Has College Football Competition Become Obsolete?

[Nittanyplayer#12]

After a stinging loss last night, all I could think about were possible scenarios for the rest of the season. After coming to the conclusion that if OSU loses one game but wins the B1G championship,we'll be left out again on the sole reason were not OSU. Then I began to think about other teams and conferences. I put other teams in the same scenario and basically found 3 teams who have the same name value/privilege as OSU when selecting CFP.

Bama of course could lose 2 games and still get in on the sole reason they're Bama and how early in the season they lost.

USC, when dominating, could be tied with Stanford or Washington with 1 loss and still make it in with a 1 lose non conference championship.

ND because everyone loves ND and they don't have to play a conference title game.

Has College Football become a system of privilege and name over who deserves and or is better?

 

[Zone-Blitz]

You’re just now finding this out? Must be young

 

[BobPSU92]

In the old days, teams got invited to bowl games (not as many conference tie-ins). There obviously was bias back then too.

 

[fairfaxlion2]

After a stinging loss last night, all I could think about were possible scenarios for the rest of the season. After coming to the conclusion that if OSU loses one game but wins the B1G championship,we'll be left out again on the sole reason were not OSU. Then I began to think about other teams and conferences. I put other teams in the same scenario and basically found 3 teams who have the same name value/privilege as OSU when selecting CFP.

Bama of course could lose 2 games and still get in on the sole reason they're Bama and how early in the season they lost.

USC, when dominating, could be tied with Stanford or Washington with 1 loss and still make it in with a 1 lose non conference championship.

ND because everyone loves ND and they don't have to play a conference title game.

Has College Football become a system of privilege and name over who deserves and or is better?

The sport has been ruined. It has become pro boxing. The analysts, in fact, have become promoters. And ESPN keeps turning it into a weird NASCAR-like experience. As far as I can tell, the teams who are always at the top of the heap are truly committed to football-only ways. The top caoches are now making $10 million per year. It is basically out of control. When that bubble bursts, it will burst spectacularly. It's hard to say when exactly the sport got ruined, but it was in the past 15 years. In the '80s and '90s the sport had some issues but it was not all-consuming like today. As much as I hate to see the team miss the CFP, in some ways it is hard to care that our program is not quite Alabama, Clemson, or Ohio State. I'm not sure it's really a good thing to be there.

And a lot of PSU fan wanted to make the CFP very badly because it would be a huge FU to a lot of people who were cheering for our demise five years ago. It would not have been as satisfying as you think. 1) the sports media would still spin it negatively; and 2) it is not clear to me that many people even watch the CFP (I think it's possibly a complete bust).

 

[theXbomber]

If they lose to Michigan in their last regular season game and lost by two plus touchdowns at home I doubt very much they get in. They are no doubt in the driver's seat but have to run the table. We have to obviously run the table and next week is going to be tough (injuries , trap game, etc). Our 1 point loss in a great game in the road leaves us far from dead. It's college football strange things happen.

 

[Nittanyplayer#12]

You’re just now finding this out? Must be young

Always knew and believed this but wanted to hear some feedback of others.

Were we or will we ever be on this pedestal?

 

[BobPSU92]

The sport has been ruined. It has become pro boxing. The analysts, in fact, have become promoters. And ESPN keeps turning it into a weird NASCAR-like experience. As far as I can tell, the teams who are always at the top of the heap are truly committed to football-only ways. The top caoches are now making $10 million per year. It is basically out of control. When that bubble bursts, it will burst spectacularly. It's hard to say when exactly the sport got ruined, but it was in the past 15 years. In the '80s and '90s the sport had some issues but it was not all-consuming like today. As much as I hate to see the team miss the CFP, in some ways it is hard to care that our program is not quite Alabama, Clemson, or Ohio State. I'm not sure it's really a good thing to be there.

Good points. Franklin is a bit of a throwback, and to the OUTRAGED. , I don't mean with the X's and O's. Obviously I mean the way he openly cares about his players (family), academics, and the school. Franklin doesn't just talk football. He talks about the entire experience, much like a guy who once coached at Penn State for a long time.

Hopefully Penn State never sells its soul.

Given what you said, plus considering the bullshit that went on with Penn State over the past few years (media, ncaa, false narrative), I find that I care about college football a lot less than I used to. I never watch college football shows and rarely watch games that don't involve Penn State. While I am all-in for Penn State on game day, the losses don't affect me like they used to. There's just too much bullshit nowadays. I am content that Penn State is competitive and is doing it the right way. The program is headed in the right direction in all respects under Franklin. Take pride in that. It is rare these days.

