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

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

I've certainly been more impressed with Marshall in the past few years than I have with the vast, vast majority of teams in the "Big Six" conferences.

Why? Because they put up huge numbers against MAC competition? They've only played two games against major conference opponents in the past two years and they got blown out in both of them.

2001 - Florida 49 - Marshall 14

2002 - Virginia Tech 47 - Marshall 21

Real impressive.

You do realize that Marshall has been a Div 1 school less than 10 years don't you?

That is why he is impressed with Marshall.

Look at Boise State this year, they also have only been Div 1 for a couple of years.

I am impressed with them this year.

ACK!

[Drake Tungsten]

You can't finish sixth in the Big 12. You can finish last in the north or last in the south.

Very true. Although they do release power rankings every week.

How many non-conference rivalries are there?

I don't really understand where you're going with this, but I'll indulge you.

Florida - Florida State

Florida State - Miami

Notre Dame - USC

Colorado - Colorado State

Clemson - South Carolina

That's all I can think of right now, but I'm sure there are more.

[Drake Tungsten]

Conference power rankings from the wonderful site JohnT found:

Rank Strength Record College Conferences

1 1268 ( 29 - 10) The Big 12 Conference
2 1225 ( 30 - 10) The Southeastern Conference
3 1174 ( 24 - 9) The Pacific Ten Conference
4 1018 ( 25 - 12) The Big East Conference
5 773 ( 19 - 13) The Atlantic Coast Conference
6 662 ( 22 - 16) The Big 10 Conference
7 -95 ( 17 - 18) The Mountain West Conference
8 -703 ( 13 - 22) The Western Athletic Conference
9 -795 ( 13 - 23) The Mid-America Conference
10 -1051 ( 13 - 27) The Conference USA
11 -1126 ( 17 - 38) Division I-A Independents
12 -2349 ( 4 - 28) The Sun Belt Conference (I-AA)

http://www.phys.utk.edu/sorensen/ranking/

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
I don't really understand where you're going with this, but I'll indulge you.

Florida - Florida State

Florida State - Miami

Notre Dame - USC

Colorado - Colorado State

Clemson - South Carolina

That's all I can think of right now, but I'm sure there are more.

What I mean is that MOST rivalry games are in conference games.

However, nobody said to get rid of non-conference games, so there would be no reason to lose the non-conference rivalries.

ACK!

[Ming]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Fine, it won't be "irrelevant". The regular season will still have some meaning, but it will be the same limited meaning you find in every other sport. The regular season will just be a means of qualifying for the post-season, with the occasional rivalry game to remind everybody of the good old days. The games will lose a lot of their thrill

Again... you don't seem to get it.
Remember, we already have a 2 team tournament. A few more teams isn't going to change that. The games will NOT loss one bit of thrill.

Using your logic, nobody would even bother watching their team again now once they lose their second game.
AND THAT DOESN'T happen. People will continue to care about their teams. Michigan fans didn't watch the OSU/Michigan just because it might knock OSU out of the tournament. They watched it because they wanted to BEAT OSU... it's that simple.

For you to even think that a difference from a 2 team playoff to 8 team playoff will change how REAL fans root for their teams, you must be out of touch with reality.

In one of the OTHER sports you keep talking about, I go to opening day for the CUBS every year. (for the last 25 years)... I don't go because I think they are going to qualify for the playoffs and win the World Series (Lord knows I know that by now), I go to support my team, enjoy the thrill of baseball... real fans support their team no matter what.

If for you, the National Championship is the only thing that makes you watch your team... I feel sad for you.

[Drake Tungsten]

I just meant that rivalry games would be the only games that would approach the do-or-die attitude that surrounded every game before a playoff was instituted. I don't know where you're getting the idea that any rivalries would be ended...

[Drake Tungsten]

If for you, the National Championship is the only thing that makes you watch your team...

That's what Husker fans are like. We've been spoiled...

I make up for it by being a Royals fan, however.

