NFL
By: Greg Rector
A 16 Team Playoff??
The first two years of the College Football Playoff twelve-team playoffs have seen the teams that have a bye week combine for just one win after Georgia’s loss to Ole Miss. There is no doubt that the NCAA and league commissioners will be meeting along with ESPN and say this format doesn’t work. We all know ESPN wants more money, and expanding the College Football Playoff gets them more money.
There is no way to continue seeing teams that win their conference championship play just one more game and lose. Even Ohio State, which lost the Big Ten title game but was considered to be one of the best teams in the country, was manhandled by the Miami Hurricanes. Teams win with defense and a strong offensive line, something that the Ohio State Buckeyes did all season against weaker competition. When they lost to the Hurricanes, the tackles were torn apart by Rueben Bain and Aikeem Mesidor in the first half, and in the second half, when Ryan Day decided to use two tight ends, the interior part of their line was beaten up by the Hurricanes.
Only the Indiana Hoosiers have won a game after the long break, after they destroyed Alabama. The reason why this long break isn’t working is not just one thing. As Bill Carroll said on The Last Word last night, Curt Cignetti and his coaching staff deserve full marks for making sure the Hoosiers were ready to play. Kirby Smart is now 75-1 after leading a game going into the fourth quarter. So full marks to Georgia on that part. However, losing a game where you are the favorite to a team you had already beaten, a team with a new head coach, is still a shocking moment to witness.
Texas Tech, which played so well, looked lost against Oregon, and that was a truly shocking game to witness. A 23-0 score is not something the league commissioners or ESPN want to see. Fans certainly want to see a shutout game, either.
The G5 schools that made the playoffs this season were both soundly thrashed, but Georgia and Ohio State might have been better prepared if they had played against Tulane or James Madison (Shhh, it also prevents any anti-trust cases). Something needs to change when teams that have been given a bye are now 1-7.
Did You Miss Notre Dame?
© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Are you going to try telling me that the Notre Dame Fighting Irish would have lost to Oklahoma? Wouldn’t they have given up a much better fight against Indiana than what we saw from the Crimson Tide? Yes, I am a fan of Notre Dame, but you can’t tell me that they wouldn’t have been in a much better position to play against Indiana than the horrible effort we saw from Alabama. Everyone is now whining that Notre Dame gets into the playoff if it is ranked in the top 12. This year, they were ranked even higher and didn’t get in. I said on The Last Word after they lost to Texas A&M that Notre Dame would not be a playoff team.
Get Ready For This
These changes might not happen immediately, but they are coming. Especially since each conference needs its title games for revenue. Time off hasn’t worked so the bye week needs to go.
Watch The Last Word on January 9th, when we discuss the two semi-final games and who wins the National Championship.
