The State of NCAA Football

[Hi.O]

I think an 8 team playoff would be best.
Take the top three ranked conference champions and seed them one through three.
Take the next five ranked teams and seed them four through eight.

This makes conference championships important. Don't win that and you go up against the fifth seeded team at best, which actually might be the second or third best team in the country.

This also keeps fraudulent teams out of the playoffs. You're 7-5, your division sucks, and you happen to win your conference. You still don't deserve to be in the playoffs.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

This also keeps fraudulent teams out of the playoffs. You're 7-5, your division sucks, and you happen to win your conference. You still don't deserve to be in the playoffs.

Which is why removing divisions would eliminate this problem and why P5 champ auto bids would be fine.

 

[Hi.O]

Which is why removing divisions would eliminate this problem and why P5 champ auto bids would be fine.

That's fine with me.
Only thing I don't like about it is that it lessens the significance of those first/second week games. I want more spots for teams that challenge themselves with those big time showcase games.. The P5 champ auto bid potentially takes two of those spots away.

 

[Creebuzz]

Logistically, I don’t see how you expand the playoffs and extend the season by a month. The champion would have a 16 game season.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

Logistically, I don’t see how you expand the playoffs and extend the season by a month. The champion would have a 16 game season.

As opposed to the 15 game season the Champion (most likely) currently has?

 

[Creebuzz]

As opposed to the 15 game season the Champion (most likely) currently has?

Well, if you go to a 16 team playoff, it adds two games, so I was thinking 14 to 16. It could be 15 to 17. In any case, you would have games going into February, then a very short break and into spring ball. It starts to get ridiculous with the pretext that we have students playing. In my opinion, what’s killing the sport is the fact that it’s resembling more of a professional league than amateur college sports.

The number of games has ticked up from 11 to 12 to 13 to 14, and now is a whopping 15 for the two semifinalists.

 

[Medford M.]

Maybe I missed it, but has anyone brought up this?

National Championship Game delivers lowest ratings in over a decade

Here's how many people watched Alabama beat Ohio State for its 18th national championship.

www.google.com

18.7 million viewers between 5 different channels. Lowest rated college title game in 16 years. Instead of bringing in viewers, the CFP is killing interest in the sport. Ratings down, attendance down (this year is obviously a wash in that regard).

The sport is largely unwatchable. I used to be a big CFB fan. Now...NFL all the way if I want to enjoy football. 100% agree with the video posted.

 

[Bison]

I didn't renew my YouTube TV subscription that expired last week because I knew Alabama was going to win. Guess I wasn't the only one who didn't bother to watch that game.

One downside to the CFP is that the heavyweights will stay heavyweights for more extended times. Anyone forget that Montana used to be automatic for the playoffs out of the Big Sky Conference in FCS football? That went on for awhile. Ditto for a few other FCS teams and that goes down to D3 with Mount Union OH and Wisconsin-Eau Clarie for instance. It hasn't hit us because USC hasn't made much noise when it came to the CFP but when that happens, a bowl game could be the most we hope for. What I loved about college football was the unique way it used to have to crown the best team (national champions) while teams still could go to bowl games.

Part of the draw of college football is the imbalanced competition so we could have cinderella teams every year. It was awesome to see San Jose State win the MWC when no one expected them to do so. And let's not forget Coastal Carolina as well.

I will watch FCS football this spring just for the heck of it and if people do that, maybe we no longer will have to worry about watching position drills that are advertised as spring football games. I'm looking at the MVFC (the conference with the Dakota schools in it) and the Big South (option football) as conferences to watch for myself. I'll keep tabs on UNC as well just to see how Eddie Mac is doing in Greeley. There's the upcoming WAC announcement tomorrow that it is bringing back football and Grand Canyon University could be starting one team up and the WAC could be FBS by the end of this decade.

 

[MtnBuff]

Maybe I missed it, but has anyone brought up this?

National Championship Game delivers lowest ratings in over a decade

Here's how many people watched Alabama beat Ohio State for its 18th national championship.

www.google.com

18.7 million viewers between 5 different channels. Lowest rated college title game in 16 years. Instead of bringing in viewers, the CFP is killing interest in the sport. Ratings down, attendance down (this year is obviously a wash in that regard).

