Last week, I posted my idea for better college football games overall. The key theme was eliminating meaningless matchups such as FSU-Citadel (a game where FSU lost their top two DTs to questionable blocking techniques). There is no need for these games where a team plays a far inferior opponent they are going to crush. One Appalachian State upset over Michigan or Georgia Southern over Florida do not change that these games are usually meaningless. The matchups solve nothing as far as determining the best teams and leave more questions than answers often. Therefore I came up with a solution, one that can be found here.
It seems that people's biggest critique of that scenario is the loss of some rivalry games. While that does not bother me in determining a true champion I realize that it would upset many people. So here is another alternative that solves the issue. The big solve to both issues is the true super-conference.
4 conferences
20 teams
2 divisions in each conference
9 intra-division matchups
1 rotating opponent from the other division
1 cross-division rivalry game
1 out of conference rivalry game
These rivals will be posted in parentheses next to the teams below
Some teams without a true cross division rival, I will have to make up a rivalry. For instance Syracuse will be Duke's rival for the basketball aspect of a Syracuse-Duke matchup.
Atlantic Coast Conference
North Division
Boston College (Miami, Stanford)
Cincinnati (Central Florida, Ohio State)
Louisville (North Carolina, Kentucky)
Marshall (Wake Forest, Utah State)
Navy (Georgia Tech, Army)
Notre Dame (Florida State, Southern Cal)
Pittsburgh (North Carolina State, Penn State)
Syracuse (Duke, Connecticut)
Virginia Tech (Virginia, Tennessee)
West Virginia (Clemson, Oklahoma State)
South Division
Central Florida (Cincinnati, Rutgers)
Clemson (West Virginia, South Carolina)
Duke (Syracuse, Michigan State)
Georgia Tech (Navy, Georgia)
Florida State (Notre Dame, Florida)
Miami (Boston College, Michigan)
North Carolina (Louisville, East Carolina)
North Carolina State (West Virginia, Memphis)
Virginia (Virginia Tech, Maryland)
Wake Forest (Marshall, Vanderbilt)
This ACC would be much stronger top to bottom as it officially adds Notre Dame for football along with UCF, Marshall, Navy, West Virginia, and Cincinnati. It is a realistic scenario as well. Virginia is in the south division as opposed to the north in order to keep the traditional ACC all on one side. Geographically though it is north of Virginia Tech. You protect more rivalries flipping the two. The VT-WVU and WVU-Pitt rivalries are restored under this scenario.
BIG
Eastern Division
Army (Air Force , Navy)
Connecticut (Northern Illinois , Syracuse)
Indiana (Illinois, Missouri)
Maryland (Wisconsin, Virginia)
Michigan (Minnesota, Miami)
Michigan State (Nebraska, Duke)
Ohio State (BYU, Cincinnati)
Penn State (Northwestern, Pittsburgh)
Purdue (Iowa, California)
Rutgers (Iowa State, Central Florida)
Western Division
Air Force (Army, Colorado State)
BYU (Ohio State, Utah)
Illinois (Indiana, Oregon State)
Iowa (Purdue, UCLA)
Iowa State (Rutgers, Kansas State)
Minnesota (Michigan, Mississippi)
Nebraska (Michigan State, Oklahoma)
Northern Illinois (Connecticut, Washington State)
Northwestern (Penn State, Washington)
Wisconsin (Maryland, Arkansas)
Upon the announcement of only 4 super conferences, I believe the 1st domino to fall would be Iowa State to the BIG 10 which would lead the other conferences to scramble for the remaining Big 12 teams. This conference would be the weakest of the 4, but with some solid teams such as Northern Illinois, Air Force, and BYU it should have more exciting games at least.
Pacific Athletic Conference
North Division
Boise State (Oklahoma State, Mississippi State)
California (Stanford, Purdue)
Colorado (Oklahoma, Kansas)
Colorado State (Baylor, Air Force)
Oregon (Arizona, LSU)
Oregon State (UCLA, Illinois)
Utah (TCU, BYU)
Utah State (Texas, Marshall)
Washington (Southern Cal, Northwestern
Washington State (Arizona State, Northern Illinois)
South Division
Arizona (Oregon, Auburn)
Arizona State (Washington State, Alabama)
Baylor (Colorado State, Texas Tech)
Oklahoma (Colorado, Nebraska)
Oklahoma State (Boise State, West Virginia)
Southern Cal (Washington, Notre Dame)
Stanford (California, Boston College)
Texas (Utah State, Texas A & M)
TCU (Utah, Southern Methodist)
UCLA (Oregon State, Iowa)
Look at that PAC south division...That division is loaded from top to bottom. This conference would easily be the toughest IMO. The teams might need to be spread out a bit more, but what great games this conference would produce.
