the 4-team Playoff?
It’s the latter.
In this instance, 2014 Ohio State was certainly more than a foul tip on the 85 MPH heater. But since then? Yikes. In those last 7 seasons of the Playoff, the Big Ten:
- A) Went 1-5
- B) Had its 2 non-Ohio State teams get outscored 72-11
- C) Had its conference champ get left out 3 times
- D) Had a 4-season stretch without a Playoff point
- E) All the above
It’s “E.” It’s always “E.”
Yes, the conference who had 1 program play for a national title in the 21st century had a rough go in the last 7 years. I’m old enough to remember when the Big Ten overtaking the SEC as the premier conference in the sport was a real discussion heading into the 2015 season. Since that moment, the SEC played in every national title game and had 3 different programs win a combined 5 titles.
The current 4-team Playoff might not have stopped the Big Ten from setting up a wealthy annual TV revenue check — it’ll be in the billions once it’s announced in the coming days/weeks — but from a competitive standpoint, the system really hasn’t been kind to the conference.
Hence, why a 16-team field would make sense. For them.
It’s not that the Big Ten lacks depth. It has that. It just doesn’t have teams who can win a title outside of that squad in Columbus. We’ve got 2 decades worth of data that proves that point.
But what the Big Ten would benefit from is a system that would reward a Round of 16 winner. Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin and shoot, even Iowa could all win games like that. The conference could brag about its depth instead of the reality that there’s really only 1 team with enough talent to outlast a 16-team field.
Instead of having the Big Ten take it on the chin when the SEC has half of the 4-team field, I actually think the conferences could have a similar number of teams make a 16-team field. If you look back on the last 5 years, they have the same number of combined teams in the top 16 of the final Playoff poll.
That’s the sweet spot for the Big Ten. It’s getting 3-4 teams into a 16-team field and hoping that Ohio State wins it all OR hoping that actually winning a Playoff game or 2 can elevate the talent level of Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Iowa to at least make the final 4.
Speaking of Wisconsin, former CFP selection committee member and current Badgers athletic director Barry Alvarez is an obvious advocate for Playoff expansion:
Big Ten football advisor (and HOF coach) Barry Alvarez on CFP expansion: “Someone talked to me about 16. I can live with that. I can live with 12. I can live with eight. We just need to get more than four. We need more access to teams. I think it makes college football better.”
— Scott Dochterman (@ScottDochterman) July 26, 2022
And by “make college football better,” Alvarez means “make Wisconsin better.” His team has as many Playoff appearances as you, me and that 11-year-old kid whiffing in the batting cage.
How many times has Wisconsin been in the top 8 of the final Playoff poll? Three times. All of those came in the last 6 seasons, too. As in, every other year, the Badgers would’ve been a Playoff team or depending on the automatic qualifiers, they at least would’ve been in prime position to get an at-large spot in the field.
Also of note? Wisconsin is 0-6 vs. AP Top 4 teams in the last decade. Wisconsin, Penn State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Texas, Miami and Florida State are a combined 6-41 against AP Top 4 teams since 2012.
You can argue all you want that “having more teams involved is for the better of the sport.” Shoot, Sankey admitted that. But any notion that having more teams involved will suddenly flip the obvious gap between Tier 1 and Tier 2 is absurd. The SEC is the only conference with multiple teams who won a Playoff game:
- SEC: 3
- Big Ten: 1
- Pac-12: 1
- ACC: 1
- Big 12: 0
- Group of 5: 0
By the way, don’t let anyone tell you that their motives are simply “for the good of the sport.” At least not anyone in power. Even Sankey can admit that we’re in a business in which there are billion-dollar TV contracts at stake.
We heard Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren speak at Media Days about being “bold” and how this is indeed a business.
B1G’s Kevin Warren: “I’m a big believer the reason we are dealing w/a lot of issues we’re dealing w/today is business of college athletics has grown faster than structure & the governance of college athletics.”
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 26, 2022
Say what you want about Warren and his obvious shortcomings as a commissioner so far, but it’s refreshing to hear the Big Ten pivot away from its stance that everything is about preserving the integrity of amateur athletics. It’s not. If it was, we wouldn’t have billion-dollar TV contracts on the horizon. We do, though.
Playoff expansion is coming, and it’s probably coming when the current deal runs out at the end of the 2025 season. The Pac-12 and ACC are no longer voting against their expansion desires because the Big Ten told them to. The Alliance is dead, and soon, whether we like it or not, the Playoff will expand. You don’t have to like it. I expect many readers of this column won’t be on board with that.
