Since 2007, I have been researching college football at the highest level of the FBS, under the NCAA blue logo. With the ultimate objective being how college football at this level can implement an expanded college football playoff without causing MAJOR debate and controversy. I have been successful with this idea and concept. All while I continuously collecting quantitative and qualitative data, recording, documenting, examining multiple variables with those data points, analyzing that data and creating a MOCK/Fictional College Football Playoff field for 16 FBS members since 2007. MY expanded playoff format is an “INCLUSIVE” playoff format for all competing FBS programs during that college football season. The current and bifurcated CFP system is an “EXCLUSIVE” playoff format for only 66 FBS prorgams all of which are media classified as Power Five Conferences and Members ONLY.
Within my published research and book, which examines college football historical evidence from the 1996 CFB season and forward to the current and future seasons. I was able to develop the right system to select and seed the field of 16. My field of 16 is selected by a criterial based set of data points which are qualitaitve and quantitive. Very Similar to using the the professsional model theory in which the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball League (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) determine their playoff participants. All of which are criterion based with playoff elibility rules and requirements that ALL Teams, Players, Coaches, Owners and Fans know what it takes to make the playoffs. There is no second guessing, no “subjective eye test”, no SIGNIFICANT advantages in their game schedules, no playing lower level farm club systems to earn extra victories and pad their personal and team statistics.
What the current and past CFP committee(s) possesses are selection biases with Democritus values, based upon financial investments from ESPN, committee bias with the selection committee possessing direct relationships to specific power brokers and fails to examine the possible implemention of a playoff process which is inclusive for all FBS programs who compete in football, under the NCAA blue logo. The CFP system is a small step forward but still a Democritusly driven bifurcated system. The current system prohibits the G5 Conferences and programs to participate or make the criterion so subjectively bias to be considered for this playoff format. The only prize the G5 Conferences and Programs are eligible for is what I call the “bridemaid prize”. One bid, if they meet specific criterion to a New Years Day Six Bowl Game. No matter if that G5 program ends the seaons with 0-losses or completed successive FBS seasons with 0-losses.
If you surveyed and or asked college fans, coaches, players, administrators and sports media “experts” one specific question, they would more than likely agree and come to the same conclusion, with a SIGNIFICANT percentage rate of 90% or greater, in favor that college athletics is a business. If college athletics is a business, then why has there not been legal action taken against the power brokers. If the system were ever challenged by the Group of Five (G5) Confernece Commissioners, Athletic Directors, College Presidents, College Board of Trustees, Coaches and Players all bonded together; there is a strong and significant possibility of a a violation within the Sherman Act of 1890. There is enough sufficient evidence to process this claim based upon my published research and peer reviewed educational research where Doctoral professors have published their thoughts and findings within this subject matter. If there is enough evidence, then the Clayton Act of 1914 would be imposed and protect the G5 FBS programs and conferneces. There is a chapter dedicated to this very topic within my book.
The best way to assimilate the controversy and debate between the power brokers of college football, Bill Hancock; the CFP Executive Director, the SEC conference members, the SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, ESPN, ESPN college football personalities, analysts, other sports media member versus the G5 Conferences, their members and fans of college football is by using the lyrics from The Trees, by Rush, written by Neil Peart:
” There is unrest in the forest, there is trouble with the trees”
” For the maples want more sunlight, but the oaks ignore their pleas”
” The trouble with the maples, and they quite convinced they’re right”
” They say the oaks are just to lofty, and grab up all the light”
” But if the oaks can’t help their feelings, if they like the way they’re made”
” And they wonder why the maples, can’t be happy in their shade”
” There is trouble in the forest, and the creatures all have fled”
” As the maples scream ‘oppression! and the oaks, just shake their heads”
” So the maples formed a union, and demanded equal rights”
” The oaks are just too greedy, we will make them give us light”
” Now there’s no more oak oppression, for they passed a noble law”
” And the trees are all kept equal, by hatchet, axe and saw”
(Peart, 1978)
Then there is the possibility that the CFP committee and ESPN staff, personalities and analyst has a playoff system in which they really do not understand, cannot really explain to the general audience or possess a belief for change to expand the college football playoff to be inclusive to all FBS programs and give all student athletes of FBS football programs fair, equal and just opportunity to compete for the $50 Millon Dollars at stake, National Notoriety, possessing the “gold” iconic trophy and the rings on the fingers that come with being called “National Champion” of college football. The best way to assimilate this thought for many, is by using the lyrics from Natural Science, by Rush, written by Neil Peart;
” Wheels within wheels, in a spiral array”
” A pattern so grand and complex, time after time”
” We lose sight of the way, our causes can’t see their effects”
(Peart, 1980)
The interesting dichotomy when comparing playoff formats of the CFP and my expanded playoff format of 16, at least I can explain the function and how the “wheels within wheels” (Peart, 1980), works “within the spiral array” (Peart, 1980). My expanded field of 16 playoff is easy to understand and could generate up to a minimum of $150+ Million dollars in revenue which would benefit college athletics as a whole.
