Let's Have a Real Playoff, Week 16
Don't Worry though; the College Football Playoff Rankings are Trash
This is the 5th week in which we’re taking a look at what my proposed 16-team NCAA playoff would look like.
If you need a refresher, take a look at the 1st version. But the short version is this: In my playoff scenario, all ten conference champions automatically make the tournament. The field is then rounded out with six at-large teams. Independent schools would be eligible to make the field as an at-large selection.
Last week I used the College Football Playoff Rankings. I did so again even though the College Football Playoff Rankings are biased trash that favors the Power 5 teams. Pat Forde said it better than I did.
Incidentally, here’s a tweet from a guy who has a decent idea.
Why not, right? I mean, this hangs in Orlando
What would the bracket currently look like under this system? This.
# 16 Buffalo (MAC) at # 1 Alabama (SEC)
# 9 Cincinnati (American) at # 8 Georgia (at-large)
# 13 USC (Pac 12) at # 4 Ohio State (Big 10)
# 12 Coastal Carolina (Sun Belt) at # 5 Texas A&M (at-large)
# 14 San Jose State (MWC) at # 3 Clemson (at-large)
# 11 Indiana (at-large) at # 6 Iowa State (Big 12)
# 10 Oklahoma (at-large) at # 7 Florida (at-large)
# 15 Marshall (CUSA) at # 2 Notre Dame (ACC)
IN: Nobody
OUT: Nobody
To show you the difference of how some of these rankings are askew if I used the AP Rankings instead both Indiana and Cincinnati would have home games instead of two Cadillac SEC programs, Florida and Georiga. That Florida got penalized one spot after that shoe-throwing incident is criminal.
Usually, some of these teams are virtually locked-in at this point. But with 2020 being 2020, a couple of random conference games are also being played championship Saturday. So despite having ostensibly nothing to play for, # 5 Texas A&M plays at Tennessee. # 11 Indiana’s game against Purdue was cancelled, so they’re as close to locked in as an at-large can be, except they are the *last* at-large and can theoretically be jumped by somebody else. Like, for example, if Northwestern were to beat Ohio State.
The current automatic qualifiers are divided on whether or not a loss hurts them or not. Whether they win or lose will determine if they make this hypothetical field.
IN DESPITE A LOSS: Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State
OUT WITH A LOSS: Coastal Carolina, USC, San Jose State, Marshall, Buffalo
WILD-CARD: Iowa State, Cincinnati
Come Sunday, it is theoretically possible that some combination of Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina, USC, San Jose State, Marshall, Buffalo can be replaced with Tulsa, Louisiana, Oregon, Boise State, UAB, or Ball State.
Whatever happens this weekend, today’s garbage CFP poll should remind everybody that a real playoff with real qualifiers are better than the “playoff” that these guys are trying to pull off.