College Football Playoff Sham

DeepGreen · December 8, 2014

It's all about who you are, or who you once were.

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/sports/12-07-14-undeserving-ohio-state-sham-enabled-by-herbstreit-tcu-baylor-robbed/

untjim1995 · December 8, 2014

It always has been. I cannot believe that Baylor and TCU are buying this crap about the confernece championship game costing them a spot in the playoff. Back when the Big Ten didn't have a CCG, they had Ohio State make the NCG twice in a row and no one said a thing--same with USC in 2004 and 2005, when the Pac had no CCG.

Simply, the reason Baylor and TCU are left out is because they aren't Texas or Oklahoma. Ohio State doesn't trump either of those two teams. But their enrollment, national following, and being a blue blood all combine to crushthe small private schools' chances.

You can believe that Baylor beating Kansas State would've been respected more if it was a CCG than their win over KSU in the last regular season game, but there is absolutely no way Ohio State was going to get left out. The reactions of both schools has been kind of funny. Briles has screamed at Bowlsby about the co-champion issue and not having any southern representation on the committee, while Baylor fans want Ken Starr to sue them about this...meanwhile TCU's leadership has basically taken the tact of "Yeah, it stinks, but hey, we are in a P5 league right now...this beats the hell out of the MWC, CUSA, WAC, etc..."

Eagle1855 · December 8, 2014

I don't know, there wasn't a single undefeated team left out. All Baylor or TCU had to do was win one more game. They didn't. Boo hoo.

None of this will be solved until they expand to 8, take the conference championships from each P5 conference + three at-large.

emmitt01 · December 8, 2014

I think it is HILARIOUS to see two teams from a P5 conference, after years and years of telling teams like Boise and Utah that they weren't "big boy" enough, cry about how their lack of "pedigree" is holding them back.

The Big XII: One True Champion...unless there are two

Edited December 8, 2014 by emmitt01

untjim1995 · December 8, 2014

I think it is HILARIOUS to see two teams from a P5 conference, after years and years of telling teams like Boise and Utah that they weren't "big boy" enough, cry about how their lack of "pedigree" is holding them back.

Maybe TCU's admin and coaching staff is crying too, but Baylor's whining is about to feel up the Brazos...I still cannot believe they hired a PR firm to sell their candidacy to the media and committee. Maybe Ken Starr should sue the PR group for not getting the job done?

Eagle1855 · December 8, 2014

Maybe TCU's admin and coaching staff is crying too, but Baylor's whining is about to feel up the Brazos...I still cannot believe they hired a PR firm to sell their candidacy to the media and committee. Maybe Ken Starr should sue the PR group for not getting the job done?

Baylor has a legitimate complaint. Their conference totally sold them out by not declaring them the outright champ. Head to head has always been the deciding factor. The Big XII got what they deserved for botching this entire effort. TCU may well have been the better team, but Baylor was the champ.

forevereagle · December 8, 2014

Maybe TCU's admin and coaching staff is crying too, but Baylor's whining is about to feel up the Brazos...I still cannot believe they hired a PR firm to sell their candidacy to the media and committee. Maybe Ken Starr should sue the PR group for not getting the job done?

What is more sad, that Baylor hired a PR firm or that they felt they needed to in order to have a chance to get into the playoff? I think this new system is just as flawed as the old one and is even more built to protect the college football old money.

TIgreen01 · December 8, 2014

Maybe TCU's admin and coaching staff is crying too, but Baylor's whining is about to feel up the Brazos...I still cannot believe they hired a PR firm to sell their candidacy to the media and committee. Maybe Ken Starr should sue the PR group for not getting the job done?

As dirty as the Brazos is, that's just filthy!

Did anyone watch the Pac12 title game? It seems inconceivable to rig a game (and get it past all the players without it hitting social media), but that was as rigged a game as I've ever seen. Looked like Arizona brought out the Dickey offense for the entire first half, until the game was out of reach. Evidence that this playoff system is worse than the BCS----at least in the BCS era I never wondered, while watching a game, if the games were being rigged by higher ups. Call me crazy...

