Would you rather see a 24-team playoff or an FBS split?

[OG Goat Holder]

Just looked up the FCS teams and there are 130 of them and a 24-team playoff (around 18% of teams make it). That means we are right at the tipping point in FBS with approximately the same number of teams but half the playoff spots. And **** before 2024 we only have 4. Ridiculous. I think the 18-20% holds true for basketball and baseball too. Division II is about 17%.

One of these needs to happen. And the reason I even started thinking about it was the insanity of what Deion is about to do at Colorado. If the top level wants free agency, let them have it. Let's keep some semblance of sanity at the lower level.

My personal preference is we cut out the 12th game, cut out conference championship games, and go to a 24-team playoff. Let conference championships be decided by record, and who cares if more than one team win. Similar to basketball and baseball. It gets more teams involved and gives more teams hope.

 

[Dawgg]

So if the American has three 9-2 teams, all 3 are considered champions and get in?

 

[Coast_Dawg]

16 is adequate. Bye’s are wrong to me. Not fair to players to make them play extra games without allowing them the opportunity to recover and heal. Perhaps I’m blinded by the mindset that these are still student athletes and not professionals on the field.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

So if the American has three 9-2 teams, all 3 are considered champions and get in?

They are all considered champions, but don't automatically get in the playoff. Honestly we should get away from auto-bids, since the SEC and B1G are going to tower over the rest, and conferences are so fluid. This particular playoff isn't really big enough for auto-bids.

 

[Dawgg]

They are all considered champions, but don't automatically get in the playoff. Honestly we should get away from auto-bids, since the SEC and B1G are going to tower over the rest, and conferences are so fluid. This particular playoff isn't really big enough for auto-bids.

This is what a 24 team playoff with no conference championship considerations would look like today.

 

[Dawgg]

This would be if we stopped before Conference Championships. I like this one, actually. A chance at a vulnerable Clemson and a puncher's chance against Penn State.

 

[Dawgg]

This would be if we stopped at Week 12. Of course, rivalry games would potentially be moved up a week, so this would have been before the Egg Bowl win:

 

[Dawgg]

I used this site to create these, by the way:

Tournament Bracket Generator - Challonge

challonge.com

You just drop the list of teams in the order you want and it build the bracket for you.

 

[Maroon13]

I'd rather a 24 team playoff. Because we have no idea how a FBS split would affect MSU. Are we in top tier or out?

Anyways, listening to a few podcast the talking points seem to be the same and are disheartening. Op outs, bowls are an exhibition, yada yada.

I really believe a 24 team playoff would Re-energize fans to attend and maybe players to not op-out.

 

[lanceharbor7]

So if the American has three 9-2 teams, all 3 are considered champions and get in?

24 teams would be great. the more the merrier. #ITJUSTMEANSMORE

 

[OG Goat Holder]

I'd rather a 24 team playoff. Because we have no idea how a FBS split would affect MSU. Are we in top tier or out?

Anyways, listening to a few podcast the talking points seem to be the same and are disheartening. Op outs, bowls are an exhibition, yada yada.

I really believe a 24 team playoff would Re-energize fans to attend and maybe players to not op-out.

Agreed. The biggest thing the sport faced was fan apathy due to literally only about 5% of the teams having a shot. Now you've added NIL and the portal to it.

The basketball tournament is just as exclusive when it comes to who WINS it. But more people per capita will watch it because teams get a theoretical 'chance'. I'm not saying more people watch the tournament than the football playoff, I'm simply saying that the existing fan apathy quotient is less in basketball because more teams have hope down the stretch.

 

[Trojanbulldog19]

Just looked up the FCS teams and there are 130 of them and a 24-team playoff (around 18% of teams make it). That means we are right at the tipping point in FBS with approximately the same number of teams but half the playoff spots. And **** before 2024 we only have 4. Ridiculous. I think the 18-20% holds true for basketball and baseball too. Division II is about 17%.

One of these needs to happen. And the reason I even started thinking about it was the insanity of what Deion is about to do at Colorado. If the top level wants free agency, let them have it. Let's keep some semblance of sanity at the lower level.

My personal preference is we cut out the 12th game, cut out conference championship games, and go to a 24-team playoff. Let conference championships be decided by record, and who cares if more than one team win. Similar to basketball and baseball. It gets more teams involved and gives more teams hope.

