Listeners of the Mizzodcast will know that we love the new playoff system and you do too. It is 1,000 times better than the BCS. That’s not to say that there aren’t improvements that could still be made. We all agree that four teams is great, but more would be better. However, we disagree from many who want an eight team playoff system. What we advocate for when we talk to the college football powers (which is regularly as they are our good friends), we push for a six-team playoff.
Six teams makes more sense for a number of reasons, however the biggest is what made the BCS somewhat tolerable – it makes the regular season important. In an eight-team playoff, this year Wisconsin would be getting creamed by Alabama in the first game. Boring. Also, we’d be letting a three-loss team and three teams from the Big 10 in the playoff.
Six teams makes more sense for a number of reasons, however the biggest is what made the BCS somewhat tolerable – it makes the regular season important. In an eight-team playoff, this year Wisconsin would be getting creamed by Alabama in the first game. Boring. Also, we’d be letting a three-loss team and three teams from the Big 10 in the playoff.
The benefit to this system makes being ranked number 1 or 2 really important. You get a bye from the first round of games, increasing your chances of making the national championship game exponentially. We are rewarding those two teams for playing really well in the 13 games leading up to this point. Having a basic eight-team playoff offers no such reward and it really doesn’t matter where you’re ranked. Just get in and you’ve got a punchers chance (ask Ohio State from the first year. They snuck in as number four and won the whole thing). Six teams also ensure you get, at a minimum, the top two teams in the playoffs. If Ohio State was left out this year by being ranked fifth, then many would say the best (or second best) team in the country wasn’t even in the playoff. Six teams make it next to impossible to keep the top team out of the playoffs. You’re guaranteed to get the three best teams in with some argument about the other three. Further, if you are the number seven team, then shut up. It probably means you lost three games and you don’t deserve anything.
Let’s play out our new six-team playoff.
Let’s play out our new six-team playoff.
Penn State fans seem to be the only ones who don’t realize that Ohio State was deserving of making the top four, but here’s their chance to prove everyone wrong. In our playoff, they match up against Washington and Ohio State plays Michigan in what would be a really fun rematch game. (The last time they played, they went to double overtime and then I believe the refs won the game according to Jim Harbaugh)
In our rematch, the Wolverines win the game 28-24 after Harbaugh ran on the field and was not flagged with a 15-yard penalty because the refs were afraid of him. In the Penn St./Washington match, up you have a solid, untested, Big 10 team whose best wins are Ohio State and Wisconsin, vs a solid, untested, Washington team whose best wins are against Colorado and Washington State. How exciting! Personally, I think Penn State is overrated, so in this scenario we’ll give the edge to Washington.
In reality, these two “play-in games” are coin flips and I think you could easily see no change from the current four teams, but in the meantime you’ve given us two interesting games to watch before the really good bowl games get started after Christmas.
In our rematch, the Wolverines win the game 28-24 after Harbaugh ran on the field and was not flagged with a 15-yard penalty because the refs were afraid of him. In the Penn St./Washington match, up you have a solid, untested, Big 10 team whose best wins are Ohio State and Wisconsin, vs a solid, untested, Washington team whose best wins are against Colorado and Washington State. How exciting! Personally, I think Penn State is overrated, so in this scenario we’ll give the edge to Washington.
In reality, these two “play-in games” are coin flips and I think you could easily see no change from the current four teams, but in the meantime you’ve given us two interesting games to watch before the really good bowl games get started after Christmas.
In the next round, our two really well rested top seeds square off against Washington and Michigan. Here’s where the fun really begins. Alabama is going to prove that number one ranking by just destroying Washington. The end score may not show it, but this game will be one-sided. Alabama will move on to the national championship.
On the other side of the bracket, Clemson and Michigan will be a really good game. Clemson has one of the best offenses in college football, and they’ve been forced to play in tight games all season. While Michigan has struggled against teams they frankly shouldn’t have. They only beat Wisconsin, Michigan St., and Indiana by less than two scores. Michigan will be good next year, but Clemson is good right now. In the end, I believe you’ll see the matchup that is to be expected in the actually national championship this year – Alabama vs Clemson. And we’ll sum this game up quickly: Alabama is the best team in the country. Period.
On the other side of the bracket, Clemson and Michigan will be a really good game. Clemson has one of the best offenses in college football, and they’ve been forced to play in tight games all season. While Michigan has struggled against teams they frankly shouldn’t have. They only beat Wisconsin, Michigan St., and Indiana by less than two scores. Michigan will be good next year, but Clemson is good right now. In the end, I believe you’ll see the matchup that is to be expected in the actually national championship this year – Alabama vs Clemson. And we’ll sum this game up quickly: Alabama is the best team in the country. Period.
So that’s it. A six-team playoff that featured some really interesting match ups. Most importantly, you got the best teams in a playoff and kept the regular season intact. Additionally, at the end of this playoff there is no one in the country than can say "Well, our team would have won the championship if we had gotten in." If anyone does say that it, means they were ranked 7+. I don't care who you are, you weren't "screwed" if you were ranked 7th. Win a few more games next time. Actually, that brings one downside to this: no one can complain.
