I'm just going to put this here, where nobody asked me to.
We can't go back in time on alignment and all that.
Here's my going forward to go back idea, all laid out.
We get 3 big 20-team conferences that comprise the current P4. So a P3. A P3 that is separated from the G5-types, who will have their own national championship. No lawsuits.
Why?
So we can get back to everyone playing everyone else in their division/conference. For this idea, it's best to view each division I list as a conference, but under the larger umbrella of the actual conference.
So what's it look like?
Well, we'll start with the SEC. We're at 16 teams now, and since we can't go back and contract any of them, we'll have to add. To get to 20, we'll poach the ACC/XII pair, just as the Big Ten will.
But the divisions will be founding members in one and all the newbies in the other.
Original Recipe: UF, UGA, UTk, Vandy, UK, OM, MSU, AU, Bama, LSU
Johnny-Come-Lately: Arky, USCe, A&M, Mizzou, Texas, OU + Virginia, VA Tech, UNC, NCST
We added 4 that expand the contiguous footprint (as if that matters anymore). Brings in academics and rivalries.
Big Ten:
Originals: UM, MSU, OSU, IU, PUR, ILL, NW, Minn, Wis, IOWA
Newbies: PSU, Rut, MD, Neb, USC, UCLA, Oregon, UW + Arizona, ASU
Expands the western position, both are AAU members and rivals
The third conference of 20 is a mashup of the ACC and XII. And a little surprise:
East: Miami, FSU, Clemson, GT, Pitt, UL, Duke, Syr, WV, ND
West: Utah, BYU, TT, KU, KSU, CU, Cal, Stan, SMU, TCU
ND joins a conference, because they have to. They will play every team in their division. Period.
We've got some plus academic schools, and yes, the Big Atlantic 20 West division is the weakest in the sport, but out of six divisions, one is going to be the weakest. Shrug.
Postseason:
each division winner is into the 8-team playoff. Conf championship games are for seeding and hosting a 1st round game. 6 teams, 3 winners.
3 winners host a playoff game. 3 losers OR one of the 2 at-large teams will host a game as well.
2 at-large teams get in, probably based on whoever ESPN wants. Or a committee. Or a computer poll. Or draw straws. Whatever. The point is everyone is on equal footing here and will have earned it. And no first-round rematches. That's just stupid.
1st round is on campuses (4 games), with the semis and NCG rotating between the old guard: Sugar, Orange, Rose.
That leaves a lot of really good teams outside the playoff.
There will be 8 and only 8 "other" bowls. Less is more. Instead of everyone having a bowl, they just tie-in with an existing one and get on their board and pretend to be a big-wig with their monies brought in.
Cotton, Fiesta, Holiday, Peach, Citrus, Sun, Gator, Liberty - basically the ones with history and/or big ones. The Fiesta and Peach sort of bought their way in over 30+ years. The Sun, Gator, Liberty, and Holiday are long-standing and we're going to respect that.
Winning your division matters most. And you get to play everyone you're competing with there.
Winning your conference matters with hosting a playoff game, especially with no byes.
No one is punished for losing their CCG.
There are still 2 at-large bids for elite teams who maybe lost a tie-breaker or something.
All of this is possible by moving forward to go back to how it was. Sort of. Get the conferences so big, that the divisions become the old conferences.
This year:
Big Ten CG: Indiana vs Oregon
SEC CG: Georgia vs Texas A&M
BA20 CG: Notre Dame vs Texas Tech
At-large: Ohio St and Ole Miss
If the higher-ranked teams win the CGs:
Ole Miss @ Ohio State
Texas A&M @ Indiana
Oregon @ Notre Dame
Texas Tech @ Georgia
Something like that. If a team misses the playoff because they didn't win their division in which they played everyone else AND the AI super-computer committee of the roundtable didn't pick them, then tough shit.
Poke some holes in it. Ask questions. Where do I sign up to be the czar of college football?!?!
