The Long Road and Why an Eight Team Playoff is Not Humane

[ALTideUp]

So, here is the Crimson Tide, having won another punishing game, the fourth such game in a string that started with LSU and surprisingly included the WCU game. After each they were physically beat up. After the three SEC tilts they were also emotionally drained. In the old days, last night would have been the end, save for a bowl game in a sunny spot that occurred after a month of rest, the conclusion of final exams, and some holiday time with family.

But it is the age of the CFB playoff and there are still three games left, all of which are likely to be as draining as the last four. Each of which is a make or break proposition. I really worry about the toll this schedule takes on these young players. To make matters worse, it is becoming increasingly clear that teams won't get into the playoffs with patsies on their schedule, so the regular season games will also become more demanding and punishing.

 The combination of the physical beating the the mental demands may already be too much for 18-22 year old kids. I honestly do not see how an 8 game playoff, requiring an addition game, could be survivable for the two teams that end up in the final game. We already run the risk that the final game may end up being a sloppy affair between injury riddled and mentally exhausted teams. I fear the that an additional game will leave us with a final championship game that does not represent the highest expression of excellence in college football because the teams will be shadows of their regular season selves.

[bamaphil]

At some point, possibly as soon as next week, a team that would have been in the playoff is going to lose a conference championship game and get left out.  The conferences may begin to question the value of a conference championship.  I think at some point we may see the conference championships dropped in favor of an eight team playoff.  On the other hand, more games means more money, so they may just keep adding games.

[pmull]

I am in favor of only playing 11 regular season games. The 12th game only added a cupcake to everyone's schedule. I am also in favor of 9 conference games and one marquee OOC game leaving SEC schools one cupcake.

An 8 team playoff would mean 4 teams play an extra game and 2 teams play 2 extra. They will get several weeks off to rest up after the regular season is over and the playoff/bowl season starts. I think these 18-23 year old kids can handle it. They do at every other level of organized football.

[Catch Prothro]

I am in favor of only playing 11 regular season games. The 12th game only added a cupcake to everyone's schedule. I am also in favor of 9 conference games and one marquee OOC game leaving SEC schools one cupcake.

An 8 team playoff would mean 4 teams play an extra game and 2 teams play 2 extra. They will get several weeks off to rest up after the regular season is over and the playoff/bowl season starts. I think these 18-23 year old kids can handle it. They do at every other level of organized football.

I mostly agree with your first paragraph.  The 12th game just adds a cupcake, which is nice to get the younger players some experience, but still subjects the starters to injuries...  Cooper against W. Carolina, and a certain QB a few years ago.  The team would be better off with a bye week IMO, but it's about the money, not the student athletes.

I see you agree with Saban's idea of a 9th conference game.  But I'm not sure Saban includes that and a marquee OOC game, because he talks about this game instead of playing teams like W. Virginia or Virginia Tech.  9 games plus a marquee OOC game is 10 tough games in a season.  I think a marquee OOC game is becoming more important in this playoff era, and to keep SEC's position in the conference rankings solidified.  (This week didn't help, though, with the SEC getting killed by the ACC, 0-4).

I don't see the need for an 8-team playoff.  Many years there are two clear-cut teams, other years it is a bit more blurry, and there are three or four teams that could be in a championship game, but I've never seen a season where there were more than 4 teams, and especially not 8 teams, deserving of a championship game berth. 

[SUPERCOACH]

The more teams you add, the more you increase the chances of an undeserving team just getting lucky.  It would be horrible if the top teams suffered injuries in round 1, and then an undeserving #8 seed ended up winning it all because they managed to make it through unscathed.

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