2018 College Football Playoffs

[GGGG]

If you're not in a P5 conference, why go to all the expense of having a D1 football team?

Because it's a cost effective way of marketing the institution.

[MerrittsMustache]

UCF has declared themselves Undefeated National Champions. They'd never get an actual shot at winning it so, hey, why not?

[GB Warrior]

BANNER WATCH
http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/21951014/ucf-knights-raise-national-championship-banner

[JWags85]

Because it's a cost effective way of marketing the institution.

Yep, and history and pride.  Also, revenue generation.  Same way the little minnows in college basketball take buy games, non-Power 5 schools do the same.

[wadesworld]

I love everything they're doing.  Banner, parade, coaching bonuses, Twitter handle changes.  I'm not a college football fan.  But UCF made a fan out of me.

If USC can win a national title without playing in a national championship, why can't UCF?

[GGGG]

They even paid their departing coaching staff their "national championship" bonuses that were in their contracts. 

[muwarrior69]

Yep, and history and pride.  Also, revenue generation.  Same way the little minnows in college basketball take buy games, non-Power 5 schools do the same.

Those "little minnows" have at least a shot at winning the NC; in football no chance.

[Pakuni]

Following the lead of UCF, I'm declaring myself the 2017 Scoop Champion.
Hope you all can be there for the parade and banner ceremony.

[forgetful]

UCF has declared themselves Undefeated National Champions. They'd never get an actual shot at winning it so, hey, why not?

They are substantially more deserving than Alabama, who placed third in their own conference.  College football postseasons are a joke, the national championship, a joke.  UCF is as deserving as any of them. 

Unless they substantially increase the number of teams in the playoffs (to around 16), the championship is arbitrary. 

[Mr. Nielsen]

I love everything they're doing.  Banner, parade, coaching bonuses, Twitter handle changes.  I'm not a college football fan.  But UCF made a fan out of me.

If USC can win a national title without playing in a national championship, why can't UCF?

USC was number #1 in the AP poll, that didn't have to vote for the BCS winner in 2003.

[Mr. Nielsen]

They are substantially more deserving than Alabama, who placed third in their own conference.  College football postseasons are a joke, the national championship, a joke.  UCF is as deserving as any of them. 

Unless they substantially increase the number of teams in the playoffs (to around 16), the championship is arbitrary.

UCF playing cupcakes in the American in the group of 5, is the same as the SEC and players in that league. Got it!

[Pakuni]

They are substantially more deserving than Alabama, who placed third in their own conference.  College football postseasons are a joke, the national championship, a joke.  UCF is as deserving as any of them. 

Unless they substantially increase the number of teams in the playoffs (to around 16), the championship is arbitrary.

"Substantially" more deserving?
Based on what, exactly?
If they were to play head to head next week, do you think the "substantially more deserving" team would be favored?

[Mr. Nielsen]

If Auburn was a -12.5 point favorite for a game they did not care about after losing the SEC Title Game and failing to make the playoffs. Alabama would be an -19 point favorite. Looks what happens when Alabama cares.

[GGGG]

If Auburn was a -12.5 point favorite for a game they did not care about after losing the SEC Title Game and failing to make the playoffs. Alabama would be an -19 point favorite. Looks what happens when Alabama cares.

And it happens with regularity.  The Group of 5 representative beats the Power 5 in a bowl because they are more fired up for it while the P5 team is disappointed.

That doesn't mean they are a top 4 team.

[JWags85]

Those "little minnows" have at least a shot at winning the NC; in football no chance.

But do they really?  A school like Grambling or Presbyterian that is taking a couple hundred grand to get stomped by Marquette or other power conference schools in Oct/Nov have arguably less of a chance. 

If they make it 8 teams, like I feel will eventually happen, you just need to have a special year where you win your big non conference game, beat up your non-P5 conference foes, and then win 3 games.  Compared to running the table in a conference tournament and then 6 straight upsets in the NCAA.

Both are highly unlikely, but I don't think basketball gives them a better chance, its just a cheaper sport to field.

[Spotcheck Billy]

If you're not in a P5 conference, why go to all the expense of having a D1 football team?

probably because the P5 need non-conference teams to play in the fall so they have to keep them around thinking there is a chance

[cheebs09]

But do they really?  A school like Grambling or Presbyterian that is taking a couple hundred grand to get stomped by Marquette or other power conference schools in Oct/Nov have arguably less of a chance. 

If they make it 8 teams, like I feel will eventually happen, you just need to have a special year where you win your big non conference game, beat up your non-P5 conference foes, and then win 3 games.  Compared to running the table in a conference tournament and then 6 straight upsets in the NCAA.

Both are highly unlikely, but I don't think basketball gives them a better chance, its just a cheaper sport to field.

Realistic shot? No. But they can win their conference tournament and make the tournament to play for the title. In football, a team can win every game they play and not have a shot at the title.