[Ming]

Uhh... every game still is life or death if the only way you can make it is to be one of the top 8 teams in the country.... you keep seeming to ignore that simple fact Every game will STLL BE IMPORTANT. We aren't talking about the NHL or Basketball where 40% of the teams make the playoffs. So stop your silly comparisons with things that arent' really comparable

[Drake Tungsten]

Uhh... every game still is life or death if the only way you can make it is to be one of the top 8 teams in the country.... you keep seeming to ignore that simple fact

That isn't a fact. You're spotted at least one loss, since there will almost never be more than 8 unbeaten and one-loss teams. And if your schedule is tough enough or you have enough reputation in the polls (FSU ), you could conceivably lose two or, in rare cases, three games and still make the playoff. Every game is still life or death, right?

[Ming]

By the way... it's under 30% again...

Yes... every game is still life or death. Sure, you might be undefeated until the last game, and you don't really need it to make the playoff... I'll grant you that one.

But once you've lost a game, you better not lose again, or you are risking not making it. And heck, if their are enough 1 loss teams, that might no be good enough to get in. So I stand by comment and laugh at your position

[Drake Tungsten]

By the way... it's under 30% again...

NOOO!!!

So I stand by comment and laugh at your position.

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this (and every other) issue...

[Ming]

Not every other issue... we do both like to annoy euro trolls

[Ming]

Now in the "proper spirit" of this thread...
We bring you...

Debunk Drake's Opinions #1

Drake has repeatedly stated that a 8 team playoff system would make the regular season meaningless.
And that it would be like the pro sports where the real season doesn't start until the playoffs.

Let's look at this opinion in a little more depth.

In examining the Four Major Professional Sports, how many teams do make the play offs, and why might one consider the regular season "meaningless"...

The National Basketball Association:
16 out of 29 teams make the playoffs = 55%

National Hockey League:
16 out of 30 teams make the playoffs = 53%

National Football League:
12 out of 32 teams make the playoffs = 38%

Major League Baseball:
8 our of 30 teams make the playoffs = 27%

In two of the sports... HALF the teams make the playoffs

Yeah... the regular season does seem meaningless in Basketball and Hockey... especially if you are a Chicago Bulls or a Chicago Black Hawks fan in 2002

In Football over 1/3 make it... not to bad, not quite meaningless. Especially since home field advantage is a real advantage in Football

Baseball is the best in the Pro Group... But even with 162 season being very meaningful, just over a quarter of the team make the playoffs.


Now... let's look at a proposed 8 game playoff system for 1 - A Football

8 out of 117 teams make the playoff = 7%
Yes fans... less than 1 out every 14 teams will make the playoffs. Hmmmm... seems like the regular season is REALLY important to me.

OK Drake, I can hear your response now. 117 teams include a bunch of teams from conferences that in your eyes don't even deserve to get on the same field as your powerhouse conferences... So lets look at what it would be if you just consider the Big10, Big12, Pac10, SEC, ACC, BIG EAST, and the Notre Dame Conference

That is still only 8 out of 63 teams = 13%
We are still talking about 1 out of 8 teams making the playoffs... Still making the regular season very important.

So... In Conclusion - FACT OR FICTION
Drake says that an 8 game playoff system would make the regular season in college football as meaning less as professional sports regular season games.

Answer... TOTAL FICTION

Please look forward for number two in this series.

This message is brought to you by: It's time to get the greedy Bowl Commitees out of the selection process Committee.

[Drake Tungsten]

We are still talking about 1 out of 8 teams making the playoffs... Still making the regular season very important.

But a playoff still makes the regular season less important than it is now. You are right in saying that, statistically, a playoff won't make the college football regular season as meaningless as it is in pro sports. However, it will still make the regular season less meaningful. Why would you want to do that? To take money out of the greedy Bowl Commisioner's hands and give it to the equally greedy NCAA? That doesn't seem like a very good reason to me.

I am flattered by all the effort you've expended to combat my arguments, however...

[Ming]

Ahhh... you seem to now be saying "less" important vs meaningless... We must be making progress on you

And don't feel to flattered, just having some fun in the proper spirit of this thread... and there is more to come after a little more research...

OH, and by the way... down to 27% now