BCS Playoff?

[bsmooth]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304898704577478672871762802.html?mod=WSJ_hps_LEFTTopStories

Is this enough to answer the questions if it becomes reality or will there need to be a bigger pool?

[Landshark]

I think there should be a bigger pool.  Eight to ten teams, not four.

[el diablo]

I think there should be a bigger pool.  Eight to ten teams, not four.

I agree with you. I believe that the 8 major conference champions with 2 "wild card" teams. The top 2 would get a 1st rd bye. With over 100 teams in the top division, that's a fair way to do it. You want a guaranteed way in, win your conference.

[Spider-Dan]

I think 8 teams is plenty.  If you can't finish in the top 8, you really have no legitimate claim to a title shot anyway; you definitely have at least one loss and if you're from a major conference, you probably have at least two losses.

[Phishfan]

I agree with you. I believe that the 8 major conference champions with 2 "wild card" teams. The top 2 would get a 1st rd bye. With over 100 teams in the top division, that's a fair way to do it. You want a guaranteed way in, win your conference.

Seriously? What are the 8 major conferences you speak of?

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I think 8 teams is plenty.  If you can't finish in the top 8, you really have no legitimate claim to a title shot anyway; you definitely have at least one loss and if you're from a major conference, you probably have at least two losses.

I agree.  But even think 4 is enough.  When was the last time more than 3 teams had a legitimate claim they should be considered the #1 team. 

We don't need to oversolve the problem. 

[Brian Fein]

You give 2 teams a bye and play 4 games, then 4 winner + 2 byes make 6 teams in the second round.  You going to give them a second round bye too?

It has to be a power of 2: meaning 2, 4, 8, or 16.  You can do 6 with 2 first round byes, or 12 with 4 byes.  I don't see how 10 works at all, unless you have 2 play-in games to get down to 8 before the playoffs start..

[suck for luck]

I want 8 teams eventually but I'm not going to whine about a first step of 4 teams. After all the years of BS the fact that this happening at all is amazing and beyond awesome.

[Phishfan]

It has to be a power of 2: meaning 2, 4, 8, or 16.  You can do 6 with 2 first round byes, or 12 with 4 byes.  I don't see how 10 works at all, unless you have 2 play-in games to get down to 8 before the playoffs start..

We always said it has to be a power of 4 (excluding the championship level) because 6, 10, etc. are powers of two.

[Brian Fein]

We always said it has to be a power of 4 (excluding the championship level) because 6, 10, etc. are powers of two.

no, they're not...

2^2 = 4
2^3 = 8
2^4 = 16

6 and 10 are divisible by 2, but not powers of 2.

but to your point, powers of 4 would also work, except you'd miss 8, 32, 128, etc

[Phishfan]

You are right. I got myself confused for a minute. I am reading power but thinking multiple.

[Landshark]

You give 2 teams a bye and play 4 games, then 4 winner + 2 byes make 6 teams in the second round.  You going to give them a second round bye too?

It has to be a power of 2: meaning 2, 4, 8, or 16.  You can do 6 with 2 first round byes, or 12 with 4 byes.  I don't see how 10 works at all, unless you have 2 play-in games to get down to 8 before the playoffs start..

Exactly.  Use the BCS formula to determine the top ten, and have two "play in" games to get down to 8.  Then go from there. 

[Spider-Dan]

I agree.  But even think 4 is enough.  When was the last time more than 3 teams had a legitimate claim they should be considered the #1 team. 

In 2009-10, Alabama, Texas, Cincinnati, Boise State, and TCU were all undefeated when the title game was set.
In 2008-09, UF (12-1) and OU (12-1) played for the title, while USC (11-1) and Utah (11-0) sat on the sidelines.
In 2004-05, USC, OU, Auburn, and Utah were all undefeated when the title game was set.
etc.

This is all completely ignoring the fact that if there are 2 undefeated teams from outside the SEC and an SEC champion with one loss, there are already screams from every corner of the republic that one loss in the SEC is really better than going undefeated in any other conference (which is why the 06-07 title game was 12-1 UF vs. 12-0 Ohio State, with 12-0 Boise State left out in the cold).  So you can imagine the upcoming righteous fury when a 4-team playoff deigns to include only ONE team from the SEC!  My heart is already aching just thinking about such a travesty.

8 teams is really the only way to overcome this kind of conference bias; it allows for 2 teams from the "superior" SEC, the conference champs from PAC-12/Big XIII/Big 10/ACC/Big East, and 1 more at large team (read: undefeated mid-majors, or Notre Dame with <3 losses).

[el diablo]

You give 2 teams a bye and play 4 games, then 4 winner + 2 byes make 6 teams in the second round.  You going to give them a second round bye too?

It has to be a power of 2: meaning 2, 4, 8, or 16.  You can do 6 with 2 first round byes, or 12 with 4 byes.  I don't see how 10 works at all, unless you have 2 play-in games to get down to 8 before the playoffs start..

You're right, I messed myself up there. I was trying to incorporate too many conference champions there. I still believe there should be at least 8 teams with an emphasis on conference champions.

[Brian Fein]

You're right, I messed myself up there. I was trying to incorporate too many conference champions there. I still believe there should be at least 8 teams with an emphasis on conference champions.

I would agree with that.  There should be no selection or opinion.  You win your conference, you make the tournament.  Period.