The college presidents finally approved a four-team football playoff. It has been a long time coming and some details are still to be determined, but this will change the college postseason for the better. I also think that this system benefits a school like BC. First the good news.
1. We don't have to be perfect. Under the old system BC needed to go undefeated and hope that only one other BCS team also went undefeated. The polling system always favored the traditional powers. There will still be plenty of bias in the selection committee, but supposedly there will be a formula that incorporates win-loss, strength of schedule, and conference championships. In this world a 11-2 ACC Champion BC team might earn a playoff spot. This also means that any great BC team (13-0, 12-1) will surely be in.
2. We still have a seat at the table. The ACC has been damaged in this process. It's the Big Four and us. That will hurt in recruiting and in rankings. But at least we are still at the big table. The ACC will have its turn on the selection committee and we can still pitch access to the playoffs to recruits and fans.
3. An expanded playoff is coming. Everyone is quick to point out that the Presidents don't want playoff creep and that it will be a four-team format for 12 years. I think it will stay at four teams for five years at the most. There will be too much public pressure to expand and too much money to ignore. An eight-team playoff is even better for BC financially and access wise.
4. The ACC will be rewarded for playing nine conference games. Strength of schedule is a factor in the selection. With the ACC playing nine games, we will get a SOS benefit that other conferences don't when they play patsies. This also might have BC rethink its annual FCS game.
This is the bad news.
1. The ACC is still poachable. Florida State or Clemson might have an easier path to the playoff from the ACC, but there is no built in advantage like there might have been under a strict conference champion provision. As long as other conferences offer more money, schools might leave.
2. There will be a human element to the selection committee. There will be bias and subjectivity. BC will always face an uphill battle against the power brokers. I know that we will be the "5th" team at least once in my lifetime.
3. The bowl system lives on (sort of). The old boys running the playoff protected their cronies at the bowls. They're less important and will face new financial pressure, but the bowls still live on. And their distaste for BC and our travel reputation will not go away. So this means that is will always be playoff or bust for BC.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
7 comments:
Thanks for keeping us up to speed on this, ATL.
What BC needs to do is the same thing we have had to do since we joined the ACC.
We have to establish the goal every season to WIN THE ATLANTIC DIVISION.
It's possible to do that with a record of 5 and 3 - 6 and 3 once Syracuse and Pitt begin play.
Generally though, we would have to go 6 and 2 - 7 and 2 in the future.
As an example, this year we would have to beat 4 of our 5 Divisional rivals and 2 of the 3 Coastal opponents.
FSU
Clemson
NC State
WF
MD
Plus
Miami
VT
GT
We can’t much care about playoffs until we have a confidence to be successful in our own Division, combined with a year in and year out very tough Coastal bunch being thrown at us.
Recap - Boston College must go 6 and 2 (later 7 and 2) in the ACC - goal #1 win our Division.
Goal #2 win the ACCCG - and bring 10K fans at least to Charlotte.
Goal #3 - we can’t see that far yet, thanks to GDF. But we are not going to roll over and play dead. We will be BC long after GDF is gone and forgotten.
Go BC - beat Miami - 65 days.
"In this world a 11-2 ACC Champion BC team might earn a playoff spot."
Zero chance.
You don't even have to look at maybe. Florida St. and Clemson will jump for the big money. Commentators have stated that the Big East will collapse and possibly the ACC. BC is just standing there waiting for the ax to fall. Not much to be done until the musical chairs starts.
JBQ,
Florida State and Clemson would be CRAZY to leave the relatively weak ACC for the more difficult Big 12 or SEC.
The chances of Florida State, Clemson, or Virginia Tech going undefeated in the ACC are better than these same schools going undefeated in the Big 12 or SEC. So these schools have a more realistic chance of making the Top 4 in the ACC than they do in the other two leagues.
I think the playoff neutralizes the conference expansion(If these Presidents and Athletic Directors use their brains). Why would you want to switch conferences to make $3 million more a year when you can make the playoff and get ALOT more and a legitimate chance at a National Championship . . . the Championship is the whole point.
The only way BC is in play is if the playoffs are expanded to 16 teams. Even with mighty Matt Ryan,we would not have qualified for an 8-team playoff. 16 teams gives us a chance. 8 or 4 team formats leave BC shut out.
I agree with eagleboston and Mike; Knuckle's comments are interesting.
JBQ - if it becomes more musical chairs, it's really not good for college football.
If you're not in 1 of the 4 leagues or mighty ND, you might as well drop the sport - is that what we're saying?
I say B... S...!
How many times in our history have we ever been close to the top at the end of the season anyway? And yet I have had many wonderful times at Alumni over the years.
We are capable of Top 25 play and we are capable of beating anyone on our schedule if we get up to our own potential.
Are we like an SEC team? - hell no. I was in Knoxville last week and I feel sorry for Dooley. That stadium is 2 1/2 times larger than ours. On game day - there is nothing else to do there. When they don't win it's miserable over there. This is an example.
We are a small school in a great city. We can't be what we are not - and we shouldn't want to be.
Go BC!
Post a Comment