Following last night's epic failure of the College Football Selection Committee it seems that this post had perfect timing today...
Last Saturday in college football was separation Saturday. This weekend contained the most exciting games of the year. There were multiple top 25 matchups this past weekend and many of them were quite good. It seems we only get these types of matchups every few weeks though. What if there was a way to guarantee high profile matchups every single week? What if teams could no longer schedule cupcake city in November. It seems quite unfair for Notre Dame to play Arizona State while Mississippi State gets to play Tennessee-Martin after all....
The answer lies in doing away with conferences and taking the scheduling out of individual schools hands. I know this idea is radical and it will never happen, but there will be an infinitely better regular season. SEC fans should love this because it would give that conference the chance to prove it on the field and have an all-SEC football playoff. We could guarantee that deserving teams make the playoff. There would be no need to compare an 8-0 Marshall to a 2 loss team in the SEC. No need because they would play each other every year.
Here is the idea.
52 teams
4 groups
13 teams per group
All 12 teams play each other only
After games, the top two teams play in a championship
Winner of championship goes to the playoffs
Lowest team in each group gets relegated to next 52
Those next 52 do the same team and the top 4 get to rejoin the top group.
Groups reshuffled each year based on final record
All Games on Saturdays (Thursday and Friday night games reserved for lower groups)
This way the best team in each group goes to the playoff and we settle it on the field. You get true conference championships too. What is the point of not having the 2 best teams play in a conference championship? The SEC is going to have Missouri likely playing the SEC West champ...Missouri lost to INDIANA. NOBODY wants to see Missouri play an SEC West team. They want to see two SEC West teams duke it out again. Divisions make it tougher to get those true conference championships my scenario does not. The biggest plus though is that the regular season is infinitely better.
Check out what the groups would look like below. I will separate groups based on the final coaches poll from last year. There are 41 teams that got votes in the final coaches poll so I will fill in from there.
Group A
1) Florida State
8) Alabama
9) Oregon
16) UCLA
17) Oklahoma State
24) Notre Dame
25) Nebraska
32) Ole Miss
33) Texas
40) Louisiana Lafayette
41) Navy
48) BYU
49) Rice
Group B
2) Auburn
7) Clemson
10) Stanford
15) Louisville
18) Texas A & M
23) Vanderbilt
26) Washington
31) Kansas State
34) Miami
39) Utah State
42) Georgia
47) Arizona
50) Georgia Tech
Group C
3) Michigan State
6) Oklahoma
11) Ohio State
14) LSU
19) USC
22) Duke
27) Fresno State
30) Texas Tech
35) East Carolina
38) Iowa
43) Bowling Green
46) Boise State
51) Penn State
Group D
4) South Carolina
5) Missouri
12) Central Florida
13) Baylor
20) Arizona State
21) Wisconsin
28) Northern Illinois
29) Marshall
36) Cincinnatti
37) North Texas
44) Virginia Tech
45) Mississippi State
52) Tennessee
Next Four In: TCU, Ball State, Minnesota, Colorado State
A look at the top 4 in these lower divisions how it will look and expand it from there if you want
Group E
53) TCU
60) Oregon State
61) San Diego State
68) Maryland
Group F
54) Ball State
59) West Virginia
62) Buffalo
67) Pittsburgh
Group G
55) Minnesota
58) Houston
63) Arkansas State
66) Syracuse
Group H
56) Colorado State
57) North Carolina
64) Western Kentucky
65) Michigan
Obviously, TCU as a championship contender is a big omission, but they went 4-8 last year in a very good Big 12. After the first year though, you would think this would be corrected because teams move out. You would think at least TCU would move up after a year and a team like North Texas would drop out. However, if North Texas could hang around, they would get to prove it. After 2 or 3 years, you would have a terrific field of 52.
Look at the regular season matchup differences though. Let's look at my Seminoles in particular and what their schedule would look like vs. their current schedule.