Reality is that all the non-SEC conferences have more incentive than ever for Playoff expansion. A richer TV contract and more national relevance is at play, even if the SEC continues to dominate the national championship (I think we can agree winning 12 of the last 16 titles makes the verb “dominate” appropriate).
The 4-team Playoff was too much heat for the Big Ten. No matter what the field expands to, it’s clear what the mindset will be.
Find a more approachable speed and attempt to make some solid contact.
The Left: the Supreme Court is issuing decisions we don’t like — let’s add justices.
The bug10: we aren’t getting many of our teams in the playoffs — let’s add teams.
Boom. Mic drop.
The Right:our guy lost reelection-let’s storm the capital.
The Left: We like 5$ per gallon gas, record inflation, 347 “genders” and rainbow flag toting groomers teaching kindergarten.
Also the Left: We hate mean tweets
Gabriel….thank you. My thoughts exactly.
Right cause it’s the left’s fault that gas is expensive. Definitely has nothing to do with global supply chain crises due to a pandemic; a gas state invading Europe; and the squeeze of investments. No it was definitely a political party and not a perfect storm of macroeconomics
Gas prices Feb2021 2.25
Gas prices Feb2022 3.55
Invasion of Ukraine Feb24, 2022
Cutting domestic production and processing of oil and gas definitely contributed
It’s the injuries. Without the WR injuries, we wouldn’t have these high gas prices and inflation.
Totally lame and lacking in relevance to the conversation….not to mention trolling your own guy
That was for you my friend. Don’t want you to forget your weak excuse-making.
And crying about “the refs” for 4 years was what, exactly?
Yea…time to sit down and shut up chump
You’ll have to show me where I said anything about the refs. Never had anything but respect for the opponent. Whiner.
Your entire pathetic loser fan base did so for 4 years chump…..stop acting like you weren’t a part of it
Nope, just about everyone I know understands that we had no answer for Tua in that game and gives credit to the GOAT for springing him on us.
I’d agree that it’s a pathetic loser that blames the refs or injuries.
The Left: Our president sure doesn’t care or know how to protect our country but we’ll cover it up somehow and hope for the best.
The right: We don’t believe in facts anymore so let’s overthrow the govt.
The left: We don’t believe in facts anymore so let’s sensor everything
I don’t think political parties are the problem lol
Government: 1 out of Five Stars
Would not recommend.
@303Dawg: Facts? You mean like 347 different “genders”? Those kinds of “facts”?
Or “men” can now get pregnant. Those kinds of “facts”?
The right certainly has its problems, but it’s pretty obvious which party is responsible for the unmitigated disaster that is America in 2022
303Dawg anyone who thinks “the right” tried to overthrow our government is an idiot. You aren’t an idiot, are you?
Will someone please tell 303Dog to explain why Dementia Brandon Xiden allowed 13 active duty military to die in the Afghanistan withdrawal without blaming it on Trump or global supply chain issues? Thank you.
@BillBrocius
Sedition leading to an insurrection on the day of certifying an national election to prevent the certification of said election is attempting to overthrow the govt.
303 correct!…they both suck ass. Lets get back to football.
The left: we want to drive our narrative, lets burn buildings and kill people in Washington DC, Minnesota, Portland, Seattle. We will stay out of red areas because they will not put up with our BS.
lol…facts
The Right: Let’s storm the capital and kill and injure police to keep a Dictator want to be in office.
cats64 the only person who was killed on January 6 was an unarmed Air Force vet, not a police officer. She was killed by a police officer, so you are at least right that the police were involved. Other than that, if you call capitol police opening ropes to allow people into the capitol “storming”, then you need help.
@BillBrocius
Capital Police Officer Brian Sicknick died of injuries suffered by the capital insurrectionists who beat andaced him. He was murdered by traitors for defending our govt and constitution.
*and maced him
Not “andaced”
I shouldn’t get involved, but the right just voted against a veterans bill they supported last most because they got their feelings hurt. Everyone is just a prop to these guys. Anyone thinking that politicians from either side cares about the voters is an idiot.
Which veterans bill are you talking about? The original one they supported was redrafted with non-related add on garbage according to my vet Bnl…how do you justify they vote for bills like that?
That’s the lie they are telling. Nothing has been added to the bill. No one has even said what was added. You falling for it is telling. Not the best look. Unless someone shows what was actually added, I will stick with my comment.
