AP: Jim Harbaugh in favor of a 16 team playoff

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per the AP:

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh would like to see the College Football Playoff expanded to 16 teams.

"I would just analyze it in terms of every other sport whether its gymnastics, basketball, pro football, FCS football ... pick a sport and they have a playoff to get to a champion," Harbaugh said. "None of them start with the last four. You have a great model with the NFL with their 12 teams and a great model in the FCS with their 16 teams and they just (increased) it to 24."

Harbaugh was in Florida on Thursday for the Outback Bowl contract signing. Michigan will play South Carolina in the game on New Year's Day.

The current playoff format has four teams, with Clemson, Georgia, Oklahoma and Alabama making up the field this year. While the Southeastern Conference has two teams in the playoff for the first time, the Big Ten and Pac-12 were shut out.

It was the second consecutive year the Big Ten champion was shut out of the playoffs. Last year, Ohio State was chosen over Penn State despite losing to the Nittany Lions during the regular season.

This year, Ohio State finished 11-2 and won the conference, but was edged out by Alabama. The Crimson Tide finished 11-1 and did not play in the SEC championship game.

Harbaugh said a 16-team playoff would make the most sense.

"Eight teams would be better than four and 12 would be better than eight," Harbaugh said. "I think 16 is kind of the sweet spot."

https://collegefootball.ap.org/article/harbaugh-favor-16-team-college-football-playoffs

Go Gophers!!
 


While I would love to watch this play out, it would really put a damper on the regular season
 


I can see the argument for 8 (although I don't necessarily agree with it), but I can't see any argument for going beyond that number. Might was well go to 64 like they do in hoops given Harbaugh's logic.
 


How would that even work? No non conference games? I can’t imagine making the season 2 games longer.


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Always ask for more than you really want and everyone wins.
 

The point of the current format is so really good teams wouldnt get screwed. Now, if you dont make it, you only have 1 person to blame, and thats yourself.

The only reason I might give for a 8 or 16 team playoff is so non power conference schools have a chance.
 

The only reason the coaches are in favor of this is because it gives them more wiggle room to say they had a successful season and protect their jobs. If you are at an OSU or Michigan, success is making the playoffs. More spots the better for them.
 



50PoundHead said:
I can see the argument for 8 (although I don't necessarily agree with it), but I can't see any argument for going beyond that number. Might was well go to 64 like they do in hoops given Harbaugh's logic.
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I'm with you thinking they expand to eight at some point in the near future. Further diminishes the conference tie-in history with the New Year's Six, which will suck if they do expand. It gets logistically pretty challenging going any higher.
 

And I don't. Who gives a rats a$% what Harbaugh wants.
 

I'm sure the playoffs will get expanded at some point (too much $$$ to ignore), but I'm perfectly happy with the 4-team set-up we have now.

On a logistics level, a 16-team playoff would bring the total # of games for the two championship teams up to 17 if conference title games remain. I think that is a big ask when most teams will only play 13 total games if they make it to a bowl game.
 

BadassMotherFlecker said:
How would that even work? No non conference games? I can’t imagine making the season 2 games longer.


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You eliminate conference championship games (since both are likely in the playoffs) and you don't skip these weeks.
 



8 Teams is only one more weekend, one more game. They are practicing for their bowl game anyway. The month of December has no games until after Christmas, essentially. Seems pretty easy to play the round of 8 around the middle of the month. Tell me one of the top 4 teams would win each year? I don't think so. It'd be good I think. 16 is two more games...somehow seems too much lol I'd like 8 and I want the Gophers to annually claim a spot.
 

Sparlimb said:
You eliminate conference championship games (since both are likely in the playoffs) and you don't skip these weeks.
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Good luck getting the conferences to agree to that...
 

8 teams seem perfect, especially when you consider that two Power 5 conference champions have been left out this year. 8 teams composed of the champions from ACC, B1G, Big 12, PAC-12 and SEC, plus 3 at large teams seems sensible.


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It makes for interesting politicking. Lesser conferences would want a taste of the actions and extra cash generated. P5 coaches want to pad their accomplishments and avoid getting fired too soon.
 

WAGopher said:
8 teams seem perfect, especially when you consider that two Power 5 conference champions have been left out this year. 8 teams composed of the champions from ACC, B1G, Big 12, PAC-12 and SEC, plus 3 at large teams seems sensible.
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More teams seems like a good idea this year. But most years it is going to mean that #1-3 are playing a quarterfinal game on the same field as a team that clearly accomplished far less.

