I imagine this subject has been discussed frequently here, so if there's a thread to which you can point me that would be great. Here's a link to a couple of playoff proposals of mine. http://www.gasf.com/comm/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=27459 Let me know what you think. I'd love to see other ideas as well.

I think it's a good suggestion for a playoff format, but i'm mostly against a playoff system...a lot of times, the better team loses in an early round, or the best teams don't always get picked to be in the playoffs...

I have a suggestion for a Playoff System...if you want to have a true playoff system....then you must pick the best teams....that's why i suggest that we use a combination of the computer, coaches poll and media polls (BCS Polls!!!) to pick the top 25 teams and place them into a playoff system...

4 regions of 6 teams (one region will have 7 teams and a play in game between the 6 and 7 seed...)

I'll use the BCS Polls to place the teams into Regions...

East

1.Michigan
2.Ohio State
3.Miami
4.Purdue
5.Nebraska
6.Bowling Green
7.Minnesota

Southeast

1.LSU
2.Florida State
3.Georgia
4.Florida
5.Mississippi
6.Maryland

Southwest

1.Oklahoma
2.Tennessee
3.Miami(OH)
4.Iowa
5.TCU
6.Oklahoma State

West

1.USC
2.Texas
3.Kansas State
4.Washington State
5.Boise State
6.Utah

There you have it...forget the conference championship games...all that would really matter is how you finish...

Region with the play in game:

#6 seed vs. #7 seed
Winner of the play in game gets the #6 seed...

First round:

#5 Seed vs. #6 Seed
#3 Seed vs. #4 Seed

Second round:

Winner of 5/6 vs. #1 Seed
Winner of 3/4 vs. #2 Seed

Regional Championship:

Winners of the Second round

====================

Final Four:

East Region Champ vs. Southeast Region Champ
West Region Champ vs. Southwest Region Champ

National Championship:

Winners of the Final Four Games...


I think this would be the best way to have a playoff system... you could shrink this down to 20 teams...with the two bottom teams in each region having a play-in game...or even shrink it down to 16 teams...then however you finish in the top 25 determines whether you go to the playoffs or not...

For the First and Second Rounds, the higher seeded teams get the home games...then for the Regional Championship, neutral sites could be used(old Bowl Games) the Final Four games can be hosted at one of the old BCS spots...

Yes this method does eliminate some conferences from even getting into the playoffs...but it's better than having a fluke of a playoffs where a North Texas team could somehow knock off #3 or #4 ranked team... sure it's a great story to discuss if that did happen...but it's not a true indication of how either team did during the season...or the best way to run a playoff...These are just my thoughts and ideas...

I have thought about another playoff system...


First Round:

#3 Seed vs. #5 Seed
#4 Seed vs. #6 Seed

Second Round

#3/5 vs. #1 Seed
#4/6 vs. #2 Seed

This way, it's more of a level playing field instead of giving the #1 seed easier games to play...instead of playing the winner of a 5/6 match, the #1 see would probably have to play a #3 seed before moving to the #2 seed...

I agree that ideally you would simply use some formula to determine the best 8 or 16 teams and let them play it out. In most years 8 would be enough if you just took the best 8, but once every 15-20 seasons even that isn't enough. The main problem with 8 is that it absolutely shuts out minor conference teams just as the BCS does now. Politically, I don't think a playoff system will pass without at least some of the minor conference teams being on board. So, you go to 16 and give them a shot, though I don't agree with giving every conference an automatic bid. There need to be minimum standards. I think the ones I lay out in my article are reasonable.