The Rest of College Football

[hack]

..... and this is the primary calculus by which those making the decisions about a CFB post season will use. The present Bowls, the fat cats making a lot of money off of them and the cities hosting them stand to lose millions if there is a sensible play-off involving the stadia of host teams.

I might not like it but it trumps every other sensible method to conduct a meaningful CFB play-off. It is the primary reason the BCS never changed in its decade of uselessness and it will be the primary reason whatever play-off emerges in the post BCS era will make little sense to true sports fans looking for a meaningful way to determine the best CFB team in the nation.

You might as well sit back, grab a bag of popcorn and watch the show.

No question about it -- that's how it's gonna happen. Right or wrong, and for reasons valid or trumped up, games will not be played where weather is a factor. My point here is to simply note that the justifications being parroted are often utter bullshit.

[*JD*]

If you do a playoff at home fields, the bowl system will officially become a tier 2/NIT type system, and what remains of it will probably die off.

I think we've long since crossed that mark. Who watches most of those games anyway?

[THE_WIZARD_]

All the bowls except the NC game are NIT games now.

[whodean]

I think we've long since crossed that mark. Who watches most of those games anyway?

I watched the Sugar Bowl this year.

[hodgkal]

Stan asked when was the last time OSU played a home game in the snow. Watch.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP1ZfZMbarI

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=www.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dtp1zfzmbari%20&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCEQtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DtP1ZfZMbarI&ei=xV-bT8CEFZG08ATltqilDw&usg=AFQjCNGZ8PvYmQMnsqNZL8illnsIAdYUGw&cad=rja

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP1ZfZMbarI&feature=channel&list=UL"]1950: Michigan 9 Ohio State 3 (The Snow Bowl) - YouTube[/ame]

[Hannibal]

I think we've long since crossed that mark. Who watches most of those games anyway?

I'll bet that lots of people watched the Rose Bowl and Fiesta this year.

The Citrus, Outback, Holiday, and Alamo almost certainly do better than they otherwise would.

I'm not one who thinks that the current post season is 100% a waste of time for everyone but two teams.

[*JD*]

No, those games are still nice if your team is in it but the match-ups haven't been all that great and I don't think they'd (They being Rose, Fiesta, Sugar and Orange bowls) get diminished much at all were there a tourney.

[Mike]

No, those games are still nice if your team is in it but the match-ups haven't been all that great and I don't think they'd (They being Rose, Fiesta, Sugar and Orange bowls) get diminished much at all were there a tourney.

Agreed 100%. An argument can be made that only one game "matters" now - the BCS championship game. But people still watch the major bowls especially if there are good matchups. The biggest problem with NYD bowls is that there's five games on at one time. I'm sure interest in those games is down but if the Ticket City and Outback Bowls experience a slight decline, it isn't exactly the end of the world. Other than the Alamo and Holiday, everything prior to NYD is complete garbage anyway and are only on TV because they are technically college football and we are like crack addicts for college football.

There already exists a major distinction between BCS bowls and the rest. A 4-team tourney is just a natural progression of the BCS and shouldn't have much adverse impact on the non-BCS bowls. IMO that bridge has already been crossed.

[whodean]

Actually, the NYD games have been OK (down a little), but attendance and TV numbers for the post-Jan. 1 BCS bowls were significantly down last year (including our Sugar down double digits)

[Mike]

That's probably due to uninteresting matchups for much of the country. If those games were part of a win and advance, lose and go home type playoff, the interest would increase dramatically, IMO.

[WM Wolverine]

Games on weekdays aren't good for ratings or attendance.

[Mike]

Plus, the connection to the holidays is lost. The Sugar and Fiesta Bowls just happen on a random Tuesday or Wednesday night (or whatever they case may be). All the more reason to add a compellingn playoff element to the mix.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Slipping the big money bowls - the traditionals - after January 2nd (or the first Monday after new years Day), seems counterproductive.

People have a hard enough time getting off work to make a bowl during the traditional Holiday season (21 December through 1 January). Bowl sponsors and the broadcasters would be wise to consider this in deciding how they want to schedule the post season and NCG. I'd love to see the play-offs completed before January 1st and the NCG on the first weekend following New Years Day. CFB is and should be over after that.

[WM Wolverine]

There are 4 major bowls and only 3 time slots on NYD for the major bowls as to not overlap. Hope much of this reform of the the BCS, 4-team playoff, bowls (7 min wins!), etc. involves all the minor bowls being before the 1st of January...

-

Its pretty much been decided there will be a 4-team playoff of some sort, I think the issues now are:

1. Splitting the money up: does every major conference + ND get the same share or do you only get your share for making the playoff? How much of a slice does the Big East, MAC, MWC, CUSA, etc. receive?

2. Deciding what teams get into the playoff: 3 CC and highest ranked or just a straight top 4?

3. Who is hosting the playoff games: are they using current major bowls or are they bid off to non traditional bowl sites?

[Jeff Buchanan]

That's a good take, WM.

There's going to be a generous bowl payoff distribution scheme among conferences. This is the one area where the Commisioners, at the direction of the Presidents, can show thier benifecence and egalitarianism. An unlikely alternative ....... a two tier bowl system.

I think Delaney will prevail here: Got to be a CC to get to the play-off. The tradeoff? The Rose gives up its tie in with the B1G, rotates with the rest of the bowls in the playoff format.

I'd like to see a bidding process for the playoffs and the NCG but I don't think there is any chance that comes to pass. As much as I dislike the fat bubba's in the orange jackets enriching themselves during bowl season, I dislike people like Jerry Jones getting richer than he already is on the coat tails of CFB more.