South Eastern Conference
Eastern Division
Alabama (LSU, Arizona State)
Auburn (Mississippi, Arizona)
East Carolina (Kansas State, North Carolina)
Florida (Texas A & M, Florida State)
Georgia (Kansas, Georgia Tech)
Kentucky (Mississippi State, Louisville)
Memphis (Texas Tech, North Carolina State)
South Carolina (Missouri, Clemson)
Tennessee (Arkansas, Virginia Tech)
Vanderbilt (Southern Methodist, Wake Forest)
Western Division
Arkansas (Tennessee,Wisconsin)
Kansas (Georgia, Colorado)
Kansas State (East Carolina, Iowa State)
LSU (Alabama, Oregon)
Mississippi (Auburn, Minnesota)
Mississippi State (Kentucky, Boise State)
Missouri (South Carolina, Indiana)
Southern Methodist (Vanderbilt, TCU)
Texas A & M (Florida, Texas)
Texas Tech (Memphis, Baylor)
The SEC would be the biggest resistance to this model or any change IMO. This is because the SEC has the perfect setup and rhetoric for success at this point. It will take a few years of other teams controlling the title picture before they would want to join along, but it could happen. Especially if they got to pick the teams and if Florida could still block Florida State. Kansas, Kansas State, and Texas Tech would be welcome additions for the conference. I think the Gators continue to block other Florida teams from joining the conference and South Florida gets left out of this picture. Auburn and Alabama should move to the East for competition and for geography purposes with the emergence of the Mississippi schools and the arrival of the old Big 12 teams.
As you can see by all the above rivalries some old historic rivalries are restored such as Texas A & M and Texas, but some are a stretch like Alabama and Arizona State. However, if you played these matchups every year they would feel more and more like rivalry games. Although Marshall and Utah State is quite a stretch as a rivalry game. The result is clear though as the true rivalries are protected for the most part and the games get better!
Look at FSU's schedule in the Super Conference Schedule vs. the actual schedule in Parentheses.
8/30 Central Florida @ FSU (Ok State in Dallas)
9/6 FSU @ UNC (Citadel)
9/20 Clemson @ FSU (Same)
9/27 FSU @ NC State (Same)
10/4 Wake @ FSU (Same)
10/11 FSU @ Duke (@ Syracuse)
10/18 Notre Dame @ FSU (Same)
11/1 FSU @ Georgia Tech (10/30 @ Louisville)
11/8 UVA @ FSU (Same)
11/15 FSU @ Miami (Same)
11/22 FSU @ BC (BC)
11/29 Florida @ FSU (Same)
So Ok State, Citadel, Syracuse, and Louisville are replaced with Central Florida, UNC, Duke, and Georgia Tech. That's a solid upgrade in at least the two middle matchups with a possible upgrade in the other two and that's with a solid out of conference schedule.
Now look at a previously soft schedule for Marshall vs. what they currently face. They would also matchup with FSU in the ACC Championship if they could run it.
8/30 Marshall @ Boston College (@ Miami Ohio)
9/6 Cincinnati @ Marshall (Rhode Island)
9/13 Louisville @ Marshall (Ohio)
9/20 Marshall @ Wake Forest (@ Akron)
10/4 Marshall @ Notre Dame (@ Old Dominion)
10/11 Navy @ Marshall (Middle Tennessee)
10/18 Marshall @ West Virginia (@ Florida International)
10/25 Pittsburgh @ Marshall (Florida Atlantic)
11/8 Marshall @ Virginia Tech (@ Southern Miss)
11/15 Syracuse @ Marshall (Rice)
11/22 Marshall @ Duke (@ UAB)
11/29 Utah State @ Marshall (11/28 Western Kentucky)
You cannot argue that this schedule would not test Marshall in far better ways. We could really find out how this team stacks up as there is an improvement in every single opponent. Marshall would also get to square off against in state West Virginia in this scenario.
There is one issue with the super-conference that was solved by my previous option. It would be much harder to send teams down to the lower division or up because of the changing rivalry matchups in this scenario. For instance if Texas got sent down (which would be unfair because of their loaded division) they might be replaced with Fresno State. Does a Fresno State rivalry game with Texas A & M have the same meaning? I am ok without the relegation of teams to protect some rivalries, but it is a neat little twist that adds something for the other matchups. It is possible under this scenario, it would just mess up some rivalries. Under this scenario I think it is better to keep these 80 teams.
This is not perfect, but it's close to it and protects the rivalries. I will post a scenario next week that eliminates the ACC instead of the Big 12 so that you can pick your preference of the three options. Each of the options though is better than the college football playoff and the SEC will agree if their nightmare comes true. Expanding the playoffs leaves more issues than this scenario IMO.
-Noland
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