 

[klemman]

There is a bias in thinking that one team is more deserving of getting into the playoffs and best bowls, but it’s not because of their tradition, it’s because they’ve earned that benefit of the doubt in recent history. Sure Alabama is and OSU have been getting that benefit for awhile, but look what they’ve done- especially Alabama. Clemson is getting a benefit of the doubt right now, but wouldn’t have 5 years ago.

USC? Where were they ranked going into this weekend? There were 2 or 3, 6-1 teams ranked ahead of them going into this weekend depending on the poll. Notre Dame will get a lot of credibility if they win out because of the level of competition they will have beaten to close the year, but they’re still ranked 9 or 10 this past Friday.

Go 11-1 with a big bowl victory this year and be a top contender through next year and you’ll be getting the benefit of the doubt as well.

 

[Nittanyplayer#12]

There is a bias in thinking that one team is more deserving of getting into the playoffs and best bowls, but it’s not because of their tradition, it’s because they’ve earned that benefit of the doubt in recent history. Sure Alabama is and OSU have been getting that benefit for awhile, but look what they’ve done- especially Alabama. Clemson is getting a benefit of the doubt right now, but wouldn’t have 5 years ago.

USC? Where were they ranked going into this weekend? There were 2 or 3, 6-1 teams ranked ahead of them going into this weekend depending on the poll. Notre Dame will get a lot of credibility if they win out because of the level of competition they will have beaten to close the year, but they’re still ranked 9 or 10 this past Friday.

Go 11-1 with a big bowl victory this year and be a top contender through next year and you’ll be getting the benefit of the doubt as well.

You must be an OSU fan because that was the most BS I've heard all day. "It’s not because of their tradition It’s because they’ve earned that benefit of the doubt in recent history", that's a privilege statement if I ever heard one and you're on the OSU receiving end of it.

 

[Beaver-Stadium]

After a stinging loss last night, all I could think about were possible scenarios for the rest of the season. After coming to the conclusion that if OSU loses one game but wins the B1G championship,we'll be left out again on the sole reason were not OSU. Then I began to think about other teams and conferences. I put other teams in the same scenario and basically found 3 teams who have the same name value/privilege as OSU when selecting CFP.

Bama of course could lose 2 games and still get in on the sole reason they're Bama and how early in the season they lost.

USC, when dominating, could be tied with Stanford or Washington with 1 loss and still make it in with a 1 lose non conference championship.

ND because everyone loves ND and they don't have to play a conference title game.

Has College Football become a system of privilege and name over who deserves and or is better?

I just did a detailed post on this topic:

https://bwi.forums.rivals.com/threa...ssible-every-scenario-who-to-root-for.189798/

 

[NewEra 2014]

Always knew and believed this but wanted to hear some feedback of others.

Were we or will we ever be on this pedestal?

It is a heirarchy for sure. Penn State is ahead of many teams in the heirarchy, but we are below Bama and OSU at the moment. The heirarchy changes over time. Not a big deal.

 

[BobPSU92]

It is a heirarchy for sure. Penn State is ahead of many teams in the heirarchy, but we are below Bama and OSU at the moment. The heirarchy changes over time. Not a big deal.

Hierarchy.

There shouldn't be a hierarchy, but of course, there is. Biases are inevitable when everything isn't settled on the field.

 

[YogiMan71]

The 5 star recruits all go to the same 4-5 schools from the big 5 and in B10, that is the suckeyes. It will only continue since the 5 stars have NFL in 3 years on their mind. Their 5 and 4 stars beat our 4 and 3 stars. We recruit great players that fit what a true student athlete is and are intelligent enough to want to obtain a degree for success with honor in life after football. Unfortunately that type of team against football factory and « we didn’t come here to play skool » type athletes makes it hard to be in the championship. In the end our student athletes win in life as evidenced by the many fine football players that have graduated from our school and have a strong network of successful careers in many fields after football.

 

[fairfaxlion2]

It is a heirarchy for sure. Penn State is ahead of many teams in the heirarchy, but we are below Bama and OSU at the moment. The heirarchy changes over time. Not a big deal.

We fell out of the top of that hierarchy after the 1990s. And it is a screwed up mess. You get to the top based on past years and not your current team. The '91 and '94 teams were top 3, and so '97 and '99 got the benefit of the doubt. The '97 and '99 teams would have played for titles even with one loss. However it was the '91 and '94 teams that actually deserved to play for titles. The '97 team was not that good. The '99 team was overrated. Then we were not at the top anymore. The next time we got a good ranking going into a season was 2009, based on the success in '08. It makes no sense at all.

