Big Ten and other Conference Expansion

[cjmik_75]

Big 12 should just add Rice and SMU.

Bada bing bada boom.

 

[Dryden]

Big 12 should just add Rice and SMU.

The fact that those are the two best schools you could come up with for Big 12 expansion illustrates just how fucked that conference is.

 

[brodybuck21]

The fact that those are the two best schools you could come up with for Big 12 expansion illustrates just how fucked that conference is.

its already a glorified 7 on 7 league so............

 

[cjmik_75]

The fact that those are the two best schools you could come up with for Big 12 expansion illustrates just how fucked that conference is.

Exactly. Plus both schools wouldn't need much courting to join the b12, so there's that.

 

[RB07OSU]

I asked this in another thread but just what the hell is so impressive about miss st?

Not much but I think they lose to Ole Miss and it becomes a non-starter. I am personally still hoping they lose to Ole Miss and Bama loses to Auburn...the latter I do not find all that likely, but a two loss West vs. a likely two loss East would warm the cockles of my heart aside from likely assuring us a spot.

 

[SloopyHangOn]

The fact that those are the two best schools you could come up with for Big 12 expansion illustrates just how fucked that conference is.

I spent a lot of time mulling that over in a conversation with my wife a few days ago. There really isn't a good option.

She's pretty convinced that we're on our way to the P5 splitting off from the rest of D1 and forming four 20 team regional conferences. If that were to happen I think you get the West (Pac-12 + BigXII defectors), North (B1G + BigXII defectors), South (SEC + BigXII defectors) and East (ACC + BigXII defectors).

• 10 game regular season round robin.
• Conference championship games stay as is.
• Regional winners get automatic playoff bid.
• 4 at-large teams chosen from the rest of the pool.
• First round playoff games at higher seeds' stadiums.
• Final Four stays the same as it is now.

You lose some significance to the non-playoff "traditional bowls", but I could be okay with that for a system of the ilk.

 

[UpNorth_Buckeye]

I spent a lot of time mulling that over in a conversation with my wife a few days ago. There really isn't a good option.

She's pretty convinced that we're on our way to the P5 splitting off from the rest of D1 and forming four 20 team regional conferences. If that were to happen I think you get the West (Pac-12 + BigXII defectors), North (B1G + BigXII defectors), South (SEC + BigXII defectors) and East (ACC + BigXII defectors).

• 10 game regular season round robin.
• Conference championship games stay as is.
• Regional winners get automatic playoff bid.
• 4 at-large teams chosen from the rest of the pool.
• First round playoff games at higher seeds' stadiums.
• Final Four stays the same as it is now.

You lose some significance to the non-playoff "traditional bowls", but I could be okay with that for a system of the ilk.

I think 16 team conferences are more likely. That makes it 64 teams instead of 80, which is probably too much. You could then have basically what you said, the championship game being a play in to the playoffs, and maybe throw in 2 at larges making it 6 teams, with the top 2 seeds getting a bye (the "wildcard" round could be played at the 2 conference champions home stadiums as stated). Or 4 at larges with no byes for a standard 8 team playoff.

 

[BUCKYLE]

You mean #9 SCe ... they'd totally be undefeated in any other conference.

In your heart of hearts, you believe this.

 

[SloopyHangOn]

I think 16 team conferences are more likely. That makes it 64 teams instead of 80, which is probably too much. You could then have basically what you said, the championship game being a play in to the playoffs, and maybe throw in 2 at larges making it 6 teams, with the top 2 seeds getting a bye (the "wildcard" round could be played at the 2 conference champions home stadiums as stated). Or 4 at larges with no byes for a standard 8 team playoff.

The only problem I see with 16 team conferences is the necessity of cross divisional play.

If your conference winner gets an auto-bid, you want the championship game to be a clean cut, best of each half battle for all the marbles. Then a committee (or BCS like system) could determine your at-large teams from the leftovers. When you are forced to schedule a couple of cross divisional opponents each year you're bound to have teams that play the best two teams across the line and teams that play the worst two teams across the line. This makes selecting your pool of at-large teams a matter of scheduling rather than a matter of on-the-field success.

