[I posted this back in 2016. It aged well.]
I try to post this every year around this time. I think 12 teams is the magic number... not too many, not too few.
This year is not as compelling as previous years, but this system would still give a few wildcard teams a chance to play it out.
Seeding goes like this:
(No more than 2 teams per conference seeded)
1) Top 4 ranked teams, regardless of whether they win their conference.
2) Any conference champion that finishes in the top 20 (see Houston this year)
3) Any remaining slots filled by highest ranked teams not already seeded, so long as their conference doesn't already have 2 teams in (sorry Ohio St, North Carolina, Northwestern and Oklahoma St)
So the selected teams would look something like this...
1. Clemson
2. Alabama
3. Michigan St
4. Oklahoma
5. Stanford
6. Houston
7. Iowa
8. Notre Dame
9. Florida St
10. TCU
11. Oregon
12. Ole Miss
Notably left out:
7. Ohio St - Michigan St and Iowa already in
10. North Carolina - Clemson and Florida St already in
12. Northwestern - See Ohio St above
13. Oklahoma St - Oklahoma and TCU already in
25. Western Kentucky - won conference, but couldn't break top 20
Games are filled as follows:
Round 1 (12 teams)
- Teams 1-4 have first round bye
- Teams 5-12 play elimination game at home field of higher ranked team
Round 2 (8 teams)
- Teams 1-4 get home game against round 1 winners
Round 3 (4 teams)
- Remaining teams go to bowl game affiliated with conference of higher ranked team, or rotating bowls, whatever, much like the current 4 team playoff
(Teams eliminated from Rounds 1 and 2 would be eligible for regular bowl games)
Round 4 (2 teams)
- Nat'l Champ Game, played like the current playoff final
First Round would look like this...
A: 12 Ole Miss @ 5 Stanford
B: 11 Oregon @ 6 Houston
C: 10 TCU @ 7 Iowa
D: 9 Florida St @ 8 Notre Dame
Second Round would like like this...
E: Ole Miss / Stanford @ Oklahoma
F: Oregon / Houston @ Michigan St
G: TCU / Iowa @ Alabama
H: Florida St / Notre Dame @ Clemson
Semi Final would be...
I: Winner of E vs H
J: Winner of F vs G
Final...
K: Winner of I vs J
This year, we probably end up with the same final 4. I could see Oregon or Houston putting it on Michigan St. But any of the 3 likely get rolled by Bama, so still back to same final 4. You never know though. Houston beat FSU. That's why I would love to see these extra games.
Y'all have a Happy New Year!
And here's a treat for those who got this far...
I try to post this every year around this time. I think 12 teams is the magic number... not too many, not too few.
This year is not as compelling as previous years, but this system would still give a few wildcard teams a chance to play it out.
Seeding goes like this:
(No more than 2 teams per conference seeded)
1) Top 4 ranked teams, regardless of whether they win their conference.
2) Any conference champion that finishes in the top 20 (see Houston this year)
3) Any remaining slots filled by highest ranked teams not already seeded, so long as their conference doesn't already have 2 teams in (sorry Ohio St, North Carolina, Northwestern and Oklahoma St)
So the selected teams would look something like this...
1. Clemson
2. Alabama
3. Michigan St
4. Oklahoma
5. Stanford
6. Houston
7. Iowa
8. Notre Dame
9. Florida St
10. TCU
11. Oregon
12. Ole Miss
Notably left out:
7. Ohio St - Michigan St and Iowa already in
10. North Carolina - Clemson and Florida St already in
12. Northwestern - See Ohio St above
13. Oklahoma St - Oklahoma and TCU already in
25. Western Kentucky - won conference, but couldn't break top 20
Games are filled as follows:
Round 1 (12 teams)
- Teams 1-4 have first round bye
- Teams 5-12 play elimination game at home field of higher ranked team
Round 2 (8 teams)
- Teams 1-4 get home game against round 1 winners
Round 3 (4 teams)
- Remaining teams go to bowl game affiliated with conference of higher ranked team, or rotating bowls, whatever, much like the current 4 team playoff
(Teams eliminated from Rounds 1 and 2 would be eligible for regular bowl games)
Round 4 (2 teams)
- Nat'l Champ Game, played like the current playoff final
First Round would look like this...
A: 12 Ole Miss @ 5 Stanford
B: 11 Oregon @ 6 Houston
C: 10 TCU @ 7 Iowa
D: 9 Florida St @ 8 Notre Dame
Second Round would like like this...
E: Ole Miss / Stanford @ Oklahoma
F: Oregon / Houston @ Michigan St
G: TCU / Iowa @ Alabama
H: Florida St / Notre Dame @ Clemson
Semi Final would be...
I: Winner of E vs H
J: Winner of F vs G
Final...
K: Winner of I vs J
This year, we probably end up with the same final 4. I could see Oregon or Houston putting it on Michigan St. But any of the 3 likely get rolled by Bama, so still back to same final 4. You never know though. Houston beat FSU. That's why I would love to see these extra games.
Y'all have a Happy New Year!
And here's a treat for those who got this far...
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