The sport is largely unwatchable. I used to be a big CFB fan. Now...NFL all the way if I want to enjoy football. 100% agree with the video posted.

It has really moved towards something that many fans don't care about. It just doesn't have any suspense for most teams.

At the same time they have managed to make going to a non-playoff bowl inconsequential and thus less important as well.

I didn't renew my YouTube TV subscription that expired last week because I knew Alabama was going to win. Guess I wasn't the only one who didn't bother to watch that game.

One downside to the CFP is that the heavyweights will stay heavyweights for more extended times. Anyone forget that Montana used to be automatic for the playoffs out of the Big Sky Conference in FCS football? That went on for awhile. Ditto for a few other FCS teams and that goes down to D3 with Mount Union OH and Wisconsin-Eau Clarie for instance. It hasn't hit us because USC hasn't made much noise when it came to the CFP but when that happens, a bowl game could be the most we hope for. What I loved about college football was the unique way it used to have to crown the best team (national champions) while teams still could go to bowl games.

Part of the draw of college football is the imbalanced competition so we could have cinderella teams every year. It was awesome to see San Jose State win the MWC when no one expected them to do so. And let's not forget Coastal Carolina as well.

I will watch FCS football this spring just for the heck of it and if people do that, maybe we no longer will have to worry about watching position drills that are advertised as spring football games. I'm looking at the MVFC (the conference with the Dakota schools in it) and the Big South (option football) as conferences to watch for myself. I'll keep tabs on UNC as well just to see how Eddie Mac is doing in Greeley. There's the upcoming WAC announcement tomorrow that it is bringing back football and Grand Canyon University could be starting one team up and the WAC could be FBS by the end of this decade.

FCS and D2 have had playoffs for a long time and include a fairly large bracket for each.

The thing is though that for the fans of that level of football other than a few traditional powers they aren't that focused on getting a playoff championship. They would like to but generally the focus is much more on winning their conference and beating their rivals.

In a league like the RMAC you have a school like CSU-Pueblo which has had success in the playoffs and even won a national championship and played for a couple others. The rest of the league though doesn't have those goals. For them beating Pueblo and winning the RMAC is the goal. They know they aren't football factories. Their fans are able to greatly enjoy seasons that don't end in winning the playoffs.

 

[Bison]

It has really moved towards something that many fans don't care about. It just doesn't have any suspense for most teams.

At the same time they have managed to make going to a non-playoff bowl inconsequential and thus less important as well.


FCS and D2 have had playoffs for a long time and include a fairly large bracket for each.

The thing is though that for the fans of that level of football other than a few traditional powers they aren't that focused on getting a playoff championship. They would like to but generally the focus is much more on winning their conference and beating their rivals.

In a league like the RMAC you have a school like CSU-Pueblo which has had success in the playoffs and even won a national championship and played for a couple others. The rest of the league though doesn't have those goals. For them beating Pueblo and winning the RMAC is the goal. They know they aren't football factories. Their fans are able to greatly enjoy seasons that don't end in winning the playoffs.

Guess we need to expand the playoffs to 16 teams. All conference champs get into the playoffs and the rest goes to other deserving teams as long as each conference is capped at two teams in the playoffs.

 

[MtnBuff]

Guess we need to expand the playoffs to 16 teams. All conference champs get into the playoffs and the rest goes to other deserving teams as long as each conference is capped at two teams in the playoffs.

I don't think that will help. You will still end up with a top few teams getting all the talent and everyone else on the outside.

The result will simply be some 13-16 seeds getting a 40+ point beating laid on them in the opening game and some serious blowouts even in the round of eight.

 

[BUFFS14]

Guess we need to expand the playoffs to 16 teams. All conference champs get into the playoffs and the rest goes to other deserving teams as long as each conference is capped at two teams in the playoffs.

I dont like having a NC that cant or didnt win their conference. Take conference champions and add in the highest rated independent, and I would be good with that

 

[o_robbie]

I didn't catch if anyone else mentioned this. But some of the bowl games are watered down now because the top end talent are all electing to skip the game to preserve themselves to go pro. I believe Oklahoma just wiped the floor with Florida in a game where UF played alot of Freshman since they had nothing to gain from the game. I think they even sat there Senior QB at the beginning of the 3rd quarter. If you make it a larger bowl series with a chance at a national championship then all these kids are playing and the games are far more interesting.

