As in any change there are unintended consequences to make something like this playoff idea work. Here are some:
The conference champs will have played 13 games to get into the system. (reduce regular season and it may hurt the revenues of the teams not making it--one less home game for Ohio)
The final four will have played 16 the final two play 17 games in their seasons.
The number of injuries to men on campus under 23 will sky rocket and there will be Congressional investigations that this is all for money and not about the players or their well being. The scholarship for the players playing 17 games is not worth the same as the player playing only 12. Screams from the Labor Movement of five games of unfair labor practices perhaps? Next step, paying players opening another huge set of consequences. Exodus of players by the boatload to the NFL. Why play 17 games, get your head banged and have nothing more to show for it (other than an injury) had you played 12 or 13 having gone to a meaningless bowl but still getting drafted at the same level?
Because at large teams may not have to play in the conference championship (three SEC teams in top 16) that team will have a bye week late in the season and have an advantage. Limit no more than 2 teams from each conference and you start discriminating again--also, who is better the conference loser with another loss or the prospective at large team from another conference who didn't get into the conference championship and thus has one less win/loss?
Because there are at large teams, NO big school will schedule a small school again. The money game for the Garnder-Webbs to go to Michigan or OSU, they would likely be history, significantly impacting the dollars of the small athletic program. (OSU fans would see a significantly increased strength of schedule, steamrolling a thing of the past) Additionally it may have to be legislated in fairness or in the eyes of the at large selection committee that a team play an equal amount of road games to home games and thus killing huge revenue for OSU. Playing all non-conference games at home may lose a school points in the at large bid score.
Notre Dame, Navy and Army would be almost forced to join conferences if they desire to make it into the 16 limiting their freedom of taking their games to their vast fan bases throughout the country. Iconic games like Army/Navy would have to take place in November as the playoffs would have to start in December.
Football junkies and bookies benefit with this new system but team fans get hosed. How much did it cost for the OSU students to go to NO to watch their team in January? Now multiply that expense by 5 weekend road trips to perhaps all points across the continent and the season ticket holder on marginal income can not afford to follow his team. Since you don't know if your team will make it to the next round, when do you purchase airline, car rental and hotel rooms--best rates are two weeks in advance? This is a big difference to basketball where you get two games in three days for the cost of your excursion. Football then totally becomes about the haves and the have nots. Do donors reduce their donation because they paid an additional $5 grand to go to games of the playoff run?
Speculation could be that there would really only be a top 40 super elite group of teams and that all others would step down to the next level for their own playoff system. What do potentially weak sisters like IU do? Now their fans may in a five year period get to go to a bowl game but perhaps only once in 30 years ever see IU in a playoff game? Do they stay in the Big Ten because it is so lucrative and they are a traditional basketball power or do they drop down into the lower rung of teams competing in a different playoff? Lots of changes would occur that no body can foresee.
But anything that benefits the "pro" mentality--our team is number one--got to have a playoff because every thing else has one is a loud cry. I watched Oregon play Auburn and enjoyed the game. I wouldn't have enjoyed it one bit more if they were the final two teams standing after a new system. College sports should be about the students, the fans who attend the home games and the players. Playoffs benefit the loud mouth Boston and NYC fans that have never had a team in the game but want to bet and watch a playoff schedule.
Not all change is good.
Last Edited: 5/5/2011 10:58:38 AM by MonroeClassmate