CFP Championship, Sugar, Rose Bowls = #1-3 Most Watched Cable Programs...

[Sheffielder]

Ever.

I fear this could accelerate the addition of more teams to the playoff.

In fairness to Ohio State, which I hate just like everyone else, I don't know that I will see a more impressive, consecutive, three-game stand in my lifetime than their wins in the B1G title game, Sugar Bowl, and Monday.

http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2015/01/college-football-playoff-national-championship-espn/

 

[NU 71 72 74]

Just me plus millions of others, but an eight game playoff using more of the bowl system will make more bowls worth watching -- more eyeballs on TV's. More $$'s as well. It's just a matter of time.

.02

and, Go Cats !!

 

[StreamCat]

Originally posted by NU 71 72 74:

Just me plus millions of others, but an eight game playoff using more of the bowl system will make more bowls worth watching -- more eyeballs on TV's. More $$'s as well. It's just a matter of time.

.02

and, Go Cats !!

And the same damn teams winning it every year.

 

[Alaskawildkat]

As college football teams morph closer to the pro model might we not see the top high school recruits placed into a pool from which the schools get to draft the players?

Something akin to the "match" system that is used to spread the wealth around for medical residency programs.

 

[pawildcat]

Actually, if this year is any indication, it might not be the same teams winning every year. That was Ohio State's first title in more than 10 years, and Oregon has never won a national championship. Under the BCS system, neither one would have had a chance at the title this year.

 

[RhabdoWildcat]

I sure hope not. I'd never wish the "match" on anyone else, much less someone trying to choose what college to go to.

This post was edited on 1/14 5:11 PM by RhabdoWildcat

 

[GlideCat]

Originally posted by StreamCat:

Originally posted by NU 71 72 74:

Just me plus millions of others, but an eight game playoff using more of the bowl system will make more bowls worth watching -- more eyeballs on TV's. More $$'s as well. It's just a matter of time.

.02

and, Go Cats !!

And the same damn teams winning it every year.

Pretty much agree. While it is possible for a smaller program to play their way into the play-off (and honestly an 8-team play-off would provide more such opportunity), the larger teams with the larger fan bases will tend to hold a subjective advantage with all other things being equal.

There will be a subconscious (if not conscious) desire on the part of the committee to provide the match-ups that will appeal to most Americans. Thus, OSU becomes a much more marketable television commodity than TCU or Baylor. So, put those three teams on the block repeated times (again with all other things being equal) and OSU gets the nod more times than not.

Removing hindsight from the equation and taking into account the perceived weakness of the B1G at the end of the season, OSU was a really questionable pick - regardless of the big win over Wisconsin. The committee can certainly pat themselves on the back now but at the time, they - at least in the back of their minds - had to be thinking ratings.

 

[klemman]

I don't think it was dollars that made the difference for OSU versus TCU or Baylor. The thought by most anyway was that the 4th seeded team wouldn't get by Alabama, whom ever it was.

I do think that OSU may have gained a bias advantage as a "traditional" power. The assumption being that while the records may be similar, one school has the better overall talent based on recruiting and future NFL players, as well as the more respected coach.

I'm not saying that's fair or right, just could be what it is.

If you had to contract with someone to do a very big, very important, very high exposure job. if the price was nearly the same, would you hire the upstart company that seemed to do well recently, or the company that for decades had done very well, hired the best employees, and had the boss who was known for getting things done?

 

[phatcat]

8 games, then 16, but in the end the top teams will win, just like basketball. for every Villanova, there are 25 top 1 or 2 seeds that win the tourney.

 

[FightNorthwestern]

Disagree. If you argue that there is subjectivity in selecting playoff teams, that is only magnified in the previous system when just the top two teams are selected. More teams allow more chances to settle things on the field.

 

[Sheffielder]

I think we would/will see diminishing returns with 6-8 teams...that becomes 5-7 games, which will yield some upsets but also some blowouts, which drag down ratings considerably. Theoretically, TCU/Ole Miss could have been a playoff game.

This year's ratings did big numbers because it was the first time CFB operated this way, and the involvement of "historical powers" (Ohio State, Florida State, Bama) probably helped. As I recall, the XFL did great ratings in its first week.

 

[Eurocat]

What dissapoints me most of all is that almost never in the conversation about additional bowl games does the subject of what kind of toll these extra games take on the kids bodies come up. It's like fans think of them as some kind of pieces of meat rather than young men with lives ahead of them.

Of course someone will raise the smaller division playoff argument now. Division 1AA (or whatever it is called) is much different because the kids there are smaller and don't do as much damage to each other with their playoff games.

I could care less about the money.

 

[Katatonic]

Originally posted by NU 71 72 74:

Just me plus millions of others, but an eight game playoff using more of the bowl system will make more bowls worth watching -- more eyeballs on TV's. More $$'s as well. It's just a matter of time.

.02

and, Go Cats !!

Maybe so, but keeping it to 4 has its advantageous as well.

Having 8 teams in weakens the importance of the regular season, each game and of conference champs.

There was so much attention paid to the committee's rankings due to play-off contenders possibly being left out.

Also, pretty much perfect to play the 2 play-off games on New Years (the traditional big college bowl day) and then the national title game, the week after.

Also, 16 games for the teams playing for the national championship is getting to be really much (so much for the importance of academics and not missing classes/study time) - Urban supposedly didn't have his team practice that much in the week leading up to the NCG in order to recover from the 'Bama game.

 

[Kbuckeye1]

I think Eurocat is right.

Div. 1 top schools are very powerful and the hitting is unequaled compared to any other division including the Div. 1 weaker schools . The toll on their body is great. These are kids not getting paid compared to the NFL but the toll on their body is often great and they don't quite have the physical maturation as NFL talent. And even then the NFL guys usually have a short career. There are limits that shouldn't be pushed just because of the money.