I’m not a vet so I have no dawg in the fight but like I said, my brother n law is, and like you, he was upset about it being stalled in a pathetic Congress that plays the blame game. I guess it’s easy enough to see who’s to blame. TimScott is my rep, I’ll shoot him an email. Didn’t mean to tick you off but if you have any evidence showing the bill wasn’t stuffed, I’d love to see it. Scott and Graham will darn sure hear from me if true!!!
I’m perfectly healthy so it doesn’t impact me, but it certainly does for some of the most in need. The Repub licans that changed their vote are saying all kinds of things, but like the stolen election, site no examples. I’ve read everything I could on it. Best I could tell, the House Parliamentarian had the bill changed to mandatory spending so it would pass muster. No republ lican has used that as an excuse because the new writing means you have to spend the money on what it is designated for and can’t be transferred to anything else. I’ve been a repub lican for 45 years. I read where there is a new party being formed call the Forward Party. They claim they are going to be moderate. I’m changing my voter affiliation as soon as I’m able. I’m tired of voting for the lessor of two evils.
LSUSMC, you’ve got it backwards. Go to Tommey’s site. Moving the money allowed up to $400B be spent on things other than Vets.
He just wants to make sure the money is spent on veterans.
“The PACT Act as written includes a budget gimmick that would allow $400 billion of current law spending to be moved from the discretionary to the mandatory spending category. This provision is completely unnecessary to achieve the PACT Act’s stated goal of expanding health care and other benefits for veterans. However, it would enable an additional $400 billion in future discretionary spending completely unrelated to veterans. By failing to remove this gimmick, Congress would effectively be using an important veterans care bill to hide a massive, unrelated spending binge.”
Only Toomey’s office has said that from what I can tell, and he didn’t say what provision he was referring to. Mandatory spending doesn’t automatically cause discretionary spending and no one has said anything about what that could go for. He may just be reading the bill differently than everybody else. I don’t find that excuse credible, especially since no one else has said it. I do expect them to vote again next week and pass this. Someone will make up something to save face.
My last word on this. You need to look into the difference between the two types of spending.
You think Toomey and the Repub want to anger Vets? 59% of Vets vote Rep. Sometimes it’s not about buying votes but doing the responsible thing. As inflations is killing retirees, spending $400B on some pet project is not a good idea.
Hopefully, the provision to move the money will be removed
“You think Toomey and the Repub want to anger Vets?”
So true JT…one thing Lindey and Tim have never been accused of is disrespecting or trying to undermine our vets.
I’m not convinced Toomey is being honest.
Not to be disrespectful but I don’t think there is anything we or Toomey can say to convince the left otherwise…
There are actually facts out there. Both sides should understand them instead of playing games. Both are playing games. Neither side deserves a pass. I have reached a point where I can honestly say, they both suck. It’s not just this situation either. Overall, they both suck.
I’ve been an unregistered independent since Ross Perot, I feel your pain…
And they voted for it without changes.
Dirty South, I was going to back you up, but the moderators from the Right won’t let me. Plus I’m from Ky. SDS is pathetic. I think it’s called freedom of speech. You let your side flap their gums, but not the other.
what’s pathetic is you whining about “the right.”
Billbrocius, you must be blind or in denial. The videos I’ve seen shows police officers being beat with everything from flag poles to fire extinguishers. Which a officer was killed with by a traitor like you. What’s pathetic is you being inbred.
Will someone please tell 303Dog to explain why Dementia Brandon Xiden allowed 13 active duty military to die in the Afghanistan withdrawal without blaming it on Trump or global supply chain issues? Thank you.
The left: Our birthing person lost in 2016 so will riot and make up stories about Russia for 4 years.
This is college football, take your moronically simple ideas about government to a candidates debate and don’t bring any of it back here. This goes for both Rep. and Dem here, if either party had a lick of sense you wouldn’t be losing elections to one another
Leftists must be summarily executed whenever found. Supporters of communism are scum of the earth.
Well that escalated quickly!
Yep. It did.
Ta Dum.
I don’t think the networks are going to be excited about 16 teams. We would go from two playoff games to eight in one weekend. That’s too much overlap of games to add much value. I suspect we end up with 12 teams, so the weekends top out at four games.
