Why isn’t the playoff set up like this:

[Utah]

All five of the P5 conference champs get in.

Rank them 1-5.

The first bowl game of the year (right before Christmas), you have the 4 vs 5 game.

Then, play the rest of the games as normal:

1 vs 4/5

2 vs 3

Easy fix.

[Tony (admin)]

Yes. The Pac-12’s schedule is so brutal that it would be a miracle for any team to go through it undefeated or even with a loss or two, knocking whoever wins the championship out of the national championship discussion.

[Utah]

Pool the money from the 4 games. Pay the expenses for each team to travel to the games. Take what’s left and divide it by 4. 65% to the winner’s conference. 35% to the losers. Problems solved.

[Anonymous]

There isn’t a problem when they exclude the PAC. The good ole boys control College Football and begrudge the hold they have on it.

[jamarcus24]

My playoff idea is similar to yours.  6-team format.  You have 4 selections from the playoff committee and 2 additional at-large selections.  Presumably most years 5 of those teams will be the P5 conference champs.

#1 and #2 get a first round bye
3 vs. 6, 4 vs. 5

The NY6 bowls each sponsor an individual game on a rotational basis like they normally do except this time they’ll all be playoff games.  Everyone gets money so everyone should be happy.

[89ute]

Play in games solve the problem but it’s a brutal road for the teams who have to go that route. If schedules evened out I’d be more for it. As it stands now the SEC has a huge advantage with 8 conference games and an FCS team 2nd to last game of the season. The SEC pays at least 1 P5 out of conference, I can’t remember if it’s mandatory or not but practically every Pac12 team plays an OCC P5 so that still leaves Pac12 playing one more P5. Same with Big10 and they are even more strict. 9 conference games, 1 mandatory P5 OOC and no FCS teams. Big12 plays 9 and the ACC kind of plays 9 because of Notre Dame. (They have 8 conf games, 5 teams play ND on top of that plus many have a cross over rival with the SEC)

So, long story short, the SEC has to schedule 9 conference games because you know they will be ranked high enough in the playoff to avoid a play in game so that puts the SEC playing two less P5 games compared to everyone else.

[Anonymous]

Wish the PAC added the no FCS school as well. Not excited about SUU at all.

[Utah]

The problem is this: as long as one P5 conference allows it, you only hurt yourself by making your schedule harder. If you eliminate FCS schools and the SEC allows it, you made the SEC a much better conference.

[89ute]

I don’t know what it’s going to take to get the SEC on board with tougher schedules. The way Stanford was treated last year it looks like the selection committee is not going to reward a tough schedule over a glossy record.

Oklahoma got in with one loss, no conference championship game, a total on 9 P5 wins including OOC win over Tennessee.

Stanford had 11 P5 wins but lost to Northwestern 1st game of the season but still played and beat ND OOC.

Each team lost one conference game.

I think the committee screwed Stanford and rewarded a glossy record over a better resume.

[rbmw263]

thats how you wind up with an 8-4 Georgia Tech in the playoff.

[Mule]

The one change I’d make is some minimum standard for a conference champion to hit to get into the playoffs, otherwise an at-large may leap frog. Maybe a top15 ranking or 3 loss max.

[Tacoma Ute]

I want at least an 8 team playoff. All 5 P5 champs plus 3 at large. Access for G5s but no guaranteed slot for them.

[Anonymous]

Too much makes the regular season meaningless. I really like the five team format.

[Tacoma Ute]

I don’t think 8 makes the regular season meaningless when there are almost 130 FBS teams. I don’t even think 16 would.

We would get to see some matchups we would never otherwise see. The teams would have more chances to prove it on the field as opposed to having things settled around a table full of “experts”.

[TheThrill]

Because of the extra week and games conflicting with school years.
Plus the argument of “if you go to 5 then why not go to 8?”
Also, where does Notre Dame fit in, or any other (chuckle) Independent, haha, team?

Some of the “not their year” BCS bowls are played the same week as “their year” BCS bowls.
You need 7 BCS caliber bowl games.
Revolving (CFP, Sugar, Rose, Fiesta, Orange, Cotton and Peach) are already in place.
I’m with you, take the conference champions and the 3 best teams after that but again, the Irish.
Lastly it would mean 15 games for two teams, that’s a lot of football.

FYI, in this scenario you had

1 Clemson vs 8 Notre Dame
4 Oklahoma vs 5 Iowa
2 Alabama vs 7 Ohio State
3 Michigan St vs 6 Stanford
(out Florida St, UNC, TCU)