Edited December 8, 2014 by TIgreen01

Green Otaku · December 8, 2014

Boiled my blood when I saw Mack Brown on ESPN say, "Look, there were times that we knew we were getting advantages because we were Texas. What are you going to do? Say no?" and how casual he was about it.

untjim1995 · December 8, 2014

Baylor has a legitimate complaint. Their conference totally sold them out by not declaring them the outright champ. Head to head has always been the deciding factor. The Big XII got what they deserved for botching this entire effort. TCU may well have been the better team, but Baylor was the champ.

Baylor has a legitimate complaint against Bowlsby, for sure. But that's where it ends, in my opinion. The committee chose Ohio State because of eyeballs and buying power of tickets, merchandise, and advertising. Baylor never had a chance--just like TCU didn't either...If Texas or OU had been where the two private schools were, Ohio State would be playing in the Cotton Bowl and the B1G would be bitching to everyone about how unfair it is that the B12 doesn't have a CCG.

To make this UNT-related: our size could help us if we wanted it to, when it comes to athletics, even if its just at the G5 level. UH, Cincy, UCF, USF, and other G5 high-enrollment schools have shown us that. SMU, Tulane, Rice, and Tulsa aren't ever going to be able to take advantage of this because they don't have numbers on their side, from enrollment to alumni base to actual attendance at games.

Edited December 8, 2014 by untjim1995

Eagle1855 · December 8, 2014

Baylor has a legitimate complaint against Bowlsby, for sure.

To be clear, that's the only thing I was referencing in my post.

TCU, however, somehow went from 3 to 6 in a week, after winning big -- which is mind-boggling. Not saying the committee got it wrong in the end -- just baffled by the methodology.

forevereagle · December 8, 2014

Baylor has a legitimate complaint against Bowlsby, for sure. But that's where it ends, in my opinion. The committee chose Ohio State because of eyeballs and buying power of tickets, merchandise, and advertising. Baylor never had a chance--just like TCU didn't either...If Texas or OU had been where the two private schools were, Ohio State would be playing in the Cotton Bowl and the B1G would be bitching to everyone about how unfair it is that the B12 doesn't have a CCG.

You are going to say that Baylor has a complaint against the Big 12, but not the committee and then follow with THAT?! THAT is the EXACT problem with this whole thing. If the selection was made because of tickets, merchandise, and advertising, then let's change the name of the stupid thing from the playoff to "Games We Think Lots of People Want to See" and call the winner the "CollegeFootball Popularity Contest and Record Intersect Champion". To suggest that it comes down to money and say that Baylor cannot complain about it when it is supposed to be about the best team is a really crazy stance to take. Of course they can complain and have every right to.

Caw Caw · December 8, 2014

I'm going to be honest, i've been drinking in the tears of the TCU and Baylor fans. Sweet, sweet tears. They still weren't playing in the NatChamp last year. It's like a UFC fight, don't leave the decision to the judges or you will most certainly be butt hurt.

untjim1995 · December 8, 2014

You are going to say that Baylor has a complaint against the Big 12, but not the committee and then follow with THAT?! THAT is the EXACT problem with this whole thing. If the selection was made because of tickets, merchandise, and advertising, then let's change the name of the stupid thing from the playoff to "Games We Think Lots of People Want to See" and call the winner the "CollegeFootball Popularity Contest and Record Intersect Champion". To suggest that it comes down to money and say that Baylor cannot complain about it when it is supposed to be about the best team is a really crazy stance to take. Of course they can complain and have every right to.

So does TCU, yet they choose not to whine about it...

At a school like Baylor, you have to go undefeated--its that simple. They didn't do that. They lost to a very average West Virginia team. They beat two teams that finished ranked. They beat SMU, NW State, and Buffalo in OOC. A loss against va Tech in OOC is worth more to the committee than a win over any of those teams Baylor played. You combine all that with Ohio State's popularity, that's why they are left behind. I really don't care if they complain, if its right to complain, or if Ken Starr should start suing everyone, as their website has posters arguing for, Baylor has handled all of this completely wrong from a PR standpoint. If I were a Baylor alum, I'd complain about the scheduling and the PR disaster that has ensued over being relegated to The Cotton Bowl against Michigan State, where they have a good chance to make up for the ass-kicking UCF gave them last year in the Fiesta Bowl.

