The BCS should be against the law.

[Sunstroke]

I think it would still require a little institutional manipulating...just to get some big dogs on the Boise State and TCU-types' plates so we can more accurately rank them for a playoff.

[Dave Gray]

I think it would still require a little institutional manipulating...just to get some big dogs on the Boise State and TCU-types' plates so we can more accurately rank them for a playoff.

I think there's a risk/reward thing with scheduling.  Big games bring in big money, but risk a loss -- but even if you lose, you get props for having a tough schedule.  Cupcakes let you pad your schedule, but if you don't whip them or, God forbid, lose, you're done.

[Phishfan]

You guys leave out every one of the negatives about playoff scenarios. Based off one plan I saw mentioned here, my top 25 school would have only played nine games this season. How can you punish them by not having them included? Not to mention how poorly a nine game schedule would be for preparing college kids headed to the NFL. They already see a different between their 12-13 game season and the 16 game schedule. Imagine what only 9 games would do.

[Dave Gray]

^^ There are a few answer to your question.

1) ...and the easiest answer -- if you want to play more than 9 games, schedule more than 9 games.
2) The thing that makes the most sense to me is to use the regular bowl system, but have the 4 main bowls be the first round of the 8 team playoffs.  Winners continue to play, loser is out.

[Spider-Dan]

^^^ #2 is the simplest answer.  You add 1 extra game to two teams' schedules, and 2 extra games to two teams' schedules.    Everyone else plays the exact same number of games that they do now.

[Phishfan]

People are not going to be able to travel to bowl games continuously as if they were home games. #2 really isn't an option because I see attendance being an issue of having a playoff system utilizing bowl games.

[JVides]

http://www.presstelegram.com/sports/ci_13942430
Long story short: the "powerhouse" conferences intentionally select powder-puff non-conference schedules to pad their record, then play internally to manufacture "tough wins" (against in-conference opponents with similarly padded records).

Completely agree, and I bag on big-time conferences for that too.  (Witness my pointing out Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State's 8-4 home-away scheduling).  I'm no fan of USC, but I admire that they appear to have a "we'll play anyone anywhere" attitude to them.  Miami is the same way.  So is FSU, I think.

I still feel (and hell, I may be deluded here) that the bigtime conference teams are in fact better than most of the small conference teams.  They attract better players anc coaches; it follows that they must be better overall.

[Sunstroke]

People are not going to be able to travel to bowl games continuously as if they were home games. #2 really isn't an option because I see attendance being an issue of having a playoff system utilizing bowl games.

Rare for me to disagree with Phish on an issue, but I feel strongly that if a bowl game is also a college football playoff game, you could play it just about anywhere and you'll still sell out the house. You might see a shift in the ratio of "fans of a certain program who traveled to get there" to "college football fans in that local market" within that attendance figure, but the total attendance wouldn't suffer, imo.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Rare for me to disagree with Phish on an issue, but I feel strongly that if a bowl game is also a college football playoff game, you could play it just about anywhere and you'll still sell out the house. You might see a shift in the ratio of "fans of a certain program who traveled to get there" to "college football fans in that local market" within that attendance figure, but the total attendance wouldn't suffer, imo.

I have to agree with Sunstroke on this.  Phish's arguement is the equivalant of saying "the Superbowl won't sell out this year unless the Dolphins, Jax, or Tampa Bay are playing in it."   

[Phishfan]

You guys are way off. I'm not talking a championship game here. That would sell out. What I am talking is bowl games constituting a first round playoff or even second round. It is very simple to understand those games are not going to have anywhere near as much attendance. How many of you go to see random teams play? How many of you have enough money to see you team travel across the country 2-3 times to see them play? If you don't think attendance will fall off you are just looking at the small picture.

Just think of this since we a re all NFL fans here. Stroke how many times do you travel to San Fran to see a game? How many of you outside Florida travel to Miami to see the Phins? If you do come, how many times do you do it. How many people at a Dolphins game are there to not have any emotional investment in either team? The answer to all of these questions is very few. Now picture it being a college game and they have to play three games in three weeks across the country. As I mentioned in another thread a while back we already have two bowl games played in town and I have never seen either of them in person. They don't sell out even with the team's fans traveling so why would they sell out without them?

[YoFuggedaboutit]

You guys are way off. I'm not talking a championship game here. That would sell out. What I am talking is bowl games constituting a first round playoff or even second round. It is very simple to understand those games are not going to have anywhere near as much attendance. How many of you go to see random teams play? How many of you have enough money to see you team travel across the country 2-3 times to see them play? If you don't think attendance will fall off you are just looking at the small picture.