At some point ratings and attendance are going to be way down for all the bowl games outside of the Final 4.

 

[hokiehead]

I didn't catch if anyone else mentioned this. But some of the bowl games are watered down now because the top end talent are all electing to skip the game to preserve themselves to go pro. I believe Oklahoma just wiped the floor with Florida in a game where UF played alot of Freshman since they had nothing to gain from the game. I think they even sat there Senior QB at the beginning of the 3rd quarter. If you make it a larger bowl series with a chance at a national championship then all these kids are playing and the games are far more interesting.

At some point ratings and attendance are going to be way down for all the bowl games outside of the Final 4.

I honestly think the death knell for bowls started long ago. Since I've been following CFB, many coaches have treated bowl games as exhibitions: relaxing player rules (e.g. curfews, practices) and giving practice snaps to next year's starters vs the current years.

 

[Medford M.]

I didn't catch if anyone else mentioned this. But some of the bowl games are watered down now because the top end talent are all electing to skip the game to preserve themselves to go pro. I believe Oklahoma just wiped the floor with Florida in a game where UF played alot of Freshman since they had nothing to gain from the game. I think they even sat there Senior QB at the beginning of the 3rd quarter. If you make it a larger bowl series with a chance at a national championship then all these kids are playing and the games are far more interesting.

At some point ratings and attendance are going to be way down for all the bowl games outside of the Final 4.

The final 4 ratings are way down too

 

[steph]

Personally I think there is way too much emphasis on getting "the best 4" teams into the playoff. You don't have that emphasis in any other sport really unless you include college BB, but they put so many teams into the playoff it's not really an issue. If you want to generate more interest you have to make the conference championships mean something. If each P5 conference champion automatically gets a spot, and each conference has a conference championship game, the conference championship games essentially become the first round of the playoffs. If you don't win the conference championship, too bad. You're out even if you are an otherwise undefeated Alabama or Clemson. Sure, maybe the "best" team will get beat once in a while and not win the conference championship, but that is what generates interest. Just maybe you will get a cinderella team that goes all the way. If that were to happen I would bet that championship game would have the highest ratings ever. Nobody wants to keep watching the same 5 or 6 teams take turns playing every year for the championship.

 

[FlaBuff]

I honestly think the death knell for bowls started long ago. Since I've been following CFB, many coaches have treated bowl games as exhibitions: relaxing player rules (e.g. curfews, practices) and giving practice snaps to next year's starters vs the current years.

Uh, this was common even in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Mac used the bowl practices to evaluate development of younger guys, even the Orange Bowl practices saw backups getting reps to rest the legs of the starters.

 

[BuffTuff]

I would like to see.
1. CFP expanded to 6 teams. P5 Conf champs only with 1 G5 bid.
2. top 1-2 ranked get a bye. This would keep importance on record and eye test for top 1-2 spots with debate at committee level.
3. 3 v 6 and 4 v 5 matchups.
4. Most likely this only adds an extra game over the 2 current now if a 3-6 team goes all the way. Cinderella story ish. most likely 1-2 make to the the Final so still only 2 games extra because of the bye.
5. Reduce scholarships down to 75. To me this is the most important issue. There is currently 0 sense of parity in CF which I think is why fans are losing interest. Talent needs to be spread around more evenly.

*Imagine how boring the NFL would be if the draft order was reversed and the Super Bowl champ picked #1 overall year after year. That’s is what CF is currently doing*

6. 1-time transfer rule. This 1 is tricky but something has to be done here to allow players a little freedom without full on college free agency. Not 100% sure how to solve this 1.

 

[patebuff]

Number one will never happen

 

[hokiehead]

I would like to see.
....

6. 1-time transfer rule. This 1 is tricky but something has to be done here to allow players a little freedom without full on college free agency. Not 100% sure how to solve this 1.

add a requirement to the scholarship that if the player voluntarily leaves for another college before their four years are up they have to repay the scholarship money received to that point. of course, built in hardship exemptions, etc...