Here are the 2018 College Fooball Playoff Brackets and Dates. This is a mock simulation of an expanded playoff bracket based upon the professional model theory. This is all part of my research to significantly prove that an expanded college football playoff of 16 FBS programs, which is inclusive and not exclusive, can be implemented.
Field of 16, seeds and schedule:
1st Saturday in December; December 1, 2018 (All FBS Seeds 1 through 8 HOST the First Round Games)
1 Notre Dame (12-0) vs. 16 UAB (10-2)
8 Boise State (10-2) vs. 9 Michigan (10-2)
5 Ohio State (11-1) vs. 12 Buffalo (10-2)
4 Central Florida (11-0) vs. 13 Utah State (10-2)
3 Alabama (12-0) vs. 14 Washington State (10-2)
6 Oklahoma (11-1) vs. 11 Fresno State (10-2)
7 Georgia (11-1) vs.10 Cincinnati (10-2)
2 Clemson (12-0) vs. 15 Appalchian State (10-2)
ALL GAMES must be started before 7PM Eastern Standard Time. This is the Academic Rule in which i developed to assist with student athlete acadademic study time. Starting Monday December 3, 2018; This should be Academic Finals week for the student athletes. No Structured/Coach Supervised practice can happen. ONCE ALL student athletes complete their FINAL Exams, then Supervised/Game Planned/Head Coach and Assistant Coach Practices can resume for the remaining FBS programs who advanced to the Quarter Finals games with the four bowl games.
Bowl Games start on the 3rd Saturday of December which is the annual kickoff of college football bowl season. MY solution which is published in my book ” College Football In The BCS Era The Untold Truth Facts Evidence and Solution” incorporates the FIRST four (4) bowl games as the beginning of college football bowl season. By incorporating these four bowl games: The New Mexico Bowl, The Cure Bowl, The Las Vegas Bowl The New Orleans R+L Carriers Bowl; You will SIGNIFICANTLY increase revenue dollars at an exponetial rate with incresed advertising dollars and increased fan attendance. This means based upon the brackets above these four bowl games would have the winners from:
1 Notre Dame(12-0)/16 UAB (10-2) vs. 8 Boise State(10-2)/9 Michigan(10-2)
5 Ohio State(11-1)/12 (10-2) Buffalo vs. 4 Central Florida (11-0)/13 Utah State(10-2)
3 Alabama(12-0)/14 Washington State (10-2) vs. 6 Oklahoma (11-1)/11 Fresno State (10-2)
7 Georgia(11-1)/10 Cincinnati (10-2) vs 2 Clemson(12-0)/15 Appalachian State (10-2)
The remaining four winners from these First Four Bowl games will advance to two (2) of the four (4) Major Bowl games on New Years Day which includes The Rose Bowl, The Sugar Bowl, The Orange Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl. This means there would be another week off for the remaining FBS programs to compete in these bowl games. The remaining two (2) FBS programs from this expanded playoff format will participate in the National Chamionship Game on that following Monday in January, on the said, assiagned date in which the National Championship Game is already schedueld to be played.
I wrote about this same concept and idea with a special chapter dedicated to this process in my book. It’s well thought out , self explanatory and eliminates subjectivity; also known as the eye test. Ther expandedplayoff format takes into account for time off for minor injury recovery and academic purposes. What many of the sports madia fail to understand is that all FBS student athletes are recruited to play across the country. However, only in FBS Football under the NCAA blue logo is where the student athletes for the G5 Conferences and Programs are in-eligible to compete for a “National Championship”. These same student athletes that compete for the G5 Conferences and Programs; are eligible for the same academic scholarship, abide by the same NCAA academic rules, abide by the same Bylaws within and under the NCAA Blue Logo, but are prohibited from competing for the CFP playoffs all due to the fact of who they are playing for. If this is not a bias or a prohibited of competing for and being called National Champion, then the CFP commiitee and executives need to be brought up on charges.
If you have any questions, please reach out to me via twitter @cfbpoexpert and I will reply as quick as I can.
Always rememeber if you use, say or verbalize anything from my posts, please adhere to MLA/APA rules and cite your source.
Peart, Neil (1978). “The Trees”. Recorded by Rush. Hemispheres. Available on CD, Cassette and Record. Recorded at Rockfield Studios. South Wales UK. Anthem, Atlantic, Epic/Sony, and Mercury. Released 7/1978.
Peart, Neil (1979). “Natural Science”. Recorded by Rush. Permanent Waves. Available on CD, Cassette and Record. Recorded at Le Studios. South Wales UK. Anthem, Atlantic, Epic/Sony, and Mercury. Released 1/1980.