What a 32-team bracket might have looked like

[QuaoarsKing]

Based on the Big 10 proposal of a 28- or 32-team bracket with no conference championship games and at least 1 bid from every conference, so the first round would be this coming weekend. Rather than seeding strictly 1-32, I think they could have 4 each of 1 through 8 seeds in order to avoid rematches and spread the conferences around.

Personally, I think this would be a lot of fun. There would still be a few bubble teams upset (I considered Illinois and Iowa State), but nobody is going to feel bad about an 8-4 team getting left out.

 

[onewoof]

Please no lol. Waste of time

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Too many. 16 ideal, 24 max.

Every program in the county has at least one top 15 or so finish.

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

Let's just have these kids play 25 games a season. Get rid of bye weeks. You do know there are real people out there actually hitting each other violently, right?

 

[Xenomorph]

 

[CoastTrash]

Let’s do 128 so we can see hail state in the playoffs

 

[QuaoarsKing]

Too many. 16 ideal, 24 max.

Every program in the county has at least one top 15 or so finish.

After 1 weekend, the 32 team bracket becomes a 16-team bracket, so people who prefer 16 teams can just skip out on the first weekend and then they have what they want.

The same is true for the basketball and baseball brackets. However, most fans say that first weekend is the best of the whole tournament, and I suspect they would say the same thing about the 32-team bracket.

 

[QuaoarsKing]

Let’s do 128 so we can see hail state in the playoffs

Mullen would have had us in the 32-team model at least 3 times, maybe 4, and Moorhead and Leach once each.

 

[paindonthurt]

Based on the Big 10 proposal of a 28- or 32-team bracket with no conference championship games and at least 1 bid from every conference, so the first round would be this coming weekend. Rather than seeding strictly 1-32, I think they could have 4 each of 1 through 8 seeds in order to avoid rematches and spread the conferences around.

Personally, I think this would be a lot of fun. There would still be a few bubble teams upset (I considered Illinois and Iowa State), but nobody is going to feel bad about an 8-4 team getting left out.

Like $h1t like you and your opinions.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Let's just have these kids play 25 games a season. Get rid of bye weeks. You do know there are real people out there actually hitting each other violently, right?

Money changes things. And even if it hadn't, all other levels of football have been doing it forever, specifically FCS, D2, D3 and NAIA. I have no sympathy.

There's no logic that supports the bowl system or a small playoff. It's just what we all grew up with and are resistant to change.

 

[paindonthurt]

Too many. 16 ideal, 24 max.

Every program in the county has at least one top 15 or so finish.

8 idea. 12 max but I’m fighting a losing battle.

 

[paindonthurt]

Based on the Big 10 proposal of a 28- or 32-team bracket with no conference championship games and at least 1 bid from every conference, so the first round would be this coming weekend. Rather than seeding strictly 1-32, I think they could have 4 each of 1 through 8 seeds in order to avoid rematches and spread the conferences around.

Personally, I think this would be a lot of fun. There would still be a few bubble teams upset (I considered Illinois and Iowa State), but nobody is going to feel bad about an 8-4 team getting left out.

You’ll be the first bleeding heart crying when they all have CTE

 

[paindonthurt]

Money changes things. And even if it hadn't, all other levels of football have been doing it forever, specifically FCS, D2, D3 and NAIA. I have no sympathy.

You have sympathy for people wasting your tax dollars but none for black football players violently hitting each other?

Thats a weird flex.

 

[dickiedawg]

Let's just have these kids play 25 games a season. Get rid of bye weeks. You do know there are real people out there actually hitting each other violently, right?

FCS plays 12 games and then has 5 rounds of playoffs. So it’s not unheard of.
That said, I wouldn’t vote for it. I think it’s too much. But it’s all a business now, so the only factor they will weigh is money. Green Is All That Matters. It makes expansion pretty much inevitable.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

Let’s do 128 so we can see hail state in the playoffs

Thanks for the reminder. Just to close the APR loop, we finished 87th. There are 82 6 win teams for (as of now) 80 bowl slots although perhaps ESPN is going to create a game to replace the Bahamas Bowl to give all 82 a place to go. Four teams with 5-7 records finished ahead of us in the APR - Auburn, Florida State, Rice, and UCF. So all we needed in place of a sixth win was ESPN to create another bowl game and then have five teams decline their invitations! We were THIS CLOSE to a bowl!!