Coffee and TV · December 8, 2014

As dirty as the Brazos is, that's just filthy!

Did anyone watch the Pac12 title game? It seems inconceivable to rig a game (and get it past all the players without it hitting social media), but that was as rigged a game as I've ever seen. Looked like Arizona brought out the Dickey offense for the entire first half, until the game was out of reach. Evidence that this playoff system is worse than the BCS----at least in the BCS era I never wondered, while watching a game, if the games were being rigged by higher ups. Call me crazy...

You're crazy. I watched both of the Zona/Oregon games and Oregon just flat out dominated in the championship. Zona's offense is a lot like Oregon's in that if they're taken out of their rhythm early, they have trouble recovering. Solomon just wasn't getting the job done and had to be pulled. Oregon really impressed me, I think they'll take it all.

FirefightnRick · December 8, 2014

TCU is one of the wealthiest teams in the nation.

In The Nation. Don't shed a tear for them. They will be just fine.

Rick

Green Mean · December 8, 2014

I don't disagree with the top 4. B12 awarded co-champs when the rules state that it's head to head they go by. They didn't have a conference championship game which had some influence in the final decision. OSU won demolished a decent and ranked Wisc team with their 3rd string QB. The B12 made their bed and I don't feel sorry for them. Let's not forget that yes TCU did play Minnesota but OSU played a non conference of Cincy, Navy, and VT. All 3 are FBS 2 of which in power conferences and all 3 are bowl eligible.

And no I don't buy the nonsense that if it had been Texas or Oklahoma they would have been in the top 4. OSU had the better resume by far IMO.

TIgreen01 · December 8, 2014

You're crazy. I watched both of the Zona/Oregon games and Oregon just flat out dominated in the championship. Zona's offense is a lot like Oregon's in that if they're taken out of their rhythm early, they have trouble recovering. Solomon just wasn't getting the job done and had to be pulled. Oregon really impressed me, I think they'll take it all.

I'll take that!

golfingomez · December 8, 2014

I don't know, there wasn't a single undefeated team left out. All Baylor or TCU had to do was win one more game. They didn't. Boo hoo.

None of this will be solved until they expand to 8, take the conference championships from each P5 conference + three at-large.

right... because paicking teams 7 and 8 this year would have been just cake, right?

Eagle1855 · December 8, 2014

right... because paicking teams 7 and 8 this year would have been just cake, right?

It's a lot easier to explain keeping a 2-loss team out of a playoff than a 1-loss. Further, if you're a two-loss team, you've no reason to "expect" to be in the playoff discussion. As it stands now, every year at least one P5 conference's champion will be left out. It's going to be a factor.

So yeah -- I would say it's different.

Edited December 8, 2014 by Eagle1855

untjim1995 · December 8, 2014

Here's a crazy thought: Take the 5 P5 champions + the best of the rest and make it a 6 team playoff, with the top two seeds getting byes. The 3 and 4 seed get a home game against the 5 and 6 seed. Then, you go to the bowl games. This year, for example, would've looked like this:

1. Bama

2. Oregon

3. FSU

4. Ohio State

5. Baylor

6. TCU

oldguystudent · December 8, 2014

Wikipedia tells me that there are 128 FBS teams, including UAB, excluding Charlotte. 128 is a nice, neat power of two. Just make the whole damn thing one long tournament. That's 127 games, 7 rounds, everybody gets to play, and you could extend the season into mid-January for all those sweet, sweet extra dollars. Play the first two rounds at the home stadiums of the $EC and whatnot, then continue the next round at the at the sites of the traditional bowl games. Then you're down to 16 teams. Play those out at JerryWorld, various Southern California, Arizona, and FL locations, all culminating in a championship game sponsored by doritos shell taco bell flavored mountain dew battle royale decided on the top deck of the USS Nimitz.

Cerebus · December 8, 2014

Instead of a PR firm Baylor should have worked to get the ghost of Ann Richards on the selection committee.

GreenTexan13 · December 8, 2014

I know I'm echoing other people, but why can't the champions of each conference battle it out for the championship game? I may sound completely uneducated on the rules. But it makes the most logical sense to me...