Saban Shares His Thinking on Playoff Expansion

[Mountainman]

I am not sure that Sankey will allow autobids on even the power 5's. And right now, it is his ball they are playing with and he has the power. Much like Delaney from the b10 back in the day. Warren in the B1G is holding up the works right now. I don't have much confidence in his abilites to move the mountain. I will be surprised if there are any automatic bids, at least in the 2nd incarnation of playoffs. I am not sure you can blame Sankey for not letting autobids go through. With Oklahoma and Texas, he has 7 teams that have the ability and resources to compete for championships. What would be is motivation to give in to automatic bids? Right now, the only conference that can compete financially with the SEC is the B1G and they are losing ground to them. You have the tv deal for the SEC going to be 90 million. The B1G currently around 60 will approach that number. Everyone else is going to be around 1/3rd of that. I don't see autobids sticking unless the climate changes.

We’ll see how this unfolds, but right now Sankey has to deal with the roadblock thrown up by the PAC-12, BigTen and the ACC……. and I find it puzzling just why Oklahoma and Texas would go about their business the way they have to date. Why not make the jump now, pay the BigXII the exit fees and move on???? That indicates to me there’s a possibility of a contingency of some sort lurking. Maybe, just maybe, some have learned a lesson about diving into the shortsighted and ill-conceived ventures as the current CFP has demonstrated and exposed.

IMHO, a National Playoff for a National Title must be National in its scope of teams participating…….. and think about this year, the entire East and West Coasts, both highly populated, had no participation.

As they say here in the hills and hollers……. ‘That dog ain’t gonna hunt….’.

[billybud]

They do have a national playoff...it's the season...12-13 games. Playoff games are on Saturdays....when losing a second game puts you off the bubble.

Unlike basketball with their 29 game seasons...and that sesson doesn't really count for much but maling the real season...The seven tournament games you must win to be Champ.

[Spence]

They do have a national playoff...it's the season...12-13 games. Playoff games are on Saturdays....when losing a second game puts you off the bubble.

Unlike basketball with their 29 game seasons...and that sesson doesn't really count for much but maling the real season...The seven tournament games you must win to be Champ.

That isn't really the case anymore. Most teams have taken the Notre Dame approach to scheduling where they make sure they have a bye or aa cupcake before all big games giving them two weeks to prepare. It isn't the same scheduling you would have seen 25 years ago. That may be changing a little recently. I know Alabama has a home and away with Ohio State in a few years. Oklahoma does too. So maybe it will get back to that type of scheduling.

[Spence]

I am not sure that Sankey will allow autobids on even the power 5's. And right now, it is his ball they are playing with and he has the power. Much like Delaney from the b10 back in the day. Warren in the B1G is holding up the works right now. I don't have much confidence in his abilites to move the mountain. I will be surprised if there are any automatic bids, at least in the 2nd incarnation of playoffs. I am not sure you can blame Sankey for not letting autobids go through. With Oklahoma and Texas, he has 7 teams that have the ability and resources to compete for championships. What would be is motivation to give in to automatic bids? Right now, the only conference that can compete financially with the SEC is the B1G and they are losing ground to them. You have the tv deal for the SEC going to be 90 million. The B1G currently around 60 will approach that number. Everyone else is going to be around 1/3rd of that. I don't see autobids sticking unless the climate changes.

We’ll see how this unfolds, but right now Sankey has to deal with the roadblock thrown up by the PAC-12, BigTen and the ACC……. and I find it puzzling just why Oklahoma and Texas would go about their business the way they have to date. Why not make the jump now, pay the BigXII the exit fees and move on???? That indicates to me there’s a possibility of a contingency of some sort lurking. Maybe, just maybe, some have learned a lesson about diving into the shortsighted and ill-conceived ventures as the current CFP has demonstrated and exposed.

IMHO, a National Playoff for a National Title must be National in its scope of teams participating…….. and think about this year, the entire East and West Coasts, both highly populated, had no participation.

As they say here in the hills and hollers……. ‘That dog ain’t gonna hunt….’.

The new TV deal for the SEC hasn't kicked in yet. Texas and Oklahoma will go then. I don't know that the PAC12 or ACC is holding things up. I think it is the B10. It doesn't matter who is holding it up, unless Sankey jumps on board it won't work.