Imagine a two or three loss SEC team getting to play against its conference champion in the CFP AFTER failing to win the right to play them in their CCG. That’s essentially what an expansion to 8 would involve: More than one P5 team that didn’t win their division getting in over the team that did. wi
 

This makes the regular season a semi-nothingburger. The playoff is the thing. Horrible idea.
 

12 Team Playoff: Here’s my Bracket in 2017

Conf Champ/Rank

ACC Clemson 1

B12 OK 2

SEC Georgia 3

B10 Ohio St 5

P12 USC 8

AAC UCF 10

MW Boise 25

MAC Toledo 28

CUSA FAU 31

SB Troy 35

AT Large/Rank: Take Top 5

Alabama 4

Wisconsin 6

Auburn 7

Penn St 9

Miami 11

Washington 12 (out)

TCU 13 (out)

ND 14 (Out)

Play-In Round 3Games: (No Shares) Loser not in Playoff, could goto Bowl Game. Winner in Playoff Bracket and earns 1 Share.

For 10 seed Troy 35 vs UCF 10

For 11 seed: FAU 31 vs Miami 11

For 12 seed: Toledo 28 vs Boise 25

Play-In: At home of Higher Ranked Team

1st Round Playoff / 2nd Round Matchup

Penn St 9 vs USC 8 / Clemson 1

12 Seed Above vs Ohio St 5 / Alabama 4

11 Seed Above vs Wisconsin 6 / Georgia 3

10 Seed Above vs Auburn 7 / Oklahoma 2

1st Round Games - Home of Higher Ranked Team

2nd Round Games - Bowl Sites

3rd Round - Final 4 Site

Championship Site

Financial Shares: awarded to Conferences

Spots 1-12: 1 Share each (12 Shares)

1 Share awarded for each win (11 Shares)

Total Playoff Shares = 23

Benefits:

Each FBS conference has an Avenue to the Champioship via Play-In Games. Bottom 6 Teams Of 15 Play-In.

128 teams competing for a national championship, not 4.

This Playoff would generate huge mo

Top 4 Ranked Teams only need to win 3 games to be Champion. Get Bye to 2nd Round.

Revenue can be earned by Smaller Conferences. Distributes outside P5. At least 2 G5 Conferences will earn $ shares each year. Creates competition.

Uses same Committee Ranking system in place today.

Fyi: I would eliminate Conf Championship Games, just play 12 game schedule to select Champs.
 

Goldmember said:
More teams seems like a good idea this year. But most years it is going to mean that #1-3 are playing a quarterfinal game on the same field as a team that clearly accomplished far less.

Imagine a two or three loss SEC team getting to play against its conference champion in the CFP AFTER failing to win the right to play them in their CCG. That’s essentially what an expansion to 8 would involve: More than one P5 team that didn’t win their division getting in over the team that did. wi
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Interesting point. However, I'm sure that can be taken care of by seeding. If there are only 3 at large teams, it is very easy seed them so there isn't an inter-conference matchup. Even if all 3 at large teams came from the same conference, they could all be seeded to avoid your scenario.
 

Herd said:
12 Team Playoff: ...
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If there are 12 teams, you might as well go to 16 because it will take the same number of weekends to play all games, with the benefit of including 4 more teams. That's why a 6 team playoff might as well go to 8 teams.
 

WAGopher said:
Interesting point. However, I'm sure that can be taken care of by seeding. If there are only 3 at large teams, it is very easy seed them so there isn't an inter-conference matchup. Even if all 3 at large teams came from the same conference, they could all be seeded to avoid your scenario.
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You can certainly have a committee that rigs the seeds to avoid inter-conference play. And I am sure they would. I just used that as an example to highlight how unfair it is that a undefeated conference champion would recieve the same post-season opportunity as a team that finished 3rd in their conference.

Expanding to more than 6 teams (in a world where there are only 5 major conferences) just increases the frequency of these match-ups.
 


What about the 17th ranked team? Has anyone thought of their feelings?
 

PMWinSTP said:
Good luck getting the conferences to agree to that...
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I'm not nearly smart enough to answer this question, but would playoff revenue trump the conference championship revenue? Would the Big Ten make more money having both Wisconsin and Ohio State playing in a couple of playoff games each?
 

Looking back over the last 10 years of FCS and NFL playoffs, it's extremely rare for low-seeded teams to win it all. But it does happen. So I would be interested in a bigger playoff bracket.
 

Maybe if he finishes better than third in his own division somebody will give a sh*t what he thinks.
 

If you want a seat at the table Coach, beat some one in your own division.
 

You have hat this year with Alabama and last year with Ohio State. Should not be play for a national championship if you didn't win you conference.
 

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