Relegation

[billybud]

With the huge playoff money going to the five conferences and everyone else getting pickles, have we finally arrived at a de facto smaller Division I?

If this money flows as said, over the next 12 years the Big Five will get scads of money and those left outside will not. Will the gaps grow wider?

Will great MAC head coaches get hired as position coaches at a Big Five program? Auburn offered FSU's Stoops a million bucks to be a DC. He turned it down last year saying his next move was for a HC.

Right now, FSU's offensive line coach is paid more than some MAC HC's.

The front part of the curve will get a lot of financial help to stay in the front.

[Spence]

That is exactly what is happening. Some of the small conference schools will be part of the expanded group, but the coming of playoffs if going to kill the bowls and with the bowls go the revenue streams of the smaller conferences. They were fighting for crumbs before, but the majors are going to end all of that with the coming playoffs.

[warrriorsfan808]

That is exactly what is happening. Some of the small conference schools will be part of the expanded group, but the coming of playoffs if going to kill the bowls and with the bowls go the revenue streams of the smaller conferences. They were fighting for crumbs before, but the majors are going to end all of that with the coming playoffs.

Spence, A few weeks ago I sent Donovan an idea for an evenly balanced playoff system. I thought it was good but Donovan says the big schools run too much of a chance of getting
eliminated. Isn't that why we actually play the game? Cause you never really know who is going to win? Case in point Fresno State and SMU , Appalachian State and Michigan to name a few. Even with the conference re-alignment this still works because the teams not in the play offs can fill out the bowl schedule. Unless the big schools are afraid of a balanced play off. Check it out maybe someone with more clout could get the smaller schools to force the bigger schools into a true play off system! Just let everyone know that idea came from HAWAII!!!

[Spence]

I have always been against a playoff. I think it will hurt the sport in the end. I like the bowls and would like to see them remain, but I don't see it.
I had an idea a few years back that would allow every team in D1A to prove themselves during the season. It would have actually measured a team against the strength of the teams they played. It would have allowed a good team in a bad conference to make it to the championship game. The problem is that no one wants a fair system. They want to position for power and grab all they can for themselves. ---a lot like congress does. They give lots of face time to being fair, but they only really care about themselves.

[billybud]

The non BCS teams over the last five seasons have less than a 7% (.06701) win average over BCS teams that are End Year Ranked....(and if you subtracted Boise's four wins from the total the win record would be less than 5%)

Sure there have been isolated circumstances where a end year ranked major loses to a mid major....they are about 5 in 100.

Not enough to include these teams in a playoff. When you can only have so many games, limit the teams to those with a chance to win the playoff.

Basketball is soooo democratic...all kinds of mid majors play in the tourney....Can they win it? No. Not in 27 years (85 Villanova)

And mid majors are far more competitive in basketball than in big money football.

The data does not support a claim of equality by the midmajors . Sure, Appallachian State beat Michigan once (but they also lost to Wofford and Georgia Southern)... that one win doesn't mean that they could play Michigan's schedule.

[Eric]

I don't know if that would happen or not. The MAC usually finds assistants who are on the rise or FCS coaches who they think are underhired. Being a head coach and proving yourself as a head coach opens the door to bigger head coaching gigs in the BCS conferences; the potential deduction in pay may be worth the risk if you're a Pete Lembo, Darrell Hazell, or Dave Doeren.

I think the gap will more or less stay the same, depending on the size of the playoff field and whether or not they hand out auto-bids so some 8-4 team that isn't all that great can back into the postseason by upsetting the other division winner in a championship game. That would give middle of the road programs a big leg up on non-BCS teams that are at a similar level. But, non-BCS teams that field competitive teams usually find diamonds in the rough or they develop guys in ways that the other schools can't. So that will never change.

[donovan]

There will always be a gap. Bullies can not exist without the gap.

[billybud]

Neither can welfare.

[donovan]

Neither can welfare.

Absolutely correct...applies to many aspects of our lives...thanks for reminding us of the perspective.

And....the big issue with the gap is this...I think....ESPN has to have a national audience. They can not generate revenue in a single locale to cover their costs. So they will promote a national audience and, and this is said with observation, they will create it in the minds of the masses, even if it is only a figment of their imagination.

You title says it all, that is exactly what is and will happen.

[billybud]

The reason that America is disliked through much of the world...and called a "bully"...is because of the gap. The gap in wealth, in living standard, in pervasive culture and language.

America is a "have" and those that are "have nots" will continue to talk about the deleterious effect of having an "Alabama" in their midst. The have nots will always play the victim, and always blame the fact that they are a "have not" on those who "have".

Football, world politics...the mechanisms are the same.

[Spence]

The reason that America is disliked through much of the world...and called a "bully"...is because of the gap. The gap in wealth, in living standard, in pervasive culture and language.

America is a "have" and those that are "have nots" will continue to talk about the deleterious effect of having an "Alabama" in their midst. The have nots will always play the victim, and always blame the fact that they are a "have not" on those who "have".

Football, world politics...the mechanisms are the same.

I don't agree with that entirely. Alabama gets to prove they are good. Last year they got a second chance to prove they were good. I mid major like Boise State for several years didn't get a shot to prove themselves. It wasn't that Boise State was wanting to start up 14 -0 against a major. As long as there is a path to success, that is all you can ask for. The path may be harder for some teams over others, but there should at least be a path. That is not welfare. A team like Boise State proved over time they were good. They beat major conference teams so did TCU. Ball State didn't deserve the same consideration, because just winning shouldn't be everything, but it should count for a lot. CFB should not be a caste system, where the conference you are in determines your lot in life.

That is very different than creating an unfair advantage for schools who come from conferences that are considered to be at a disadvantage. I have never heard any one from these schools asking they should be given five downs a series or that they have an extra two guys on each side of the ball to make it "fair".

[billybud]

You just heard a guy worry that a playoff would lock out a SMU and brought up Appallachian State....

A playoff will also leave oout about six Top 10 teams...and 21 Ranked teams....

Boise has a shot....all that they have to do is end up in the top four....

[Spence]

You just heard a guy worry that a playoff would lock out a SMU and brought up Appallachian State....

A playoff will also leave oout about six Top 10 teams...and 21 Ranked teams....

Boise has a shot....all that they have to do is end up in the top four....

And I don't have a problem with that. What causes me problem is the system that picks the four. They have proven not to be the most reliable bunch.

Of course we all know that they aren't going to hold at four for long. That is just the way to get the presidents on board with a play off. I would expect and 8 to 16 team playoff sometime in the next 10 years.

[billybud]

There is no real way to pick the best four of 122 teams...or even 64 teams. It will always be somewhat controversial.

When they seed in basketball it is not without controversey. The only way to pick the best team is a round robin...and even that method has flaws.

[Spence]

I agree and the more teams you add the more controversial the ones that are left out become. I believe at the end of the day that the conference championships will become the first round of playoffs. I think it will eventually come to that in four or five 20 team conferences.