UCF as National Champs

[CrimsonCoug]

I think the argument that applied to BYU way back when still applies here:

Everybody lost to somebody that lost to UCF. But nobody beat anybody that beat UCF.

And as has been pointed out, UCF beat the one team that beat the two teams playing in the "national" tournament championship game from which UCF was excluded.


I love the fact that UCF coaches and school leadership were bold enough to hold a parade and claim the crown and pay out $350k in national title bonuses to its staff. I think Utah and TCU should have done the same in their undefeated seasons, but they were too interested in toadying to the power conferences (which, in fairness, seemed to pay off with their inclusion in that clique).

[Cougarfan87]

The difference is that the AP poll ranked BYU #1. Hence a legitimate national championship. AP ranked UCF #6. So no, not legitimate. You guys are all out to lunch if you think every undefeated team gets to claim themselves national champs. I don’t buy UCF beating Auburn as reason enough since both Georgia and Alabama lost to an Auburn team with their star running back, and UCF beat a team that was obviously playing a let down game without their star running back. And placement in conference means nothing when considering the best team in the nation since the conference placement does not include the complete body of work (all wins and losses not just conference wins and losses). Bama is #1. They started the season beating #2 (who got much worse since starting an was injured in that game) and beat #1 handily in the first playoff game. UCF didn’t do anything close to that. I rooted for UCF, but lost respect for them when they pulled this stunt.

[frdbtr]

Alabama is not #1, they ended #3 in their conference. The NC is a sham just like it was under the BCS because reputation counts more than winning your conference when it comes to getting into the "tourney". Until they allow all conference champs into this tourney, they should never have someone in there that did not win their conference.

[Mars]

This is college football. There are no legitimate National Champs. Even Bama claims a title from a season where they finished #20 in the polls.

Bama won a tourny they got into arbitrarily. UCF and Wisconsin both deserved that spot more. UCF is the People's Champ, Bama is the Big Money champ.

[UCChris]

This just supports an 8 team playoff. All P5 champs get in, highest ranked G5, and two at large. Replace two of the bowl games with the playoff games and it would only take a week longer to do.

That would have made this year as follows:

Georgia
Clemson
USC
Oklahoma
Ohio
Alabama
Wisconsin
UCF

[Cougarfan87]

This just supports an 8 team playoff. All P5 champs get in, highest ranked G5, and two at large. Replace two of the bowl games with the playoff games and it would only take a week longer to do.

That would have made this year as follows:

Georgia
Clemson
USC
Oklahoma
Ohio
Alabama
Wisconsin
UCF

I agree with this solution as well. With one caveat. You probably have to get rid of conference championship games to make it happen because none of the P5 wants to add any more games to the schedule. But lets be honest. The Pac 10 did without conference championship games for years. You really don't need a conference championship game anyway, since how teams played in conference as opposed to their total body of work has no bearing on the playoff. So, instead, they should just declare the conference champion based on the record up to that point (12 games--use conference games as a tie breaker if you want), and then you begin the playoff immediately with 5 P5 champs, the highest ranked non-P5 not named notre dame, and two at larges. I don't think the P5s would put up a fuss about 1 seat of automatic inclusion. But, unless we have a UCF every year for the next several years until the current playoff system expires, I don't see automatic inclusion happening. They'll probably just say top 8 and keep the highest non-P5 outside of 8 like they did with UCF all year. Personally I would have liked to see UCF in the playoff. I don't think they have the depth to win three games in a row against top talent, but I think they could have one at least one of them.

[YNot]

If you remove conference championship games, the 8-team CFP field (with autobids for P5 champs plus top G5), would have looked liked this:

(1)Clemson(ACC)
(2)Auburn(SEC)
(3)Oklahoma(B12)
(4)Wisconsin(B1G)
(5)Alabama (wild card)
(6)Georgia (wild card)
(7)USC(PAC)
(8)UCF(G5)

#7 Miami and #8 Ohio St. (based on actual Week 14 CFP rankings) are supplanted by #10 USC and #14 UCF because of the autobids.

Note, that Auburn and Wisconsin are in the top 4 because they would not have played Georgia or Ohio St. in their respective CCGs.

So, #7 Miami, #8 Ohio St., #11 TCU and #12 Stanford do not get a shot at their conference championships -
or the CFP - because of the elimination of the CCGs - which is why this would never happen....along with the fact that the CCGs get great TV ratings and good attendance and make a ton of money.

[YNot]

I would actually love to see a CFP that supplants the current CCG system. One way to actually get P5 buy-in might be to give each P5 DIVISIONAL winner an autobid to the playoff field. And, you could still use the CCG venues for the quarterfinals - instead of CONFERENCE championship games, they become Regional championship - North, South, East, West - or something like that.

Round 1 held the first weekend in December at campus sites, with the top-4 divisions winners getting an automatic pass to the Regional championship.

Round 2 is held the following week at the CCG/Regional championship venues. Round 1 winners v. the top-4 division winners (who got a Round 1 Bye)

Then, you simply spill into the current CFP semifinals and NY6 system.

Here's what 2017 could have looked like:

EAST REGIONAL (Atlanta)
(9) Alabama (wild card) at (8)USC (PAC South) on Dec. 2
Winner plays v. (1)Clemson (ACC Atlantic) in Atlanta on Dec. 9

SOUTH REGIONAL (Arlington, TX)
(10)TCU (B12 South) at (7)Ohio St. (B1G East) on Dec. 2
Winner plays v. (2)Auburn (SEC West) in Arlington on Dec. 9

WEST REGIONAL (Santa Clara, CA)
(11)Stanford (PAC North) at (6)Miami (ACC Coastal) on Dec. 2
Winner plays v. (3)Oklahoma (B12 North) in Santa Clara on Dec. 9

NORTH REGIONAL (Indianapolis, IN)
(12)UCF (G5) at (5)Georgia (SEC East) on Dec. 2
Winner plays v. (4)Wisconsin (B1G West) in Indianapolis on Dec. 9

CFP SEMIFINALS
Regional Championship Winners meet in Rose and Sugar Bowls on January 1.

CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Semifinals Winners meet in National Championship game in Atlanta, Georgia on January 8.

When compared to the status quo, it only requires one additional game for 4 teams (those that win Round 1).

*Editorial license to pick Round 1 and 2 winners.
EAST: Alabama beats USC in Los Angeles, and then beats Clemson in Atlanta.
SOUTH: Ohio St. beats TCU in Columbus, and then beats Auburn in Arlington.
WEST: Miami beats Stanford in Miami, but Oklahoma beats Miami in Santa Clara.
NORTH: Georgia beats UCF in Athens, and then beats Wisconsin in Indianapolis.

Sugar Bowl = (3)Oklahoma (WEST) v. (9)Alabama (EAST)
Rose Bowl = (5)Georgia (NORTH) v. (7)Ohio St. (SOUTH)

CONSOLATION NY6 BOWLS
PEACH: Auburn v. Miami
FIESTA: Stanford v. UCF
COTTON: USC v. TCU
ORANGE: Clemson v. Wisconsin

[jvquarterback]

I'd be happy with letting the top non P5 team playing the top P5 team not playing in a CCG during the week of conf championships. That way Alabama and ohio can't get into the playoffs while sitting on their butts for a week.

If UCF beat Alabama that week instead of Memphis they wouldn't have been left out.

[nuk13]

UCF is the People's Champ, Bama is the Big Money champ.
[/quote]

I agree with this. USA Today reports that Saban will receive a $4 million signing bonus which brings his total to $11.125 million this year! I don't know what the UCF coach makes but it can't be close to that. The gap between college football and pro football is narrowing.