How to improve the FBS playoff selection process for next year. RAISE THE BAR on G5 qualifiers.

[candycorn]

End the entire playoff system in CF.

Play and do your best to win your conference.

Then stop playing and go back to class.

Did someone take over your account?

 

[Cassandro]

Expand current format to 16 teams, no byes.

 

[MarathonMike]

Expand current format to 16 teams, no byes.

OK but you still have the issue of weak G5 teams getting in over stronger P4 teams as automatic qualifiers don't you?

 

[Mr. Friscus]

The "Group of Five" refers to five lower tier conferences from which two teams made the 12 team FBS playoff this year, James Madison and Tulane. Despite their game stats in round one blowouts appearing competitive, they clearly were not. But per the selection criteria they got in, and BYU and Notre Dame were left out.

So how do we improve the selection process to STILL ALLOW G5 teams a chance to qualify but not leave clearly stronger contenders out?

I say make the criterion tougher on the G5 qualifiers. Since they are playing a much weaker schedule than the Power 4 conference teams, they need to be undefeated AND unchallenged against unranked opponents. If they play ranked opponents, they need to be competitive in those games. Yes, they need to show that against weaker teams they are totally dominant. That was not the case for James Madison or Tulane this year as anyone can see looking at the 2025 game stats. What say you?

Anything is better than the DEI program we have now.

My thoughts? If nothing else changes, F the G5 and just pick the best 12 teams. If they aren't one of them, then get better.

 

[Mr. Friscus]

End the entire playoff system in CF.

Play and do your best to win your conference.

Then stop playing and go back to class.

Look at Reginald Montgomery over here.. go register for WW2 you fossil.

 

[Cassandro]

OK but you still have the issue of weak G5 teams getting in over stronger P4 teams as automatic qualifiers don't you?

Top 8 seeds play home games. #1 and #2 get to play weak teams. Better than a bye.

 

[leftwinger]

Maybe many schools should not have football teams eligible for the final TMT (Ivy league Harvard playing FLA? Huh?). But in basketball some are good enough. Vermont and YALE, Colgate. It's a mess.

All football teams "in" deserve the same chance as ALA. Maybe a pool of 10-16 conferences? I don't know. Conference winners only advance? Eliminate cupcake games, play your conference only, shorten the schedule to 8 games + conference title? Then playoffs.

I do know even "elite" teams get blown out also and often. TUL and JMU this year did as good as big teams did or have done over many years.

 

[leftwinger]

Now that its officially minor league PAID football, everything is different. You can't go by Tom Osborne teams in the 70s.

Every team has big money. Nike money at ORE bought them out of the cellar. Texas Tech has west TX OIL money. Vanderbilt has Nashville money. Etc. USC should have money out the butt?

It's all new. What if Leon Musk gives a billion to another NTX? Big names transfer over.

What was good for Joe paterno may not be good anymore but Eastern WASH might be top ten?

 

[Mr. Friscus]

Top 8 seeds play home games. #1 and #2 get to play weak teams. Better than a bye.

I'm fine with feeding 2 G5 schools to the #1 and #2 teams in a 16 team tournament. That's a good immediate solution.

 

[MarathonMike]

I'm fine with feeding 2 G5 schools to the #1 and #2 teams in a 16 team tournament. That's a good immediate solution.

That's an easy solution but doesn't improve the selection process.

 

[Mac-7]

Yeah. They all but ended classes with NIL money. It is now minor league football. Not many have taken classes seriously since the 1990s probably anyway? They passed the thru with Sports management or personal training. Ugh.

Its now a big money game of musical chairs with players jumping around from team to team

One thing that would help is forcing players who transfer to sit one year

 

[MarathonMike]

Its now a big money game of musical chairs with players jumping around from team to team

One thing that would help is forcing players who transfer to sit one year

That's a good idea, the transfer portal is a bit out of control.

 

[22lcidw]

I'm not sure what you mean about the consolation prize. Amazingly the "bye teams" are 1 and 7 in their quarter final games over the last two years.

The games were expected to be easier with the two teams at 11 and 12 in the playoffs due to conferences and not on ranking.