Just think of this since we a re all NFL fans here. Stroke how many times do you travel to San Fran to see a game? How many of you outside Florida travel to Miami to see the Phins? If you do come, how many times do you do it. How many people at a Dolphins game are there to not have any emotional investment in either team? The answer to all of these questions is very few. Now picture it being a college game and they have to play three games in three weeks across the country. As I mentioned in another thread a while back we already have two bowl games played in town and I have never seen either of them in person. They don't sell out even with the team's fans traveling so why would they sell out without them?

Your point here collaborates with my theory of, if you want to go with an 8 team playoff, you should not use the BCS Bowl sites until there are four teams left.  In the first round, the higher seed should get to host the game. 

Two BCS bowl sites can host the semifinals, the third one can host the "consolation" game and the fourth can host the championship. 

[Spider-Dan]

You guys are way off. I'm not talking a championship game here. That would sell out. What I am talking is bowl games constituting a first round playoff or even second round. It is very simple to understand those games are not going to have anywhere near as much attendance.  How many of you go to see random teams play?

Are you joking?  What do you think the existing bowl system is?  By your logic, bowl games now (with top 8, national championship-contender teams!) should have "problems" with attendance.

Since even you admit that the championship game would sell out, the only games that are even in question are the second round games.  Once again, I find it beyond credulity that a team that makes it to the second round of a national championship playoff would have a problem selling out the game.  One of two things is guaranteed to be the case:

1) the team(s) in the game are perennial-power football factories (e.g. Florida, Texas, USC, etc.) and their fans have no problem traveling anywhere for any game
2) the team(s) in the game are upstart Cinderellas (e.g. Boise State, TCU, Utah) and they will have fans rabid enough to travel for their rare national championship shot

Just think of this since we a re all NFL fans here. Stroke how many times do you travel to San Fran to see a game? How many of you outside Florida travel to Miami to see the Phins? If you do come, how many times do you do it. How many people at a Dolphins game are there to not have any emotional investment in either team? The answer to all of these questions is very few.

OK, now let's compare apples to apples:

How many Dolphin fans would be willing to travel to watch MIA in an AFC Championship game?

Suddenly your analogy looks a lot different, doesn't it?  You cannot compare a random game (even a bowl game) to a playoff.  It's absurd.

[Phishfan]

Are you joking?  What do you think the existing bowl system is?  By your logic, bowl games now (with top 8, national championship-contender teams!) should have "problems" with attendance.

Since even you admit that the championship game would sell out, the only games that are even in question are the second round games.  Once again, I find it beyond credulity that a team that makes it to the second round of a national championship playoff would have a problem selling out the game.  One of two things is guaranteed to be the case:

1) the team(s) in the game are perennial-power football factories (e.g. Florida, Texas, USC, etc.) and their fans have no problem traveling anywhere for any game
2) the team(s) in the game are upstart Cinderellas (e.g. Boise State, TCU, Utah) and they will have fans rabid enough to travel for their rare national championship shot
OK, now let's compare apples to apples:

How many Dolphin fans would be willing to travel to watch MIA in an AFC Championship game?

Suddenly your analogy looks a lot different, doesn't it?  You cannot compare a random game (even a bowl game) to a playoff.  It's absurd.

Man you guys don't get what I am saying at all. How would multiple games across the country compare at all to the current sturcture of a single bowl game? Let's get this straight. The scenario we are considering is using the existing Bowl structure to create a playoff. I never said anything about fans not traveling to one game so you are not even on the same topic in part of your post.

Teams would have to play three games at different locations to be a champion by the structure of taking the top 8 teams. No one, I repeat no one on this board is going to travel to three games across the country in three weeks time without hitting the lottery. It is very unlikely anyone you know is going to be able to go to three games across the country in three weeks time. Going to one bowl game is simple. Going to three bowl games is nearly impossible.

Like it or not, attendance will be an issue.

To go with your Dolphisn questions that is a simple answer. Almost all of us are willing to go to an AFC Championship game. The question you need to ask yourself to stay on this topic though is how many are able?

[Sunstroke]

I understood what you were saying...clearly. I just disagree with it. I don't believe attendance would be an issue in a college football playoff system.

[Phishfan]

To clarify further, I don't think it would if you follow the 1-AA method where there is a home game for one team. Their fans will fill the stadium. Traveling across the country multiple time just isn't feasible though.