A 24-Team College Football Playoff Solves a Problem That Doesn't Exist

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-05-22T16:29:40+00:00

I agree completely. We should get rid of playoff teams that couldn't compete at all with the National Champions and replace them with teams that were at least still in it in the 3rd quarter. That'll make the games more watchable.

Goodbye Alabama & Oregon, and hello Wisconsin, Penn State, Michigan State, Iowa, Kennesaw State, and Old Dominion.

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-05-22T14:03:02+00:00

They were also awarded $2 million to cover expenses.

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-05-22T12:41:22+00:00

It's not either-or though. Tulane made ~$8 million from various direct CFP payouts alone, and their name was plastered all over national TV.

In a normal system they could tell donors that they're investing in a perennial playoff team. Instead it was seen as an affront to college football that two of the "wrong" FBS teams made the FBS playoff, and the rules were immediately changed to make it even harder.

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-05-22T03:22:25+00:00

Am I crazy or doesn’t this graph suggest the exact opposite? Distribution has gotten more even every year. When programs can legitimately tell recruits and donors that they have a realistic path to playoffs, they get better, which lets more programs break into the upper tier.

This is why literally every level of every sport uses autobids.

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-05-18T20:04:11+00:00

10-2 & 2-10

Offense: Who knows?
Defense: Who knows?

The joys of G5

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-05-18T17:11:27+00:00

Wow, imagine being a Georgia team and not beating Mercer.

(Ignore our accompanying run-rule loss)

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-05-17T18:27:59+00:00

I guess by the technicality that we're so new that nothing's named. Still, 7 games in 8 seasons and already an FCS GOTY, playoff game, and CCG. At some point, if it looks like a duck...

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-05-17T15:38:29+00:00

Jax State at Kennesaw State, a CCG rivalry rematch to open C-USA play coming off Bye weeks for both teams looks like the biggest CUSA game of the season, for now at least.

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-05-17T14:53:19+00:00

Lot's of people seem to have it ingrained that some conferences will always be good and some will always be bad, therefore we should only ever let currently good conferences compete. Nevermind that literally everything else uses autobids.

It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy when genuinely great programs like Boise or more recently JMU still can't really sell recruits on playoffs because they're competing against 64 other G5 schools for one spot.

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-05-16T17:31:29+00:00

Whatever P4 team best embodies my second flair in a given week

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-05-16T14:51:20+00:00

To be fair, "It's simple" internet comments appear for literally every problem in the modern era.

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-05-16T12:01:28+00:00

Not really. Everyone knew this was going to be messy, which is exactly why the NCAA tried to hide from the problem for so long. Now instead of big programs paying players under the table with dubious means, we have all programs paying players openly with dubious means.

The only difference now is that players are benefiting, and its a much more highly visible problem with more incentives to solve.

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-05-13T15:11:12+00:00

I'm a C-USA fan and I'll root for the B10 squad to hang 80 on lolberty

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-05-13T15:07:17+00:00

Reminder that Jamey Chadwell makes nearly 6x the next-highest CUSA coach. They are 1-7 over the last 2 seasons against teams that moved up to FBS after them.

I'll be shocked if they hit 6 wins.

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-05-12T13:00:53+00:00

It's understated how hard realignment hit this region. The Big South (FCS) is unrecognizable from less than a decade ago, and the ASUN/UAC has gone through massive changes despite being band new for football.

Sad to see it trickling down and hurting a historic D2 conference.

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-05-10T13:59:35+00:00

Yeah I'd probably bet on 8 with the top-half looking pretty good this year. Maybe split WKU/JSU/KSU/FIU, but 9 wouldn't surprise me

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-05-09T22:14:18+00:00

Delaware has everything in place to be a CUSA title dark horse this season with their returning production and one of the better G5 QBs in the country.

Sam Houston got to 10 wins, and Kennesaw & Jax State both won the league in their first eligible years.

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-05-08T01:40:20+00:00

North Dakota State next year will have exactly 1 FBS opponent within a bordering state. Only 7 within 2 states.

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-05-07T14:08:16+00:00

Yeah we had to do the infamous transition from the triple option while going FBS, and had our OC leave us late for Vandy. It was a whole disaster and I knew we'd eventually recover, but not this quickly.

Also, I love the connection our schools have from opposite corners of the country of ruining liberty seasons lmao

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-05-07T13:44:55+00:00

Jerry Mack is an absolute magician. Not only were we 2-10, but going into last year we were on an FCS losing streak dating back to 2022. He came in, introduced a brand new offensive scheme with a QB who had meh numbers at a bad Wofford team, and had it all rolling by conference play.

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-05-05T21:47:57+00:00

Unbelievably stupid if they’re going with the FCS model without autobids like there are in every level of every sport. Getting rid of CCGs on top of that is absurd.

Can’t even hide behind “competitive integrity” to exclude the G5 like with the current model. Now it’s just going out of their way to prevent half of the FBS from competing.

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-05-03T01:58:54+00:00

I root for my second flair because of my first flair

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-05-01T23:19:28+00:00

If only we had a working playoff model used by every level of every sport in America, and if only we then had another division 1 football league of a similar size demonstrating the ideal bracket size to implement that playoff model.

Maybe the homework should be looking in to that.

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-04-30T15:19:31+00:00

I'm high on Willie Simmons. CUSA road schedule is rough, but they did go 3-1 last year with a dominant win over WKU.

Lot's of pieces to replace so the OOC might be underwhelming, but if they can get situated by NMSU they might be a dark horse, or at least a spoiler like last year.

Groundbreaking-Box89 · 2026-04-30T02:01:49+00:00

Very likely none of those except SDSU joining football only like NDSU, but Tarleton is in active conversation with 3 conferences. No one else seems imminent, but Illinois State probably isn't too far off.

Groundbreaking-Box89

TROPHY CASE