Expanded College Football Playoff

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/12/11/9888492/ncaa-playoff-6-team-16-team-bracket-2015



I love seeing these different options. I used to do something like this myself in past seasons. First 3 scenarios will be posted here with the 4th scenario plus my 5th scenario in the next post.


CFB 4.png

CFB 6.png

CFB 12.png

I think the seeding is wrong the 12 team format. No. 4 Oklahoma should be directly below No. 1 Clemson.

Here is the final 16 team scenario from SB Nation:


CFB 16.png

And here is my 24 team scenario based on how the FBS does it. I think I got the seeding correct:


CFB 24.PNG

If you go to 12, I like autobids for ALL conference champions - where you let the unranked champs play each other for a Cinderella's hope at the CFP and an NY6 bowl.



Also, you preserve the regular season by only allowing TWO at large bids. These at large bids still allow highly-rated deserving non-champs a chance at the CFP field, but don't provide any sort of guarantee. The only guarantees are for conference champions - which enhances the conference championship races and makes MANY more games more meaningful for more teams.



And, you avoid forcing the top-4 to play unranked teams - basically providing a ticket straight to the NY6 bowl games.



Play-In Round

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Arkansas State (Sun Belt) at Western Kentucky (CUSA)

Bowling Green (MAC) at San Diego State (MWC)



* These games are played at campus venues. This solves potential travel and attendance challenges and provides a nice incentive to the higher seeded champs.



Play-In Finals

Saturday, December 19, 2015

PLAY-IN WINNER at #18 Houston (AAC)

PLAY-IN WINNER at #7 Ohio State (at large)



* You could elect to play these games at bowl sites (Las Vegas and Miami Beach/New Orleans?). However, campus venues would help solve potential travel and attendance challenges.



CFP QUARTERFINALS

December 31 and January 1

Orange: #1 Clemson (ACC) v. PLAY-IN WINNER (#18 Houston)

Sugar: #2 Alabama (SEC) v. PLAY-IN WINNER (#7 Ohio St.)

Rose: #3 Michigan State (B1G) v. #6 Stanford (PAC)

Fiesta: #4 Oklahoma (B12) v. #5 Iowa (at large)



* Using the current bowls is the path of least resistance. The system is already in place. Also, the top-6 teams in the country don't have to worry about early round against potential upset opponents - they get an automatic ticket to the NY6 bowl games.



Non-CFP NY6 Bowls

Peach: #8 Notre Dame v. #9 Florida St.

Cotton: #10 North Carolina v. #11 TCU



CFP FINAL FOUR

Friday, January 8 or Saturday, January 9, 2016

* Venue TBD

- Final Four held the first Friday, Saturday, or Monday that is at least 7 days after NY6



CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Saturday, January 19, 2016

Glendale, Arizona

- National Championship held the Friday, Saturday, or Monday that is at least 7 days after Final Four.



Now, let the games begin.

FBS has proven the larger bracket is doable ... and I have advocated for 16 or larger for quite a while. I like what you've put down here. Maybe, just maybe, it will come for college football.

12 at the very most. Any more is just plain unwieldy and unnecessary. Beyond 16 there really isn't a team who could go the distance let alone compete. 16 is just greedy and cheapens the whole thing. I could see even 8 but how many weeks need this go on?

Cougs_Rule wrote:
12 at the very most. Any more is just plain unwieldy and unnecessary. Beyond 16 there really isn't a team who could go the distance let alone compete. 16 is just greedy and cheapens the whole thing. I could see even 8 but how many weeks need this go on?

You would need 16 teams for all conference champions and to appease P5 by allowing two of their teams. The whole fun of playoffs is the possibility of big upsets and Cinderella teams. How many big upsets are really possible with 8 teams - between Notre Dame, Ohio State, Iowa, Mich St, Stanford, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Clemson? That's just no fun; but throw in the MAC champion, the AAC champ, etc. then things get interesting.

Schmoe wrote:

12 at the very most. Any more is just plain unwieldy and unnecessary. Beyond 16 there really isn't a team who could go the distance let alone compete. 16 is just greedy and cheapens the whole thing. I could see even 8 but how many weeks need this go on?

You would need 16 teams for all conference championships and to appease P5 by allowing two of their teams. The whole fun of playoffs is the possibility of big upsets and Cinderella teams. How many big upsets are really possible with 8 teams - between Notre Dame, Ohio State, Iowa, Mich St, Stanford, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Clemson? That's just no fun; but throw in the MAC champion, the AAC champ, etc. then things get interesting.

That's like throwing sand in a well tuned engine...



Sincerely



P5