Tweeking the CFP

[Mott the Hoople]

I was reading some ideas on tweeking the CFP to make it better with out expanding it. The one I liked the best was based on a point system.

Before I explain it let’s go over what we’d want to accomplish.

Have a true national championship. Originally the CFP was intended to give conference championships heavy weight when selecting teams. It only took two years for a rogue committee to undermine that intention and send us back to National Championship by proxy.

Determine playoff teams on the field and not the committee room.

Eliminate subjective polls in the selection process.

Maintain the most meaningful regular season in team sports.

Make non-conference games meaningful to eliminate scheduling disparities.

Place more weight on division and conference championships.


The point system would be fairly simple. Each team wins a point for each victory during the regular season. For each victory against a top 5 conference team an additional point is awarded.

In addition a division champion is awarded 3 additional points and a conference champion is awarded 5 additional points.

This system would punish teams that schedule four weak mid majors as non-conference games and punishes teams that don’t play a conference championship game, as they should be, for playing one less game.

The question of a tie breaker comes up but some objective criteria can be used for that.

[leaningright]

Lol...sounds good to me. My team is usually decent but not a serious contender for the NC due to a lack of a consistent (sometimes one has to question even its existence) defense. But it does seem that one conference gets a bye when it comes to the selection process. As my boy said yesterday, if a team loses twice in the regular season they are out of the picture as far as the NC is concerned ... unless they are from the SEC. He’s already figured it out.

[Phantasmal]

Lol...sounds good to me. My team is usually decent but not a serious contender for the NC due to a lack of a consistent (sometimes one has to question even its existence) defense. But it does seem that one conference gets a bye when it comes to the selection process. As my boy said yesterday, if a team loses twice in the regular season they are out of the picture as far as the NC is concerned ... unless they are from the SEC. He’s already figured it out.

My team is not good at football, I never have to worry if they will make it into the playoffs. I need to adopt a Texas team.

[WinterBorn]

I don’t think we can eliminate all subjective criteria. Even in the major conferences, the power teams vary from year to year. And there should be some weight given to quality wins. The point system you suggest would give the same weight (for Ohio State) for a win over Rutgers as a win over Penn State or Michigan. Michigan would have gotten a point for beating Nebraska. Nebraska is 0-3. And Michigan will get a single point if they beat Ohio State.

[Irish Exit]

I don’t think we can eliminate all subjective criteria. Even in the major conferences, the power teams vary from year to year. And there should be some weight given to quality wins. The point system you suggest would give the same weight (for Ohio State) for a win over Rutgers as a win over Penn State or Michigan. Michigan would have gotten a point for beating Nebraska. Nebraska is 0-3. And Michigan will get a single point if they beat Ohio State.

It also punishes teams whose games get canceled like WVU due to hurricanes and such. I think there needs to be some other factor. Not sure which one. perhaps a formula that includes points difference (with weight in favor of smaller differences instead of blow outs) . Not sure.

[Lightbringer]

I was reading some ideas on tweeking the CFP to make it better with out expanding it. The one I liked the best was based on a point system.

Before I explain it let’s go over what we’d want to accomplish.

Have a true national championship. Originally the CFP was intended to give conference championships heavy weight when selecting teams. It only took two years for a rogue committee to undermine that intention and send us back to National Championship by proxy.

Determine playoff teams on the field and not the committee room.

Eliminate subjective polls in the selection process.

Maintain the most meaningful regular season in team sports.

Make non-conference games meaningful to eliminate scheduling disparities.

Place more weight on division and conference championships.


The point system would be fairly simple. Each team wins a point for each victory during the regular season. For each victory against a top 5 conference team an additional point is awarded.

In addition a division champion is awarded 3 additional points and a conference champion is awarded 5 additional points.

This system would punish teams that schedule four weak mid majors as non-conference games and punishes teams that don’t play a conference championship game, as they should be, for playing one less game.

The question of a tie breaker comes up but some objective criteria can be used for that.

16 team playoff bracket. Problem solved.

[Mott the Hoople]

16 team playoff bracket. Problem solved.

Only if winning your conference is an automatic bid.

[Lightbringer]

Only if winning your conference is an automatic bid.

FBS, ten conferences. 6 at-large bids.

Works for me

[Mott the Hoople]

FBS, ten conferences. 6 at-large bids.

Works for me

What worries me about 6 at large bid is what's to keep them from stacking the playoff with 7 SEC teams?

[Lightbringer]

What worries me about 6 at large bid is what's to keep them from stacking the playoff with 7 SEC teams?

Don't worry about it, you know they will

They should do it the same way they with FCS, D2 and D3 but yeah, you know Bama is in no matter what.

[WinterBorn]

Only if winning your conference is an automatic bid.

I disagree. The best thing about the CFP Committee is that they work to put the best teams in the playoffs.

In 2015 Ohio State finished the regular season 11-1. Florida finished the regular season 10-2. OSU didn't play in their conference championship and Florida did. If the Gators had beaten Alabama, they would have been in the playoffs with 2 losses. OSU would have been locked out with 1 loss.

In 2013 Stanford was the PAC12 conference champion. They finished the year with a record of 11-3.

Winning a conference does not mean you are one of the top 6 to 8 teams in the country. And THAT is was should count.

[Lightbringer]

I disagree. The best thing about the CFP Committee is that they work to put the best teams in the playoffs.

In 2015 Ohio State finished the regular season 11-1. Florida finished the regular season 10-2. OSU didn't play in their conference championship and Florida did. If the Gators had beaten Alabama, they would have been in the playoffs with 2 losses. OSU would have been locked out with 1 loss.

In 2013 Stanford was the PAC12 conference champion. They finished the year with a record of 11-3.

Winning a conference does not mean you are one of the top 6 to 8 teams in the country. And THAT is was should count.

I have to disagree with you on this. Conference champions should be in regardless. If the committee wants to play stupid little games with the at-large bids then fine but when you only have 4 teams in the "playoff" a team who couldn't even win their own division shouldn't be in.

[WinterBorn]

FBS, ten conferences. 6 at-large bids.

Works for me

First of all, I doubt they will ever go to a 16 team playoff.

And to answer Mott's comment, they will not put 7 SEC teams in. That is ridiculous.

[WinterBorn]

I have to disagree with you on this. Conference champions should be in regardless. If the committee wants to play stupid little games with the at-large bids then fine but when you only have 4 teams in the "playoff" a team who couldn't even win their own division shouldn't be in.

So Independent schools should never play in the playoffs?

So a Power 5 team with a better season than a conference champion should be excluded?

No, I disagree.

[Lightbringer]

First of all, I doubt they will ever go to a 16 team playoff.

I doubt they will too but they should.