 

[Bison]

I would like to see.
1. CFP expanded to 6 teams. P5 Conf champs only with 1 G5 bid.
2. top 1-2 ranked get a bye. This would keep importance on record and eye test for top 1-2 spots with debate at committee level.
3. 3 v 6 and 4 v 5 matchups.
4. Most likely this only adds an extra game over the 2 current now if a 3-6 team goes all the way. Cinderella story ish. most likely 1-2 make to the the Final so still only 2 games extra because of the bye.
5. Reduce scholarships down to 75. To me this is the most important issue. There is currently 0 sense of parity in CF which I think is why fans are losing interest. Talent needs to be spread around more evenly.

*Imagine how boring the NFL would be if the draft order was reversed and the Super Bowl champ picked #1 overall year after year. That’s is what CF is currently doing*

6. 1-time transfer rule. This 1 is tricky but something has to be done here to allow players a little freedom without full on college free agency. Not 100% sure how to solve this 1.

1. This is what needs to be done at this point.
2-4. Agreed.
5. FCS scholarships are capped at 63 and with a cut to 75 for FBS teams, there will be more FCS upsets of FBS teams. Max size of team rosters should be cut as well.

 

[BuffTuff]

add a requirement to the scholarship that if the player voluntarily leaves for another college before their four years are up they have to repay the scholarship money received to that point. of course, built in hardship exemptions, etc...

The middle ground between everyone can transfer 1 time to no transfers at all is a hard pace to find for some reason. So many layers to transfers it seems like.

 

[BuffTuff]

1. This is what needs to be done at this point.
2-4. Agreed.
5. FCS scholarships are capped at 63 and with a cut to 75 for FBS teams, there will be more FCS upsets of FBS teams. Max size of team rosters should be cut as well.

I’m good with whatever lower number of scholarships distributes the talent more. It’s just hard to watch the top 4 teams and even down to some other P5 championships and think the Buffs or any other non blue-blood would stand a chance against them. That’s also not even mentioning the depth that is required for a non blue-blood to play those types of teams after 12 games. We lost Landman and looked like we never tackled a guy before.

 

[hokiehead]

The middle ground between everyone can transfer 1 time to no transfers at all is a hard pace to find for some reason. So many layers to transfers it seems like.

my suggestion still allows for grad transfers

 

[Bison]

I’m good with whatever lower number of scholarships distributes the talent more. It’s just hard to watch the top 4 teams and even down to some other P5 championships and think the Buffs or any other non blue-blood would stand a chance against them. That’s also not even mentioning the depth that is required for a non blue-blood to play those types of teams after 12 games. We lost Landman and looked like we never tackled a guy before.

Getting that number closer to the FCS numbers means some FCS schools would entertain the idea of moving up to FBS. The WAC announced today that they will be sponsoring FCS football with the intention to be FBS by the end of this decade. There are at least a few other FCS conferences that would entertain the idea of moving up in the not too distant future if that was to happen.

The effects of losing Landman was probably from not enough playing time for the backups and a now former coordinator who couldn't come up with a plan.

 

[Hi.O]

Which is why removing divisions would eliminate this problem and why P5 champ auto bids would be fine.

Thought about this a little more. I think this is the better way to go as long as we have some minimum standard. Like, top 15/25 playoff ranking. If a champion doesn't meet that, the spot should be filled by the next highest ranked team.

 

[gone native]

I would favor an 8 or 16 team division 1 playoff using purely the top 8 or eventually the top 16 ranked teams at the end of November, to ignore the outcomes of conference championship games, and with no guaranteed spots for any conference. To boost ranking integrity, a combined coaches and media poll along with a computerized ranking taking strength of schedule into account would help.

Similar to the system now adopted in basketball, it should reduce incentives to pad schedules with easy wins and pointless non conference home games. A team with 2 or 3 “Class A” losses could be ranked above an undefeated team with a lot of creampuff opponents. I would also want to devalue garbage time points and take out incentives to run up ridiculous lopsided scores.

 

[gone native]

I also agree with reducing team roster sizes, maybe try at 80 players for a while and consider 75 if there is still a lack of parity

 

[hokiehead]

I think that one of the biggest negative effects of the playoffs is removing so much focus from Conference Championships.

As much as I dislike the playoffs and do not favor expansion, I acknowledge that giving auto-bids to conference champs would restore a lot of that emphasis.

 

[gone native]

To me the conference championship games have seemed the most pointless. Conference champ can be determined based on overall season results, and teams instead get to play against opponents from other conferences they probably haven’t seen already.