 

[patdog]

Do we really need to see the #7 team in the SEC in the playoffs? 1st round would be awful tv. Nothing but blowouts.

 

[seshomoru]

Third round and the semis should be at the NY6 sites. Championship should be the Pop Tarts Bowl.

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

FCS plays 12 games and then has 5 rounds of playoffs. So it’s not unheard of.
That said, I wouldn’t vote for it. I think it’s too much. But it’s all a business now, so the only factor they will weigh is money. Green Is All That Matters. It makes expansion pretty much inevitable.

I have seen first hand the people that play in the SEC and the people that play FCS. You do not want to get hit by those people in the SEC. You can handle FCS.

 

[johnson86-1]

Let's just have these kids play 25 games a season. Get rid of bye weeks. You do know there are real people out there actually hitting each other violently, right?

If you drop the regular season to 11 games, you have the two participants in the national championship play 16 games.

With the current format, Assuming they go to the conference championship game and get a bye, the participants in the national championship will play 16 games. If somebody plays in a conference championship game and doesn't get a bye, they could play 17 games.

Not saying I think it's a good idea, but it's not hugely different from a wear and tear perspective than what we have right now. Realistically, we could start games the third or fourth weekend of August (depending on how many saturdays there are in the month in a particular year) and have students on campus for games and add in another bye week and still finish earlier to accommodate earlier playoff games. This year, if we had started Aug 23 instead of Aug 30th, we could have played 11 games with two bye weeks and still finished in time to have a bye week before starting the playoffs the weekend after thanksgiving.

You'd have to get TV to make some concessions about not having southern games in August in the middle of the day, and you'd have teams getting ready in July, but that doesn't seem obvioulsy worse than what we're doing now, except we'd effectively lose a lot of games by going to 11 instead of 12 game regular season.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

If you drop the regular season to 11 games, you have the two participants in the national championship play 16 games.

With the current format, Assuming they go to the conference championship game and get a bye, the participants in the national championship will play 16 games. If somebody plays in a conference championship game and doesn't get a bye, they could play 17 games.

Not saying I think it's a good idea, but it's not hugely different from a wear and tear perspective than what we have right now. Realistically, we could start games the third or fourth weekend of August (depending on how many saturdays there are in the month in a particular year) and have students on campus for games and add in another bye week and still finish earlier to accommodate earlier playoff games. This year, if we had started Aug 23 instead of Aug 30th, we could have played 11 games with two bye weeks and still finished in time to have a bye week before starting the playoffs the weekend after thanksgiving.

You'd have to get TV to make some concessions about not having southern games in August in the middle of the day, and you'd have teams getting ready in July, but that doesn't seem obvioulsy worse than what we're doing now, except we'd effectively lose a lot of games by going to 11 instead of 12 game regular season.

Keep it at 12 and get rid of conference championships. They add nothing that an expanded playoff couldn't add.

 

[QuaoarsKing]

At the very least, Vanderbilt's exclusion this year shows that 12 is not enough.

 

[Villagedawg]

Based on the Big 10 proposal of a 28- or 32-team bracket with no conference championship games and at least 1 bid from every conference, so the first round would be this coming weekend. Rather than seeding strictly 1-32, I think they could have 4 each of 1 through 8 seeds in order to avoid rematches and spread the conferences around.

Personally, I think this would be a lot of fun. There would still be a few bubble teams upset (I considered Illinois and Iowa State), but nobody is going to feel bad about an 8-4 team getting left out.

Round one would be about as interesting as the March Madness play in and round one games.

 

[Villagedawg]

8 idea. 12 max but I’m fighting a losing battle.

Agree. 8 ideal. 4 is usually too many, but with 8 you at least capture those rare years where someone 4-8 actually has a shot.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Agree. 8 ideal. 4 is usually too many, but with 8 you at least capture those rare years where someone 4-8 actually has a shot.

Things have changed in this new era of parity. Ohio State was 6 last year.

 

[patdog]

At the very least, Vanderbilt's exclusion this year shows that 12 is not enough.

We've got 5 SEC teams in the tournament this year as it is. Do we really need #6 who has no good wins all year?

 

[Villagedawg]

You have sympathy for people wasting your tax dollars but none for black football players violently hitting each other?

Thats a weird flex.

Matthew 22
39 And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 39a Unless they waste the taxes you have faithfully rendered unto Caesar.

or something like that

 

[paindonthurt]

Things have changed in this new era of parity. Ohio State was 6 last year.