 

[84Lion]

My biggest wish is that the coaches, sportswriters, et al, could be removed from the discussion and that the rankings would go away. Wouldn't be that hard if the P5 conferences could muster the courage to break from the NCAA and start their own league. Right now you have 64 P5 conference schools, add ND and BYU and there's 66. Take the 5 conference winners and the next best 3 based on "best records" and presumably all kinds of byzantine tiebreakers/criteria and you have an 8 team playoff. No reason you still couldn't have fun "exhibition" bowls for teams that don't make this playoff.

You don't see this anywhere else in sports save the NCAA basketball field of 64, but at least there conference winners are guaranteed a spot. You don't see ranking of pro sports teams in football, baseball, basketball, etc. It's totally nuts and it needs to be consigned to the trash bin of history as an archaic concept.

 

[Art]

My biggest wish is that the coaches, sportswriters, et al, could be removed from the discussion and that the rankings would go away. Wouldn't be that hard if the P5 conferences could muster the courage to break from the NCAA and start their own league. Right now you have 64 P5 conference schools, add ND and BYU and there's 66. Take the 5 conference winners and the next best 3 based on "best records" and presumably all kinds of byzantine tiebreakers/criteria and you have an 8 team playoff. No reason you still couldn't have fun "exhibition" bowls for teams that don't make this playoff.

You don't see this anywhere else in sports save the NCAA basketball field of 64, but at least there conference winners are guaranteed a spot. You don't see ranking of pro sports teams in football, baseball, basketball, etc. It's totally nuts and it needs to be consigned to the trash bin of history as an archaic concept.

Hate to tell you this, but the NCAA has nothing to do with the current playoff system and how teams are selected. The design for that came from.....the P5. There is nothing that prevents them from changing it tomorrow (effective next year), but that ain't happening unless someone offers a boatload more money for a new format and that ain't happening soon.

 

[OSU96]

The 5 star recruits all go to the same 4-5 schools from the big 5 and in B10, that is the suckeyes. It will only continue since the 5 stars have NFL in 3 years on their mind. Their 5 and 4 stars beat our 4 and 3 stars. We recruit great players that fit what a true student athlete is and are intelligent enough to want to obtain a degree for success with honor in life after football. Unfortunately that type of team against football factory and « we didn’t come here to play skool » type athletes makes it hard to be in the championship. In the end our student athletes win in life as evidenced by the many fine football players that have graduated from our school and have a strong network of successful careers in many fields after football.

I mean, that sounds like an excuse to me... You can't tell me that JoePa didn't recruit 4-5 star guys. The Championships you won with him weren't 3-4 star guys, come on now... The fact that you've come THIS far JUST after the Sandusky scandal is a HUGE tip of the cap to what Bill O'Brien and Franklin have done. It wasn't long ago that Illinois was sitting in the parking lot waiting to talk to potential transfers. You were THAT close to the death penalty....

Franklin is getting really nice players in State College; you've seen that first hand when you had Gameday at 2 Penn St games in a row. You are trending upwards very quickly and there are no signs of letting up any time soon. As soon as your depth is up to snuff, then Penn St will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

I was VERY impressed with your team this weekend, and I loathe anything and everything Penn St.

 

[phillybillyreprise]

Why not make football a lose and you are out tournament?

 

[84Lion]

Hate to tell you this, but the NCAA has nothing to do with the current playoff system and how teams are selected. The design for that came from.....the P5. There is nothing that prevents them from changing it tomorrow (effective next year), but that ain't happening unless someone offers a boatload more money for a new format and that ain't happening soon.

I get it, but the P5 still was compelled to include teams from the non P5 in the football "playoff." What I'm talking about is breaking away the P5 schools completely, in all sports...can't do that without breaking from NCAA. If what you're saying is that the P5 schools have it too good under the present system, I agree. There just isn't enough incentive for them to do all the heavy lifting associated with a wholesale change.

 

[OSU96]

Then everyone will turn independent and schedule Austin Peay.

 

[Art]

I get it, but the P5 still was compelled to include teams from the non P5 in the football "playoff." What I'm talking about is breaking away the P5 schools completely, in all sports...can't do that without breaking from NCAA. If what you're saying is that the P5 schools have it too good under the present system, I agree. There just isn't enough incentive for them to do all the heavy lifting associated with a wholesale change.

Compelled by whom? It certainly wasn't by the NCAA, which hasn't had a voice in anything significant regarding football in over thirty years. The reason other schools are "included" is so the P5 doesn't get sued.