Should BCS Be Replaced By Playoffs? -- Guynemer's Proposal -- Part II

[DanS]

"I'm supposing what Drake was refering to was what the less interested parties (the greater National Audience w/o ties to Michigan or OSU) found appealing in the matchup."

True. True.

"I again assert it would have had national appeal as it would have been a do or die game (plus the fact you can count on both teams hating each other) for Michigan in order to make the playoffs."

It wouldn't have been the same.

[Ming]

Would the fans of both schools cared more or less about the OSU and Michigan game if a playoff system was in place vs the BCS...
probably about the same. Both schools fans are rabid about this game. Even if your season is a total bust, a win against the other school can make the year.

Would the attendence at the game be much different...
Maybe 1,000 less people... less than a 1% difference.
This game is one of the hardest tickets to get in college football, no matter what the standings say

Would the TV ratings be much different if their was a play off... I'll grant you they probably would be lower, but not by all that much. The ratings for games like this don't change all that much from year to year, no matter what the relative standings or impact on the current BCS system.

Was their more interest by people who weren't going to be watching the game in person or on TV... Well, yeah...
That I won't argue.

But with that being the case... With more teams with a shot to make the playoff... any loss you may perceive for this game, would be MORE than offset by other games that would now become important. Just think of the importance that would have been placed on the Washington/Washington State game. What is normally another great instate rivalry... would have had REAL championship impact. A win would have clinched a role in the playoffs for Washington State... Instead, with Miami almost locked to play in the championship game, the game was pretty much meaningless to a national audience. Multiply this for other teams that would have a chance to make it and you have far more excitement to the sport on a national basis vs just that which was provide by a single OSU/Michigan game.

You keep saying that the a playoff of 8 teams vs the current playoff of only 2 teams would make the regular season irrelevent...
I think that argument is completely wrong, and totally ignores the true nature of College football fans.

[Drake Tungsten]

I'm supposing what Drake was refering to was what the less interested parties (the greater National Audience w/o ties to Michigan or OSU) found appealing in the matchup.

Thank you, Ogie. This was exactly what I was saying.

I know damn well that the Michigan-OSU game will sell out every year, playoff or not. That's what great rivalries are like. But the national audience would not have been glued to their TV's on Saturday to watch the game if it hadn't had such huge national title implications. Miami fans were watching to see who their possible opponent might be. Oklahoma fans were watching, praying that OSU might stumble and give them a second chance at the title. Same thing for a number of other schools. And third-parties like myself were watching just to see if the Buckeyes could go undefeated.

With a playoff in effect, the national audience for that game would've been considerably less. Why watch when OSU already has a playoff spot wrapped up? The great Michigan-OSU rivalry isn't going anywhere, playoff or not. But it's great when these rivalries take center stage on the national scene because of their title implications. Michigan-OSU this year did that. Nebraska-Oklahoma did it last year. Great rivalries become even greater when the national spotlight turns on them because of the national title race. A playoff would eliminate all that.

And I love how you guys think I have no experience with heated rivalries. We do have a few good ones out here in Nebraska...

[Ming]

Yes...Great rivalries become greater when the national spotlight turns on them because of a national title race.

But with 8 spots available instead of just two... EVEN MORE great rivalries would be forced into the national spotlight every year... multiplying that effect that you so desire

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Spot on Ming

[Drake Tungsten]

But with 8 spots available instead of just two... EVEN MORE great rivalries would be forced into the national spotlight every year... multiplying that effect that you so desire

There's a do-or-die atmosphere that surrounds every great matchup in college football right now that would be absent from a playoff system. Right now, if you beat your rival, not only do you further your own shot at the title, but you also destroy almost any chance your rival had. It's schadenfreude at its most entertaining.

To use an example (Nebraska of course ):

Last year's Oklahoma-Nebraska game was probably the best home game I've ever been to. #1 vs. #2 in one of the great rivalries in college football. Everyone was excited already because OU was in town, but the fact that it had a huge effect on the national title race made it even better. Gameday was in town for the game (second time that year) and the place was rockin'. You knew that one team was going home with their national title hopes destroyed and everyone loved it.

Would that game have been the same with a playoff in effect? I don't think so. Chances are, the loser of that game would still have been in the top-8 and would've made the playoffs if they had won out. So OU and NU could've played each other again in a playoff. If that happens, then what was the point of the first game?

A playoff takes away the do-or-die mentatilty that surrounds every regular season game in college football. It's like tightrope walking with a safety net. The spectacle will still be interesting, but removing the catastrophic failure that goes along with a mistake takes a lot of the interest away.

While games that have an effect on playoff spots would be more interesting than your run-of-the-mill game, they still wouldn't match the intensity of the current system. Michigan beating Ohio State to make the playoffs would be a good story, but not as good as Michigan beating Ohio State and completely ruining Ohio State's title run.

[Imran Siddiqui]

But the national audience would not have been glued to their TV's on Saturday to watch the game if it hadn't had such huge national title implications.

Michigan, if loses (as it does) misses the playoffs. If they win, they are in. That has great implications.

The one loss and you are out of every game in College Football is ridiculous. It doesn't show who is the best team.

You know what is a better story than your Michigan beating OSU and ruining their title run? Miami and Oklahoma playing a thrilling national championship after two rounds of great playoff games.

[Drake Tungsten]

Miami and Oklahoma playing a thrilling national championship after two rounds of great playoff games.

