I’ve always believed the best postseason format for FBS would be a 12-team field with byes for the top four teams and home games on campus for the next four in the first round with the top four teams hosting games in the second round following their byes. The Final Four would be played at bowls on a rotation like they are in the current system with the championship floating a la Super Bowl sites.
This system wouldn’t minimize the impact of the regular season at all. Instead, it would enhance it by expanding number of teams playing meaningful games all of the way into the final week. Not only would teams be jockeying for a spot in the Top 12, those already in the field would be fighting for home games or first-round byes, making the final weeks of the regular season exciting for dozens of teams instead of a select few.
It would also place a true premium on winning a conference title by guaranteeing each of the Power Five champions a bid (although, not necessarily a Top 5 spot) while reserving at least one spot for the top Group of Five program.
It would also feature a mini-bracket system, which would make for intriguing office pool potential if that’s your thing. Also, teams that lose in the first-round would land in predetermined bowl slots.
The first two rounds would be held the middle weekends of December with the Final Four played on New Year’s Day, regardless of what day of the week it fell on and the National Championship would be a week after the following Monday.
Rather than essentially punting after a furious finish to the regular season, College Football would own the month of December with its postseason and reclaim the importance of New Year's Day for good.
Based on this week’s initial College Football Playoff rankings, this is what my dream Playoff Picture would look like right now.
FIRST ROUND
Campus Sites
Friday, Dec. 14
#11 Florida at #6 Georgia, 8
Saturday, Dec. 15
#12 UCF at #5 Michigan, Noon
#9 Kentucky at #8 Washington State, 4
#10 Ohio State at #7 Oklahoma, 8
SECOND ROUND
Campus Sites
Friday, Dec. 21
Georgia/Florida winner at #3 LSU, 8
Saturday, Dec. 22
Kentucky/Washington State winner at #1 Alabama, Noon
Ohio State/Oklahoma winner at #2 Clemson, 4
UCF/Michigan winner at #4 Notre Dame, 8
FINAL FOUR
Tuesday, January 1
Orange Bowl
Kentucky/Washington State/Alabama vs. UCF/Michigan/Notre Dame, 4
Cotton Bowl
Ohio State/Oklahoma/Clemson vs. Georgia/Florida/LSU, 8
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Monday, January 13
Levi’s Stadium
Semifinal winners, 8
Obviously, the matchups would change as the season progressed, but as it stands now, Wow! How exciting would this be?
UCF finally gets its chance to prove whether it truly matches up with the big boys. Think Michigan would love an opportunity to redeem itself against the Irish in South Bend? If the Wolverines get past UCF, it would set up a rematch at Notre Dame in mid-December.
How about Florida having to go to Georgia for a rematch in the first round? That would be a truly special addition to a rivalry that has been played in Jacksonville all but twice since 1933. And the winner gets a trip to Baton Rouge to play LSU, making that an all-SEC “region” of sorts.
Ohio State and Oklahoma have formed a bit of a rivalry themselves recently, splitting a home-and-home series the past two seasons. An unexpected rubber match for the right to play #2 Clemson would have both sides excited. Think the Buckeyes would be fired up to avenge this?
https://twitter.com/KRobPhoto/status/906722404080263168
Obviously, Alabama would be heavily-favored against either Kentucky or Washington State in the second round, but it would present the opportunity for the kind of Cinderella-like upset that has made March Madness so riveting.
But as juicy as the bracket would look right now, that’s not the way it would end up in the end. True and that's OK because the beauty of this system is that it would improve the months of October and November as much as December. Every game from here on out would be extremely meaningful for virtually every team in the Top 25.
Nothing would overshadow #1 Alabama vs #3 LSU, but that wouldn’t be the only premier matchup with direct playoff implications for both teams this weekend.
#6 Georgia vs. #9 Kentucky wouldn’t just give the winner a chance to “maybe” work its way back into the picture. No, it could virtually cement the winner’s status while likely knocking the loser out for good.
Same with #13 West Virginia vs. #17 Texas. It’s a marginally important game at this point with the potential to have a major impact down the road if things shake out in a certain way. But under this system, it would be a knockout game with immense importance this Saturday.
As for the Irish, the final four games would remain crucial as they fought to remain in the running for a first-round bye and a home contest in Round 2 while a loss wouldn't completely shut the door on them or other one-loss teams remaining in contention for the national title.
The current system is better than what we had, but this is way better than that.
Don't @ me.