As much as I would like to “preserve the integrity of amateur athletics” that ship has sailed. At this point I am for 16 teams or 8 teams. Either is fine with me. I am against 12 and byes. 16 could allow for some good matchups in home stadiums never seen before. Also may end up in the bowls. either way this its happening as is the big and the sec expanding further. when not if and I doubt it takes more than the end of this year. As soon as ND makes their move its happening.
ND will probably stay independent and cash in on $100M a year until the acc decides to disband without breach of contract. Then they will play the field like they are now. It makes little sense for them to join a league when they can regularly make a playoff spot (it the playoffs expand) and still have Power 5 Commissioner privileges.
I don’t think ND can get $100M. Though you could be right.
Tide…like me, wishful thinking, but they have some juice for sure. I think it could happen for sure..
Agree with you on the byes. Whatever the number is, all teams need to play the same number of games to claim the title. Go CATS!!!
And let’s vote to keep ND on the outside of the CFB playoff until they get into a conference FULL-TIME! Enough of this “and Notre Dame!”
A bit off topic but I was surprised at the size and speed difference last year between UGA and Mich players.
Those two Mich Dlinemen that ESPN was stroking looked like WR compared to UGA’s Oline and the speed differential between the players defiantly jumped out.
Size and speed differences used to be all I’d see when the hogs played Alabama, LSU and some others. Hopefully, that’s changing.
Like when Nacobe Dean traversed the entire field and tackled the Mich RB in the backfield on a swing pass?
It’s the difference between Top 5 recruiting and top 15 recruiting classes.
Yep
Their is a reason the rest of the country thinks you SEC fans are stupid. You think that college football has existed since only 2014, when the playoff began. Look back further and you’ll see that Georgia and Alabama were mostly jokes in the 30 years before 2014. The SEC doesn’t own college football.
Well I don’t know if you are “stupid” and will assume you meant “Their” at the beginning…but I will just say you aren’t paying attention then, and just may be upset at some of the fan arrogance of winning with 6 different teams since 1998 (UT, Florida, Auburn, LSU, Bama, Georgia). Psst…My team won in 1996, 2006 & 2008. Bama won in 1992 and another 3 before 2014. LSU won in 2003, 2007, 2019. Tennessee in 2008….Auburn in 2010…
Tell me this….which conference top to bottom is better?
didn’t mean “Their”
You actually make the point that proves they’re right.
Before playoffs, SEC didn’t dominate. You know, back when it was all writers opinions and didn’t require playing for it.
“When they were crowned by public opinion, or based on pollsters, they didn’t succeed. Once it required beating others to claim, they did it in spades” doesn’t have the ring you think it does.
It never ceases to amaze me how utterly stupid and moronic you SEC fans are. Of course the Michigan guys didn’t match up well against the Georgia players. No team’s players in the country except Alabama would have looked good compared to Georgia. Even you Southerners can figure out that if you take out Georgia and Alabama out of the SEC you have nothing left but teams that would get their butts kicked in any other conference. The SEC is a joke. The only reason Georgia and Alabama are any good is that they pay their players big money and don’t make them go to class.
Know what never ceases to amaze me? The arrogance and hubris of an out of conference poster coming onto SDS and telling us how bad SEC football is. Please come back when WA has a winning season. What was your record last year, 4-8?
12 is a good middle number for playoff teams. 16 may be a bit much, but wouldn’t surprise me if it’s what they go with.
Then, the SEC can still take half the spots…whether it be 6 or 8.
I like 12 but not big on the round 1 bye so 16 solves that. I’m guessing that’s why 16 is more popular. Sad that it didn’t get passed this year.
Having the 1st round bye would give teams something to play for in late season games, and preserve the importance of the regular season.
I think having home field advantage against the lowest seeded team would accomplish the same. Go CATS!!!
The networks would prefer the byes to keep the first two weeks at four games. They are going to want stand alone time slots for the games. They aren’t going to want to compete with other playoff games or the nfl.
Yeah, those first round byes are just destroying the NFL. 303, your opinion is noted. Now, go suck a lemon.
There is no way to predict what this is all going to look like in 2026. Despite the millions of articles and opinions of experts and novices alike, it’s a guessing game at this point.
The batting cage analogy was nicely done! I don’t blame the Big or any of the other conferences for wanting to get their teams into an expanded playoff. It makes perfect sense.
I always thought 8 was the perfect number. 16 seems a bit much. But I’m never complain about more football.