I bet Texas A&M would love to see that their upset of Oklahoma meant absolutely nothing.

If Miami beats Syracuse, should they bench Dorsey and McGahee for the Virginia Tech game? A loss won't keep them out of the playoffs, so why risk injury to your stars before the real season starts? Wow, this playoff idea keeps sounding better and better!

The one loss and you are out of every game in College Football is ridiculous. It doesn't show who is the best team.

Some fan you are. You don't even understand what makes college football great.

[Drake Tungsten]

Pitt-Miami scores with TV viewers, too

Does anyone think this game would've drawn so much national attention if we had a playoff? The potential for a Pitt upset destroying Miami's title run made the game very interesting, something that wouldn't happen with a playoff.

[Ming]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten Some fan you are. You don't even understand what makes college football great.

This from the man that thinks unless a powerhouse is playing, nobody cares. You are the one that doesn't really understand what makes college football great.
It's the love of the fans for the game, their dedication, their desire to not miss a minute of a game, even if their team isn't going to a national championship.

Your whole argument that a 8 team playoff vs a two team playoff would make the entire regular season irrelevent is simply absurd, and shows your lack of understanding of what makes college football great

[Imran Siddiqui]

I bet Texas A&M would love to see that their upset of Oklahoma meant absolutely nothing.

It shouldn't mean anything.

If Miami beats Syracuse, should they bench Dorsey and McGahee for the Virginia Tech game? A loss won't keep them out of the playoffs, so why risk injury to your stars before the real season starts?

So you can get the highest seed. Oh, I didn't realize that in the NFL, if you have chance to get home field advantage teams just throw it away so their stars won't get hurt .

Some fan you are. You don't even understand what makes college football great.

You mean what makes college football a bush league sport? The lack of playoffs prevents college football from being a good sport and more like a banana country election. Bush league, Bush league, Bush league!

[Drake Tungsten]

Oh, I didn't realize that in the NFL, if you have chance to get home field advantage teams just throw it away so their stars won't get hurt .

The major-flaw in this oh-so-well thought out response is that there won't be home field advantage in a college playoff. Almost every playoff plan uses the existing bowl sites for playoff games, making every game take place at a neutral field. There's no home field advantage to play for, so why risk your stars? Maybe for a better seed, but you're going to end up playing the best teams anyway, so seeding really isn't that important.

It shouldn't mean anything.

Thank god you're around. Every time Ming almost has me convinced that a playoff won't affect the regular season, you come along and say something retarded like this that just confirms my very worst fears. Way to respect the integrity of the regular season!

[Imran Siddiqui]

every playoff plan uses the existing bowl sites for playoff games, making every game take place at a neutral field.

Oh look at these words in my mouth. I wouldn't use existing bowl sites.

Every time Ming almost has me convinced that a playoff won't affect the regular season, you come along and say something retarded like this that just confirms my very worst fears. Way to respect the integrity of the regular season!

To get in the Top 8, you kinda have to win just about all your games. If a team loses once they shouldn't be excluded.

You show everything that is wrong with College Football. Still stuck in the 1920s with your anti-playoff views that prevent a true national champion from being crowned.

NO, A&M's win over Oklahoma shouldn't mean a damn thing. Oklahoma should be able to face off against the OSUs and show that they are better (which they are, btw). Doesn't matter ONE BIT that they lost to A&M.

But of course, that means that a team can lose every game in the regular season and still make the Top 8. That is what your Chicken Little Act is insinuating.

[Ming]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Pitt-Miami scores with TV viewers, too

Does anyone think this game would've drawn so much national attention if we had a playoff? The potential for a Pitt upset destroying Miami's title run made the game very interesting, something that wouldn't happen with a playoff.

Would it have drawn as much attention as it did. Probably not... However, whenever Miaimi plays on ESPN they draw well. While you seem to be hanging your hat on 4.9 rating... that really means that 95.1% of the households in the US didn't watch It may have been the highest rated ever, but at this low level of ratings... we are only talking about a few 100,000 homes making the difference.

And your comment:

I bet Texas A&M would love to see that their upset of Oklahoma meant absolutely nothing.

This again shows that you don't understand college football. You seem to think that all Texas A&M fans care about is knocking Oklahoma out of the Championship game... WRONG. They beat their rival Oklahoma... and that matters to them. The fact that it might have knocked them out of a chance of the title game may be icing on the cake, but an 8 team playoff would not change the fact the fact that they won. Winning matters to the fans. Try telling a Texas A&M fan that the game wouldn't mean anything if it didn't have national championship implications.

[Drake Tungsten]

I wouldn't use existing bowl sites.

Good for you. However, almost every playoff proposal uses the bowls as neutral playing sites, so your plan is pretty damn irrelevant to this discussion.

But of course, that means that a team can lose every game in the regular season and still make the Top 8.

Way to put words in my mouth. Very ballsy, considering you just whined about the same thing in your post.

Anyway, if you take the top-8 of the BCS right now, two two-loss teams will make the playoffs. And the 11, 12, 13, and 14 spots are all occupied by three-loss teams, so there is an outside shot of a three-loss team making the playoffs if things go their way. For example, if Colorado beats Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game, they have a good shot of making the top-8 with three losses.

But we shouldn't hold three losses against a team, should we? Regular season games don't...

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
matter ONE BIT