Group Schedule
Aug. 30 BYU @ FSU
Sept. 6 FSU @ Notre Dame
Sept. 20 FSU @ Ole Miss
Sept. 27 Navy @ FSU
Oct. 4 FSU @ Rice
Oct. 11 La.Lafayette @ FSU
Oct. 18 UCLA @ FSU
Nov.1 FSU @ Oregon
Nov.8 FSU @ Texas
Nov.15 Nebraska @ FSU
Nov.22 FSU @ Oklahoma State
Nov.29 Alabama @ FSU
Actual Schedule
Aug.30 FSU v. Oklahoma State (Dallas)
Sept.6 Citadel @ FSU
Sept. 20 Clemson @ FSU
Sept. 27 FSU @ NC State
Oct. 4 Wake @ FSU
Oct.11 FSU @ Syracuse
Oct.18 Notre Dame @ FSU
Oct.30 FSU @ Louisville
Nov.8 UVA @ FSU
Nov.15 FSU @ Miami
Nov.22 Boston College @ FSU
Nov.29 Florida @ FSU
In both schedules, FSU plays Oklahoma State and Notre Dame which are two very quality opponents. While they lose three rivalry games (Clemson, Miami, and Florida) by going to the group schedule, the schedule is so much better. They get challenged throughout the schedule with only a few lesser opponents. The group schedule they get to play La Lafayette and Rice which are still tougher than the Citadel and arguably tougher than some ACC teams. This group is loaded with competition and you get to see three monster clashes when Bama, FSU, and Oregon collide with each other. You would assume that La. Lafeyette would lose this group and then be replaced in the Top 52 by a team like TCU. If you still aren't convinced though, let's look at the team with the most difficult schedule this year, Auburn.
Group Schedule
Aug. 30 Texas A & M @ Auburn
Sept. 6 Auburn @ Georgia Tech
Sept. 20 Clemson @ Auburn
Sept. 27 Auburn @ Vanderbilt
Oct. 4 Auburn @ Kansas State
Oct.11 Utah State @ Auburn
Oct.25 Auburn @ Stanford
Nov.1 Arizona @ Auburn
Nov.8 Auburn @ Miami
Nov.15 Auburn @ Georgia
Nov.22 Washington @ Auburn
Nov.29 Louisville @ Auburn
Actual Schedule
Aug.30 Arkansas @ Auburn
Sept.6 San Jose State @ Auburn
Sept.18 Auburn @ Kansas State
Sept.27 Louisiana Tech @ Auburn
Oct. 4 LSU @ Auburn
Oct.11 Auburn @ Mississippi State
Oct. 25 South Carolina @ Auburn
Nov.1 Auburn @ Ole Miss
Nov. 8 Texas A & M @ Auburn
Nov.15 Auburn @ Georgia
Nov.22 Samford @ Auburn
Nov.29 Auburn @ Alabama
I realize that the Auburn-Alabama showdown would be lost and you lose some SEC rivalries by losing this schedule, but you can't argue that it isn't better from top to bottom. You keep 3 of the teams on their schedule (Georgia, Kansas State, Texas A & M) and replace the Mississippi schools and Bama with Clemson, Utah State, Stanford, Arizona, Miami, and Louisville. Instead of Samford for the 11th game, they are playing Washington. Instead of San Jose State for game 2 they are now playing Georgia Tech. All of these strong matchups in what I consider the weakest group. Not a cupcake on the schedule besides Vanderbilt who would likely fall out of the Top 52 after one year.
With these awesome groups you would have four more very strong conference championships. Let me try to project them based on how teams are doing this year...
Group A
Florida State v. Oregon (Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL)
Group B
Auburn v. Arizona (Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA)
Group C
Ohio State v. Michigan State (Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI)
Group D
Arizona State v. Mississippi State (Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX)
That could give us a Final 4 like this
Florida State v. Arizona State (Sugar Bowl)
Auburn v. Ohio State (Rose Bowl)
National Championship
FSU v. Auburn (Dallas)
The more things change the more they stay the same....
While only one of these teams might make the actual playoffs (heck it could be none) this is a way better system. Sure Auburn would have a slightly easier path than the others in this scenario, but they still would have earned their way in. FSU and Oregon could meet twice and while we would be denying that championship from happening, it would be settled on the field. This system is FAR better. I know it won't happen, but it would be AWESOME!! We can dream can't we. Heck, we thought we would never get to a playoff, so maybe we will get here...
-Noland
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