Actually, I think this is a play to put together the power 5 under one blanket, one commissioner and the others will be left to figure things out on their own. I think Sankey is positioned to be that guy.

[Mountainman]

I am not sure that Sankey will allow autobids on even the power 5's. And right now, it is his ball they are playing with and he has the power. Much like Delaney from the b10 back in the day. Warren in the B1G is holding up the works right now. I don't have much confidence in his abilites to move the mountain. I will be surprised if there are any automatic bids, at least in the 2nd incarnation of playoffs. I am not sure you can blame Sankey for not letting autobids go through. With Oklahoma and Texas, he has 7 teams that have the ability and resources to compete for championships. What would be is motivation to give in to automatic bids? Right now, the only conference that can compete financially with the SEC is the B1G and they are losing ground to them. You have the tv deal for the SEC going to be 90 million. The B1G currently around 60 will approach that number. Everyone else is going to be around 1/3rd of that. I don't see autobids sticking unless the climate changes.

We’ll see how this unfolds, but right now Sankey has to deal with the roadblock thrown up by the PAC-12, BigTen and the ACC……. and I find it puzzling just why Oklahoma and Texas would go about their business the way they have to date. Why not make the jump now, pay the BigXII the exit fees and move on???? That indicates to me there’s a possibility of a contingency of some sort lurking. Maybe, just maybe, some have learned a lesson about diving into the shortsighted and ill-conceived ventures as the current CFP has demonstrated and exposed.

IMHO, a National Playoff for a National Title must be National in its scope of teams participating…….. and think about this year, the entire East and West Coasts, both highly populated, had no participation.

As they say here in the hills and hollers……. ‘That dog ain’t gonna hunt….’.

The new TV deal for the SEC hasn't kicked in yet. Texas and Oklahoma will go then. I don't know that the PAC12 or ACC is holding things up. I think it is the B10. It doesn't matter who is holding it up, unless Sankey jumps on board it won't work.

Actually, I think this is a play to put together the power 5 under one blanket, one commissioner and the others will be left to figure things out on their own. I think Sankey is positioned to be that guy.

My thoughts are that it not a good thing for College Football for one person to have enough power to decide the direction the game will take. And it’s also not a good thing for College Football to have a group of followers in leadership roles, such as Athletic Directors, University Presidents to simply ‘rubber stamp’ any proposal. Hopefully, there are knowledgeable people in those positions who are forward looking and also have guts and backbone to make their case, so to speak………. As the decisions and the direction the last go round chose to implement have proven lacking as we’re witnessing with this current upheaval and cries of unrest within the sport.

[Spence]

I agree, but that is what i see happening. I don’t believe Warren has the balls to go toe to toe with Sankey.

[billybud]

They do have a national playoff...it's the season...12-13 games. Playoff games are on Saturdays....when losing a second game puts you off the bubble.

Unlike basketball with their 29 game seasons...and that sesson doesn't really count for much but maling the real season...The seven tournament games you must win to be Champ.

That isn't really the case anymore. Most teams have taken the Notre Dame approach to scheduling where they make sure they have a bye or aa cupcake before all big games giving them two weeks to prepare. It isn't the same scheduling you would have seen 25 years ago. That may be changing a little recently.

[billybud]

They do have a national playoff...it's the season...12-13 games. Playoff games are on Saturdays....when losing a second game puts you off the bubble.

Unlike basketball with their 29 game seasons...and that sesson doesn't really count for much but maling the real season...The seven tournament games you must win to be Champ.

That isn't really the case anymore. Most teams have taken the Notre Dame approach to scheduling where they make sure they have a bye or aa cupcake before all big games giving them two weeks to prepare. It isn't the same scheduling you would have seen 25 years ago. That may be changing a little recently. I know Alabama has a home and away with Ohio State in a few years. Oklahoma does too. So maybe it will get back to that type of scheduling.

Jeez...want it both ways...the bigs won't play the G5's...and then.."cupcake games"...

Do the "cupcakes" schedule Top 10 teams back to back?

[Spence]

I realize the hypocrisy. It will always be there because the group of 5 needs the power 5 and the power 5 do not need the group of 5. Still there is a difference between playing Miami of Ohio and playing Cincinnati in today’s world and not many schools want to deal with Cincinnati the week before they play Penn State, Florida, or Clemson.