I also can't see byes working out in college football with the kind of parity the top 8 teams often have (not to mention the disparity of practice time being a foreseeable issue). Imagine this year if #1 and #2 got byes at the end of the regular season while 3 played 6 and 4 played 5. You thought the shit-show about "Who's #4" was bad? Now you're basically having a committee choose which two teams deserve the significant advantage of NOT playing a play-in game.

I think it's more likely the NCAA adds 2 more bowls to the "New Years" bowls and goes to 8 teams with 4 at-large than 6 teams with a bye round.

Anyway. That's a whole other topic for a whole other thread.

Although, if we're talking about who might be those top 8 come "Selection Tuesday" I think you're looking at (in no particular order).

• Bama/MSST/UGA (pick 2)
• tOSU/MSU/Wiscy (pick 2)
• Oregon
• TCU
• Baylor

That'd make a hell of a playoff.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

I spent a lot of time mulling that over in a conversation with my wife a few days ago. There really isn't a good option.

She's pretty convinced that we're on our way to the P5 splitting off from the rest of D1 and forming four 20 team regional conferences. If that were to happen I think you get the West (Pac-12 + BigXII defectors), North (B1G + BigXII defectors), South (SEC + BigXII defectors) and East (ACC + BigXII defectors).

• 10 game regular season round robin.
• Conference championship games stay as is.
• Regional winners get automatic playoff bid.
• 4 at-large teams chosen from the rest of the pool.
• First round playoff games at higher seeds' stadiums.
• Final Four stays the same as it is now.

You lose some significance to the non-playoff "traditional bowls", but I could be okay with that for a system of the ilk.

The total number of teams in the Power Five is no where near 80 teams, so I don't know where those 80 teams would come from...

I think 16 team conferences are more likely. That makes it 64 teams instead of 80, which is probably too much. You could then have basically what you said, the championship game being a play in to the playoffs, and maybe throw in 2 at larges making it 6 teams, with the top 2 seeds getting a bye (the "wildcard" round could be played at the 2 conference champions home stadiums as stated). Or 4 at larges with no byes for a standard 8 team playoff.

Five 16-team conferences is doable if we really needed 80 teams...that way we can keep the current Power Five conference just by adding teams in each to reach 16 teams. Take the five conference champs and three wild-cards and put them in an eight-team playoff.

 

[UpNorth_Buckeye]

The total number of teams in the Power Five is no where near 80 teams, so I don't know where those 80 teams would come from...


Five 16-team conferences is doable if we really needed 80 teams...that way we can keep the current Power Five conference just by adding teams in each to reach 16 teams. Take the five conference champs and three wild-cards and put them in an eight-team playoff.

Agreed on being nowhere near 80, I think it's at 62. Which is why I think 4 16 team conferences is best. I suppose if we stay at 5 conferences and want an even split amount conferences, we could move to 5 14 team conferences. B1G and SEC stand pat and ACC/Pac12 add 2 and Big 12 add 4. But even that is probably asking for too much in terms of who you're adding, particularly in the Big 12's footprint.

 

[SloopyHangOn]

The total number of teams in the Power Five is no where near 80 teams, so I don't know where those 80 teams would come from...

I'm sure we could find 14 non P5 schools (Assuming ND and BYU fall in) with consistent enough performance to get an invite.

Five 16-team conferences is doable if we really needed 80 teams...that way we can keep the current Power Five conference just by adding teams in each to reach 16 teams. Take the five conference champs and three wild-cards and put them in an eight-team playoff.

I just don't see an odd number of 16 team conferences solving any issues. Nothing really clean cut about it.

Also, sorry for the derailment. If someone wants to split this conversation into an appropriate setting I'd appreciate it.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

I'm sure we could find 18 non P5 schools (Assuming ND and BYU fall in) with consistent enough performance to get an invite.



I just don't see an odd number of 16 team conferences solving any issues. Nothing really clean cut about it.

Also, sorry for the derailment. If someone wants to split this conversation into an appropriate setting I'd appreciate it.

20-team conferences are too big...might as well go back to 10-team conferences.

 

[SloopyHangOn]

20-team conferences are too big...might as well go back to 10-team conferences.

Which is exactly what it'd be.

10 team conferences where you play everyone then you play your nearest regional conference's champion to go to the playoffs.

 

[Bill Lucas]

So it would effectively make an eight team playoff. Win your side and you're in.