Split it. Just needs to be power 5 or power 4. Then group of 5 had their own.
I would almost argue big 12 and pac 12 and acc might be a division separate than big 10 and sec.
Division 1 A SEC and a big 10
Division 1 B PAC 12, ACC, Big 12, AAC.
Division 1 C rest of old group of 5
Division 1 D old FCS

 

[ckDOG]

I like the idea of 11 game regular seasons, no conference champs, and an accessible expanded playoff.

The current system is pretty boring and fairly predictable at this point. I like the idea of us having a decent shot at a meaningful postseason. It would bring back the prestige of having an extra game in the post season. Do I think we have a much better shot at winning a natty? No, but I'd for sure be a lot more interested in games 12/13 than I currently am.

 

[blackjackdog3]

It’s ridiculous that we don’t have a 24 team playoff in the FBS. Many of the FCS schools are top tier academic schools so the argument about them being students first doesn’t make sense when they’re not concerned about there academics.

 

[maroonmania]

16 is adequate. Bye’s are wrong to me. Not fair to players to make them play extra games without allowing them the opportunity to recover and heal. Perhaps I’m blinded by the mindset that these are still student athletes and not professionals on the field.

Exactly. Takes 4 weeks to play with 16 or 12 so why not 16? What's the deal with the byes? We don't give #1 seeds in basketball or baseball or softball or any other college sport a bye but we are going to give football teams byes? Heck, I want a bye into the super Regionals when we are a top 8 seed. They could just do 16 and let the first 2 rounds be on home campuses and then move the final 4 to the neutral bowls.

 

[paindonthurt]

I'd rather a 24 team playoff. Because we have no idea how a FBS split would affect MSU. Are we in top tier or out?

Anyways, listening to a few podcast the talking points seem to be the same and are disheartening. Op outs, bowls are an exhibition, yada yada.

I really believe a 24 team playoff would Re-energize fans to attend and maybe players to not op-out.

I don’t think a 24 team playoff is gonna make fans attend more regular season games.

12 is plenty.

8 is plenty but I guess we are past that.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

I don’t think a 24 team playoff is gonna make fans attend more regular season games.

12 is plenty.

8 is plenty but I guess we are past that.

I see a lot of logical reasoning in this thread to expand to 24.

You just said, "12 is plenty" with zero evidence.

This seems to be the theme in college football. Just averse to change 'because reasons'.

Give those reasons. And "because we've always done it" is not a valid reason.

 

[paindonthurt]

I see a lot of logical reasoning in this thread to expand to 24.

You just said, "12 is plenty" with zero evidence.

This seems to be the theme in college football. Just averse to change 'because reasons'.

Give those reasons. And "because we've always done it" is not a valid reason.

Name a team in the bcs or cfp rankings that was 6 or higher that had a legit shot at beating number 1 or number 2?

I’ll wait patiently.

 

[Clay Lyle]

Name a team in the bcs or cfp rankings that was 6 or higher that had a legit shot at beating number 1 or number 2?

I’ll wait patiently.

If Hooker doesn’t tear his ACL, either Tennessee or Bama is #6 this year and both can beat Michigan.

 

[Ranchdawg]

Just looked up the FCS teams and there are 130 of them and a 24-team playoff (around 18% of teams make it). That means we are right at the tipping point in FBS with approximately the same number of teams but half the playoff spots. And **** before 2024 we only have 4. Ridiculous. I think the 18-20% holds true for basketball and baseball too. Division II is about 17%.

One of these needs to happen. And the reason I even started thinking about it was the insanity of what Deion is about to do at Colorado. If the top level wants free agency, let them have it. Let's keep some semblance of sanity at the lower level.

My personal preference is we cut out the 12th game, cut out conference championship games, and go to a 24-team playoff. Let conference championships be decided by record, and who cares if more than one team win. Similar to basketball and baseball. It gets more teams involved and gives more teams hope.

I want to see a 32 team playoff with no bye. Every team plays until a winner emerges. It is unfair for lower ranked teams to risk player injury while the high dollar teams sit back and sip tea.

 

[Cantdoitsal]

What's left out of these discussions is a football team can't play 3 games in 5 days like other sports. Regular Season Games will always be more important in football than other sports. I'm a fan of 8 teams with the first round played at home sites and dropping the conference championship games.

 

[aTotal360]

The only fair thing would be 64 team double elimination round robin.

 

[Ranchdawg]

Here's how the Division 2 schools do it. The interesting thing is all the 1 seeds lost already! Div 2

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

It seems as though the G5 teams would be smart to have their won division/playoff etc. Yes, they can and do make the current playoff, but they have no real chance. If would create a lot of excitement and television revenue.