Tag: Wisconsin

Alabama Is The Chosen One

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

Alabama-To-Join-Clemson-Oklahoma-amp-Georgia-In-College-Football-Playoff

When the dust settled on Saturday night, there was only 1 decision to make:

A 2-Loss Team Vs. A Team that didn’t even play in its own conference championship.

No matter the direction the college football playoff committee went, 1 would rejoice, the other would use the committee’s name in vain.

Ohio State took on undefeated Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship. Presumably, if Wisconsin had won, the committee would’ve been hard pressed not to put a 13-0 team, from a Power 5 Conference, in the playoff (strength of schedule be damned). However, Ohio State handled their business, serving Wisconsin their 1st loss, 27-21.

And then there’s Alabama. The Crimson Tide. Nick Saban’s playground. College football’s gold standard. Well, you get the point. Until their final game of the season, they sat atop the college football rankings, sporting an undefeated record. A 26-14 loss @ Auburn would be their 1 and only blemish on the season. Due to their “weak” schedule, doubt crept in as they watched the SEC Championship from home.

Alabama is in the college football playoff because they’re Alabama. Yes, they only lost 1 game, but it’s hard to fall back on their record when their signature win is a 31-24 road win against Mississippi State. On the other hand, while Ohio State has 2 signature wins over top-4 teams, they also lost 2 games. Let’s just say it’s tough to overcome a 55-24 beat down from an extremely mediocre Iowa team.

Speaking of bad losses, the top ranked Clemson Tigers lone loss on the season came at the hands of Syracuse (27-24). This is, by far, the worst loss of the 4 teams in the playoff, yet they remain #1. This speaks to the parody that continues to creep into college football. Which speaks to my proposal of an 8-team playoff. I’ve been screaming it all year. It just makes sense.

More games = more money. Period.

Until that happens, were stuck with a 4-game playoff:

#1 – Clemson                                                                                  #2 – Oklahoma

vs.                                                                                                     vs.

#4 – Alabama                                                                                 #3 – Georgia

(New Year’s Day @ 8:45 P.M)                                                   (New Year’s Day @ 5:00 P.M.) 

*National Championship Will Be Played on January 8th, 2018 @ 8:00 P.M.

At least we don’t have to wait a month for these games….

 

Did the college football committee get it right?? Please post your opinion in the comment section below.

You can now find me on the Radio too. Download the TuneIn Radio App and search OWWR. I’ll be on live every Wednesday from 6:10 P.M. – 8:00 P.M EST. I also broadcast every show on Facebook Live via my DaveTalksSports.com Facebook Page: http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports .

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like my page on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. You can also Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading!! Now go tell all your friends!!

Evolve Or Die, College Football’s Dilemma

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

the u

It was chaos. Mayhem. Cats and dogs living together. It was just what the doctor ordered for any true college football fan. Multiple teams were dropped from the college playoff ranking this week after embarrassing, blowout losses. Monkey wrench, thrown in….

Notre Dame dropped from #3 to #8 following a beat down of epic proportions by Miami. With fate in their own hands, and a 1-point loss to Georgia as the only blemish on their resume, Notre Dame folded like a cheap suit. 41-8 is not the storybook ending the Fighting Irish were hoping for. ‘The U’ happily took Notre Dame’s #3 ranking this week.

Georgia also took a tumble, from #1 to #7, thanks to a crushing 40-17 defeat at the hands of the Auburn Tigers. Auburn is now knocking at the door at #6 despite having 2 losses on their record. With a showdown with now #1 Alabama just 2 weeks away, that monkey wrench may get a lot bigger. Auburn being a crucial part of this year’s college football playoff equation, is irony at its finest. For a refresher of the effects of Auburn’s 2004 undefeated season, click here.

In 2014, the NCAA (finally) changed their postseason format to a 4-team, bracket-style, playoff. This has added intrigue to college football, as more teams remain in contention for the national championship. And just 4 seasons since its inception, the college football playoff must evolve again.

The world needs the college football playoff to expand to 8 teams.

The playoffs, in any sport, are used to narrow the field, in order to determine a champion. The challenge, in every sport, is to draw a line in the sand in determining that field.

Here are the current playoff fields for every sport you care about:

NFL – 12 out of 32

MLB – 10 out of 30    

NBA – 16 out of 30

NHL – 16 out of 31

NCAA Basketball – 68 out of 351

As you can see, college football is behind the times. Rather than be reactive, college football should be proactive. Expanding the field to 8 teams would increase and prolong viewership, without watering down the playoff field. While I understand there will be ‘an odd man out’ in any format, this would alleviate a lot of headaches (and crying).

There are no logistical issues in the way, only approval from the powers that be. While this idea is awesome, and can be implemented next year, don’t hold your breath.

For now, let’s hope Alabama loses to Auburn, Georgia loses to Auburn, Clemson beats Miami, Oklahoma loses to Ohio State, and Wisconsin goes undefeated. Because nothing screams controversy like an undefeated team not making the playoffs.

 

Do you think the college football playoff should be expanded to 8 teams?? If not, post your format idea in the comment section below.

You can now find me on the Radio too. Download the TuneIn Radio App and search OWWR. I’ll be on live every Wednesday from 6:10 P.M. – 8:00 P.M EST. I also broadcast every show on Facebook Live via my DaveTalksSports.com Facebook Page: http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports .

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like my page on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. You can also Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading!! Now go tell all your friends!!