I'mWithDan
"Straight Cash Homie"
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Good time to remember that if the NCAA used an 8-team playoff, the game on Saturday would have been almost completely irrelevant.
It depends how it is set up. It still would have determined the conference champion in an 8 team playoff year. If the 8-team format has home site games for the first round, there's also that added incentive.
In Michigan's scenario, let's assume they are seeded 5th-7th with the loss. The difference between opening at home vs PSU / UW / CU / OU vs. opening on the road @UW, @Clemson or @OSU is pretty massive one.
The game this year sent neither team to the conference championship and didn't completely eliminate Michigan from the playoff. So I don't see how an 8 team playoff is much different if you're talking home site games in round 1.
My only contention with the 4 team format is the NCAA deemed there would be 5 "Power" Conferences. Why is there a system that will, even in a best case scenario, exclude at least one conference champion? From the pool of teams that playoff typically represents?
Ditch conference championship games if people are worried about diluting the regular season, go to a 10 game conference schedule and take the 5 conference champions and 3 at large teams. To me, that's a way better system.
In year two of this system, we're a CU win away from having to debate wether a team like CU or PSU or UW goes over Michigan when Michigan beat all 3 teams. To me, that makes no sense at all. In addition, the #2 team won't even play in a conference championship game.
Maybe this is an anomaly but the conference championship format seems to be more of a hinderance than a help at this point. Division formats can produce some really stupid results, like this year in the B1G where maybe the 3rd and 4th best teams are playing each other in the title game.
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