16 teams is too much in terms of competition. We would see more one-sided games, and that would get tiring. But I agree it’s good for college football to expand the playoff and allow more conferences to at least be represented. The same 4 or 5 teams every year must get tiring, too, at least for fans of teams that are left out.
If FCS can have a 16 team playoff, why not FBS? But, I think 12 might be a good middle number. 16 may be what they eventually go with.
As I stated earlier, the SEC will still take up half the field, whether it be 6(12) or 8(16).
Nobody watches the FCS playoffs and they make peanuts from it. Not a real comparison.
I agree Geaux….the SEC only stands to benefit from an expansion of the Playoff. I just don’t like what it’s going to end up doing to the best regular season in sports
It’s all a money and power grab. I long for the old days when players/media etc did all this because they love the game and playing in front of packed stadiums. Now it’s all about how much are we being paid.
Exactly….college sports should be just that. Once we get to a 12 or 16 team playoff, games like Bama-LSU or the Iron Bowl won’t have the same feel to them…..and will end up taking a back seat to unwatchable “playoff” beatdown games between SEC Heavyweight A or B vs Coastal Carolina. It’s a shame
They already complain about all the one sided losses in the playoffs. They are just asking to get more of what they are complaining about with any expansion at all.
The “b”ig 10 is not driving this ship and is trying to come in from a position of strength when they’ve been lagging behind. Remember, this is the same conference that would’ve cancelled an entire football season had their idiocracy not been called out and rejected by those who really chose to lead. They’re going to play along with the SEC because they realize they almost missed the boat entirely, but they know they are not going to lead.
16 teams means the last two teams standing are playing an additional 4 more games. I am sure they will not consider reducing games during the regular season to compensate. Since the same teams seem to be at the top every season, you are putting a lot more miles on these kids. Very bad for running backs in particular. Everything seems to be about money and very little thought about the health and careers of the players.
If they go with 12 teams, and give the best teams first round byes, it might not be so hard for the teams that play 4 games. The two teams in the final would probably play 3 games instead of the current 2 games. Seems fair, and it would provide incentive to play well at the end of the regular season.
*might not be so hard for the teams that play 3 games
That is still a 16 game season. They need to cut 2 games.
Cutting out conference championship games would make sense, but we all know that’s not going to happen
We should…as we saw last year and in 2017, they are meaningless.
Well, to be fair….they’re probably far more meaningful when you’re a 2nd rate program that has only won a few of them in 4 decades chump-stain.
But hey….whatever makes you feel better about your greatest team ever getting boatraced in such a meaningless game
Still a little butt-hurt about Indy Gabriel? When yall are counting titles, do you state your conference titles or national titles?
Making political statements on a sports website is beyond stoopid.
Sankey has also floated a 16-team playoff, along with several others. The sixteen-team format has been around for quite some time.
New member and glad to be here. B1G alumni. ACC grad degree.
Doesn’t the SEC benefit from a larger playoff, too?
Yes…at least half the field.
We all know the SEC will benefit the most…..unfortunately the rest of the CFB regular season will be rendered meaningless. It’s already happening to a lesser degree with the 4 team playoff
Welcome to the Mad House!
Thank you sir!
Welcome sir.
I got a problem with this 16 team format. The poll people always rank the big ten because they graduated from their. big ten is overrated.
Honestly if we had a 16 team format and the pick selection is done correctly. It would be something like this
SEC 6
ACC 4
Big XII 2
Big ten 2
AAC 1
SBC(Sun Belt) 1
No PAC team would make it? What 4 ACC teams would you choose? Clemson, UNC (maybe), Miami (maybe) then who?
Based on…
The expansion, from TV contracts, to conferences, to entertainment at games, makes you wonder if they will price themselves out of the picture, or can they. They have pretty much priced the average family out of going, and though I honestly could afford to go to the playoff games, I look for better value when I am spending my money. I can watch it at home in more comfort, and for less.
Great point that will never be mentioned, but see they don’t care about the fan, they are selling playoff games as corporate events then selling to media “playoffs” for viewers. It’s all about the money, not about the game or the fan.
I am categorically against a 16 team playoff. Every season there’s really no more than 4-6 (max) championship caliber teams.
I agree with you. They complain about the lack of close games in the playoffs, especially the first games, so they look to increase the number of blowouts by having teams playing that have no business being in it because of optics. Who cares if a team or conference gets their feelings hurt because they aren’t good enough? it was that way from the polls to the BCS, to the CFPs.
I agree with that. Not unusual for the first two games to be lop-sided. And even the ‘ship turns out like that sometimes.