[MUBurrow]

If the playoff expands to 8, I wonder what the revenue of the quarterfinal weekend would be in comparison to the P5 championship games. You're losing a game (5 conf championships vs 4 quarterfinal games) - but would another CFP weekend make more $$ in sponsorship, gate and tv rights to make up for the loss of that fifth game? How well did the P12 championship really do when played on a Friday night between two teams who couldn't make the CFP?

If you can squeeze more revenue out of a CFP quarterfinal weekend than you get in the aggregate from P5 championships, split most of the that among the P5 conferences with some scraps for the group of five representative's conference, replacing conference championship weekend with a CFP quarterfinal weekend seems the likely outcome.

[Pakuni]

If the playoff expands to 8, I wonder what the revenue of the quarterfinal weekend would be in comparison to the P5 championship games. You're losing a game (5 conf championships vs 4 quarterfinal games) - but would another CFP weekend make more $$ in sponsorship, gate and tv rights to make up for the loss of that fifth game? How well did the P12 championship really do when played on a Friday night between two teams who couldn't make the CFP?

If you can squeeze more revenue out of a CFP quarterfinal weekend than you get in the aggregate from P5 championships, split most of the that among the P5 conferences with some scraps for the group of five representative's conference, replacing conference championship weekend with a CFP quarterfinal weekend seems the likely outcome.

To succeed, especially at the gate, those quarterfinal games should be home games for the higher-seeded teams. Other than the hardest of the hardcore, most fans aren't going to spend three consecutive weekends on the road to back their team.

[GGGG]

The championship games are all about television revenue.  And at last look they are all tied up contractually well into the next decade.  I think 8 will happen, but I think its going to be a few years.  The bowls are still quite a viable television product too - ESPN owns a bunch of them outright.

Sorting all that out is going to take time, and with declining eyeballs watching sports, it's hard to say what that's going to look like.

[forgetful]

"Substantially" more deserving?
Based on what, exactly?
If they were to play head to head next week, do you think the "substantially more deserving" team would be favored?

Substantially was a dumb word choice. 

And no, I don't think they would be favored.  But I would bet on them. 

Alabama played a relatively weak schedule this year.  Their top two wins were LSU (who were way down and lost to Troy) and Mississippi State (also not particularly good). 

UCF beat Memphis (twice) and USF.  Those three wins are better than Alabama's best three wins. 

UCF then beat Auburn (who beat Bama) and Bama beat Clemson.  Auburn is the better team between Clemson and Auburn.  Auburn should have been in the playoffs before Bama.

Alabama has no business being in the playoffs; UCF is as or more deserving. 

[wadesworld]

Substantially was a dumb word choice. 

And no, I don't think they would be favored.  But I would bet on them. 

Alabama played a relatively weak schedule this year.  Their top two wins were LSU (who were way down and lost to Troy) and Mississippi State (also not particularly good). 

UCF beat Memphis (twice) and USF.  Those three wins are better than Alabama's best three wins. 

UCF then beat Auburn (who beat Bama) and Bama beat Clemson.  Auburn is the better team between Clemson and Auburn.  Auburn should have been in the playoffs before Bama.

Alabama has no business being in the playoffs; UCF is as or more deserving.

So ignore Clemson’s win on the actual football field against Auburn...just because? Or...? When Auburn was actually still playing for something, no less.

[forgetful]

So ignore Clemson’s win on the actual football field against Auburn...just because? Or...? When Auburn was actually still playing for something, no less.

I forgot that Clemson beat Auburn early in the year.  But that doesn't change that Bama lost to Auburn in a win or die type game.  Bama still shouldn't have been in playoffs, Auburn or UCF should have.

I'll call the Clemson/Auburn wins for Bama/UCF a push. 

[WarriorDad]

I forgot that Clemson beat Auburn early in the year.  But that doesn't change that Bama lost to Auburn in a win or die type game.  Bama still shouldn't have been in playoffs, Auburn or UCF should have.

I'll call the Clemson/Auburn wins for Bama/UCF a push.

Why should Bama not have been in the playoff?  Bama lost to Auburn at Auburn.  Clemson played Auburn at Clemson, where Clemson was undefeated.  Auburn was undefeated at home this year.  Would UCF have survived an entire season in the SEC?  Highly unlikely. Their victory over Auburn on a neutral site. 

Clemson lost to Syracuse, that loss was much worse than Bama's loss on the road to arch-rival Auburn.  Georgia lost to Auburn by 23, @ Auburn.  It matters where games are played in my opinion.

[forgetful]

Why should Bama not have been in the playoff?  Bama lost to Auburn at Auburn.  Clemson played Auburn at Clemson, where Clemson was undefeated.  Auburn was undefeated at home this year.  Would UCF have survived an entire season in the SEC?  Highly unlikely. Their victory over Auburn on a neutral site. 

Clemson lost to Syracuse, that loss was much worse than Bama's loss on the road to arch-rival Auburn.  Georgia lost to Auburn by 23, @ Auburn.  It matters where games are played in my opinion.

Who did Bama beat before the playoffs that was better than who UCF beat?  Memphis and USF are as good as anyone that Bama beat. 

The point is that the college playoffs are dumb.  UCF is as deserving of calling themselves champions as anyone else.