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‘Godfather’ of college football Roy Kramer weighs in on 12-team expanded playoff
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‘Godfather’ of college football Roy Kramer weighs in on 12-team expanded playoff
ATHENS — College football will become a playoff sport in earnest beginning in 2024 when the field grows from its current structure of four teams to 12 teams.
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Not that I have nearly the credentials to make a decision on the same level as Mr. Kramer, but I have to agree with him about the distinction between tournament champion and a national champion. How may times has the #1"consensus" pre-tournament NCAA basketball team won that tournament? Maybe I feel this way because UGa has emerged of late as a strong contender for the #1 spot in football.
I understand the arguments against the expanded playoffs, but I’ve never understood why division I college football should be exempted from brutal playoffs. Every sport has massive playoffs except this group of college teams…..from high school through the professional sports. My son had to play 15 weeks to win a state championship in high school. To make it to a Super Bowl a team must play 20-21 games plus preseason games. All the other college divisions have 4-5 weeks of playoffs in football. I would sincerely appreciate a good explanation if anyone has one as to why Division I football is the ONLY group from High School to Pros (in any sport) that doesn’t have extensive playoffs. Go Dawgs!!!
@BubbaBill....Thank gosh someone else GETS it!!
Amen, BubbaBill, Amen brother...it's like the kids in FBS are somehow "Special" in their own unique way...heck no, talk to all those football players in the FCS who are currently in the midst of their 24-team playoff. I'd say they are the tougher players.
We few, we happy few ... That is how the SEC feels. We believe, right or wrong, that we are by far the best conference. Now, we will find out. With a 12 team playoff, west coast teams, northern teams, all of them will be forced to play through SEC teams. Some believe the SEC will win out from now on. What I'm happy about is that we will finally know how Ohio State or USC will play vs the SEC. The Rose bowl can't stop us anymore.
As I side note, I bet there's an unintended consequence - I bet more kids stay home with their state schools. They won't have to go to Alabama just to get a shot at a playoff.
There are several reasons I hate the expanded playoff. Frankly I hadn't thought of the one Mr. Kramer mentioned, but he's 100% correct and obviously right. A 12 team playoff will totally devalue the throne.
To prove the point look at today's top 12 teams. Could anybody make a good argument that some not really very good 8-4 team couldn't possibly upset Georgia?
Obviously if you play enough games you're going to lose to somebody and that somebody might not be very good.
Case in point: A pretty darn good but not great LSU just lost to a pretty bad borderline terrible going by the entirety of their season aTm team which had a great game against LSU. Taking nothing away from their victory but had both teams been in the playoff would it have somehow negated the entire season and meant aTm's better than LSU? I hardly think so.
If we'd lost to Missouri would that have meant Missouri was a better team? We almost lost (kinda sorta) and the Tigers are nowhere near playoff contenders. Don't tell me Missouri and aTm couldn't beat a top ranked team. Under this system...
So, what's going on?
...increasing the annual value of the CFP from $600 million to more than $2 billion...In the short run that may impress somebody. I'm sure it does.
In the long run, is money the only value?
Go, Dawgs!
College football has changed dramatically in the last few years. Playoff expansion is the latest, and hopefully the last of the "major" changes for a while. I do see the possibility of expanding the number of teams. FCS used to be 16 teams and is now 24. I think most will agree that deciding a champion on the field is better than one decided by a "poll". BCS was an improvement, but still very dependent on polls. Truly deserving teams were left out when only two were picked. Moving to 4 teams helped a little in that regard, but if you look at what teams have been in the CFP, it is really been a small number of teams over the years it has existed. Because of that, the expansion was inevitable at some point. Yes, it is true that the best team in the country might not win the "tournament". That is probably less likely than it is in the NCAA basketball tournament, but not impossible. While basketball is also a team sport, football team play requires a greater number of players to "play over their heads" than does basketball for a lesser team to "upset" a better team. And over time, the "exposure" to elite teams may have an effect on the teams who lose. Maybe Michigan is better this year after playing UGA last year. Maybe Oregon "woke up" this year after the game with UGA. Every other NCAA sport has some kind of tournament to crown a "national champion".
There is the problem of the number of games that will be required of the championship game participants. More games in a single season can increase the probability of injury ( which is probably a factor in "opt outs" for bowl games ). Maybe decreasing the regular season to 11 games would be one answer. Insurance for players would be nice, but how do you figure out "potential income" in the NFL to determine how large an insurance policy should be. When do you become eligible for insurance. Would the policy premium be based on position played?
Will linking NIL to the school affect the transfer portal? What might prevent "opt outs" for the lower-seeded teams? And should the "date to decide" on early entry to the NFL be moved so that the players have more time after the CFP is finished?
Many smaller changes will still be happening, but I am optimistic that college football will still be something we fans love.
I would turn that question back on you in a way: Why must every doggone sport be the same? CFB was unique. It was unique for its emphasis on tradition, diversity of regional culture, disparate playing styles, and a bit more genuine sense of sportsmanship. Now, it is only slightly distinguishable from every other major sport on the planet. Yee-f'n-haw.
I hope you don't think the reason for the change to and now the expansion of the playoff is for your benefit. Though MG is fully on board with the mind-numbingly bad idea of the playoff expansion, I give him credit for including this statement about the true reason: "The move will triple fanbase engagement into November, with more teams remaining in “playoff” contention as the regular season winds down while also increasing the annual value of the CFP from $600 million to more than $2 billion, per a USA Today report." What should be obvious from this statement alone is that the cost of these increases is everything I mentioned above regarding what makes CFB unique - and, as a result, special.
It was never about increases your appreciation for the game or even your enjoyment of it as a fan. It was always about money and, now, that's all it will ever be about.
Last point. Did the rarity and difficulty amplify the meaning of UGA's National Championship last year? Do you think that making a championship easier to win increases or devalues that meaning?
“…increasing the annual value of the CFP from $600 million to more than $2 billion…”
This line is all you needed to include.
As for the impact, CFB has been hemorrhaging for almost two decades. It’s just now morphed into an unrecognizable monster that will devour itself at some point (soon). Sports (primarily football) were always meant to bring out the best in people. Now all they do is accentuate the worst.