True. But I’d willingly concede that a team is championship caliber if they run the table in 4 games of top 16 quality.
It’s harder to make the case when a scrub starts with a lucky upset in a field of 4. But doing it four times in a row, over top tier, it’s pretty much impossible to say “they aren’t championship caliber.”
They’re killing the Golden Goose, imo.
CFB had a truly national following, the most meaningful regular season in sports, and a bowl system that was a prominent and traditional part of the American winter holiday season.
Now it’s the same four teams and nothing else matters.
Regular season doesnt matter.
Bowls are dead.
Regional conference affiliation is dead.
Traditional rivalries … dead.
I think the whole thing is hurtling towards a total collapse.
While likely to remain wildly popular in the South, without nation-wide interest it won’t be a valuable property to nation-wide media company’s. And ‘the money’ has always meant ‘the TV money’.
Without it ‘a wildly popular (within one region) college sport’ ends up the equivalent of … college hockey.
I have a question I would like to ask my SEC fan family. Suppose the CFP moves to 16 teams. Now suppose the SEC were to get 6 teams into the playoff. And those teams at the time were ranked 1st, 3rd, 7th, 11th, 12th, and 15th. Now say, for the first couple of years the SEC were to get 5-6 teams in the final 8, gobble-stomping some of their better teams along the way. What would the excuses be?
A) We played more conference games!
B) We had 3 starters out! (Which many teams do at the end of the year.)
C) We had 3 starters not playing to protect their draft status! (Which many teams now do at the end of the year,)
D) I’m pretty sure our QB was playing on an injured ankle! (Or shoulder. Remember the Penn State quarterback who was supposed to be playing with a broken foot…until they lost to UK in the Citrus Bowl.)
E) The SEC brings it’s own refs!
f) The ever popular “SEC teams play a creampuff in week 11 while we play real football, so our players are more beat up!”
I’m just having fun and am wondering if you guys can come up with more. And I bring this up for a real reason. Let me explain quickly.
My father was a WWII vet, landed at Omaha Beach and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He died a month into my twelfth year from horrors he could no longer live with. But he taught me one thing I have tried to live by. He said “There are two things that guide you throughout life. There are reasons, and there are excuses. Reasons will be the cause of your success and the person you become. Excuses are the reason you can fail at both.”
With the success of the SEC teams in this century, I’m pretty sure what I’m hearing are excuses. So lets have some fun and see what excuses we can come up with so they will have quick references when it happens!
Condolences on losing your father so young. That must have been hard. But he taught you well.
You covered the major excuses except for “the SEC has the most recruiting violations”. opps.
They can’t use pay for play anymore.
Thanks. Forgot the pay thing lol. And thank you JTF.
I would add, “We had more wins and less losses than [insert SEC team] that best us so it was unfair to have to play them in the playoffs.”
Don’t forget the weather!
I think the 12 team with 8 teams playing to play the top 4 makes the most sense. It would reduce the one sided games and give every conference champion a bye. Then no one could claim they didn’t get treated fairly. I disagree about the iron bowl meaning less as well as some of the other major end of season rival games – I would contend that those games mean more – because many teams would be fighting to get into the top 12 and having lost games early in the season would not knock you out of having a chance of winning the national championship!
Many games at the end of the season would be huge games for many fan bases – that now have no chance of anything other than a minor bowl at stake. The more interest you have in all the games the better it is for everyone. Those huge tv contracts only get better for everyone when more teams have more eyes on them! The perfect example has been “March Madness” for basketball. The playoff money will be huge and it should be shared by the participants – which means every league will get some of the pie!
I am anti-bye weeks altogether. Its too big of an advantage at the end of a long season when almost everyone is beat up. I support 8 teams with the first round being home games for the top for rather than a bye. There are too many off campus games already. The games should fall 2 weeks after the Conference Championships.
No automatics, every team that advances should have played the same number of games except for those teams left out of a conference championship that are ranked in the top 8, there should be few of those. Notre Dame should be given no special consideration.
Expansion is coming, and it will also benefit the SEC. We’d be looking at 3 to 4 SEC teams getting in every year. When you get that many, you are starting to see teams like A&M, Florida, & Auburn getting in consistently. Going forward we may even see Okie, and Texas get a shot. I’ve said it in the past-4 is good, but to think fanbases of additional teams wouldn’t be thrilled to get a playoff shot would be short-sighted.