Can you read? He literally said those rare years where 4-8 actually have a shot.

 

[Villagedawg]

Things have changed in this new era of parity. Ohio State was 6 last year.

I think they were 8th. But were they the actually 8th best team? We know better. Changed so much that fresh new commer program Ohio State won the championship against up and coming unknown Notre Dame. Your points are definitely valid about having a large playoff, but I do think there are counterpoints as well.

 

[paindonthurt]

Matthew 22
39 And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 39a Unless they waste the taxes you have faithfully rendered unto Caesar.

or something like that

Are you insinuating i don't love my neighbor b/c i don't want the government or government employees to waste my tax dollars? Seems like a stretch.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

I think they were 8th. But were they the actually 8th best team? We know better. Changed so much that fresh new commer program Ohio State won the championship against up and coming unknown Notre Dame. Your points are definitely valid about having a large playoff, but I do think there are counterpoints as well.

We also know that this whole deal isn't necessarily 100% about determining a champion. It's about making money and overall people having a good time and enjoying that system.

More teams equals more hope equals more interest equals more money and fun. 16 I think accomplishes everything.

 

[Perd Hapley]

Based on the Big 10 proposal of a 28- or 32-team bracket with no conference championship games and at least 1 bid from every conference, so the first round would be this coming weekend. Rather than seeding strictly 1-32, I think they could have 4 each of 1 through 8 seeds in order to avoid rematches and spread the conferences around.

Personally, I think this would be a lot of fun. There would still be a few bubble teams upset (I considered Illinois and Iowa State), but nobody is going to feel bad about an 8-4 team getting left out.

Gross. Literally every one of those first round games except the 4/5 matchups would be total bloodbaths that would be utterly unwatchable.

 

[Perd Hapley]

At the very least, Vanderbilt's exclusion this year shows that 12 is not enough.

12 is enough. Vandy would have no shot against one of the Top 3 or 4.

 

[johnson86-1]

Keep it at 12 and get rid of conference championships. They add nothing that an expanded playoff couldn't add.

Those numbers are with dropping the conference championship game. Didn't repeat it but the original post stated that the proposal eliminated conference championships.

You could keep it at 12 and the two teams in the championship will play 17 games. That would basically put them at playing the same number of games that the NFL does in an 18 week regular season, but spread over 22 weeks instead of 18, assuming you go from roughly the third Saturday in August to 2nd Saturday in January.

You've got younger players, so probably not apples to apples comparing 17 games to 17 games, but on the other hand NFL teams don't have 100 man rosters, and they don't have cupcake games (granted there aren't going to be as many of those), but the teams with a legitimate shot at making the championship game can also probably afford to rest some players throughout the season and still assure themselves a spot in the playoffs.

 

[onewoof]

Yes let's wear down the weak thin roster teams to eventually get destroyed by the top teams with elite 3 deeps. That's entertainment.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

After 1 weekend, the 32 team bracket becomes a 16-team bracket, so people who prefer 16 teams can just skip out on the first weekend and then they have what they want.

The same is true for the basketball and baseball brackets. However, most fans say that first weekend is the best of the whole tournament, and I suspect they would say the same thing about the 32-team bracket.

Yes, I’ll never understand sports fans who want less sports. I think it’s just people being crotchety to change. I’m all for it.

 

[Villagedawg]

Are you insinuating i don't love my neighbor b/c i don't want the government or government employees to waste my tax dollars? Seems like a stretch.

Not at all.

 

[Villagedawg]

Yes let's wear down the weak thin roster teams to eventually get destroyed by the top teams with elite 3 deeps. That's entertainment.

Sounds like the current model.

 

[MississippiTexan]

12 is enough. Vandy would have no shot against one of the Top 3 or 4.

Have you looked at Indiana and Texas Tech's schedules? It's a bit absurd to say Vandy wouldn't have a shot against them. Tech lost to Az St. and their toughest games were against Utah and BYU. Indiana played only two ranked teams and that's if you count Illinois was #9 at the time but finished 8-4 unranked.

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

12 is plenty, with NO byes.....

 

[ronpolk]

Yes, I’ll never understand sports fans who want less sports. I think it’s just people being crotchety to change. I’m all for it.

I kinda agree. I’m all for more football. It’s hard to not agree that those first round matchups are likely blowouts. I think the only thing you can hope for is that more teams making the playoffs continues to create more parity.