Tag: 2020 NCAA Football Rankings

Athletic Directors Support Expanding College Football Playoff

In a poll done by Stadium, the majority of Athletic Directors are in favor of expansion of the College Football Playoffs.

In a survey done by Stadium asking Athletic Directors over all levels of football, an overwhelming number of Athletic Directors from Power 5 conferences believe that the College Football Playoff’s should be expanded from 4 teams. Nothing will be able to change for the next 6 years, as the current playoff system will remain status quo until this contract expires after the 2026 season concludes.

Stadium found out that just 17% of the polled Athletic Directors would keep the CFP the way it is, with just 4 teams competing for a National Championship. The majority want to expand the playoff to 8 teams, which to me makes the most sense. Although an expanded CFP would create some issue with bowl affiliations to conferences, this version already has done that. For example, the Cotton Bowl was traditionally the runner up of the Big XII against an SEC team, but since the 2014 match-up of Missouri and Oklahoma State, the game hasn’t had the traditional foes.

If the CFP was to expand (in this hypothetical Stadium had expansion to 8 teams), the next question postured to AD’s was how to select the teams to be involved. At the current moment, the selection of teams are more objective instead of having set criteria for the selection committee to follow. Once again, the AD’s have an majority view on how the teams should be selected, each Power 5 champion would get an automatic bid, while two spots would go to at-large teams and the final spot to the highest ranked Group of 5 team.

The final question was where to hold the expanded playoff games, on the campus of the higher seed, a bowl game or neutral site? This poll was split fairly even, with a slight preference for the higher seed getting a game on campus. I love this idea, as southern teams almost never have to deal with weather elements. For instance, taking this model and applying it to last years rankings, Baylor would have had to travel to Columbus to face Ohio State in December.

I am all for the expansion of the College Football Playoff, 8 teams make the most sense to me, each Power 5 champion getting an automatic bid. I do feel like the criteria that was laid out for a G5 team isn’t up to par however. If they are ranked inside the top 10-12, I would be more comfortable including them into the group of 8 teams. Just having the highest ranked team just doesn’t make much sense to me, as last year an #17 Memphis would have qualified for the CFP to face #1 LSU. It seems like a blowout waiting to happen.

Just having the conversation now opens up the idea for CFP expansion in the future. How would you change the CFP format when the current systems contract expires?

Notre Dame Shown Major Disrespect in “Too Early” Top 25

Brett McMurphy of Stadium released his “Top 25 Rankings for 2020” and quite frankly, they should be rolled into a ball and thrown into the closest fire pit.

I hesitate to even draw attention to this because I think it was done for that exact reason.

That or someone is entirely oblivious to the world.

We’re at the time where “Way Too Early Top 25” polls are being released daily as the focus now shifts to 2020 after Clemson and LSU get done Monday night in New Orleans.

Brett McMurphy of Stadium released his “Top 25 Rankings for 2020” and quite frankly, they should be rolled into a ball and thrown into the closest fire pit.

Clemson checks in at one which nobody should have any problem with.

No. 2 is Ohio State before the water-carrying for the SEC begins as LSU, Alabama, Auburn and Texas A&M check-in three through six.

A few more spots down you’ll find the team Notre Dame just dismantled in Orlando, Iowa State tenth, and no, the Irish are not listed in that 7-10 range.

Nor are they right after Iowa State.

You have to go to 15, one spot behind even USC to find Notre Dame, where you’ll find this write up:

Last year, Notre Dame might have been one of the most under-appreciated two-loss teams in recent memory. Only a close loss at Georgia and a blowout loss at Michigan kept the Irish out of the playoff and New Year’s Six bowl contention. Still, Brian Kelly became the first coach in Notre Dame history with three consecutive double-digit win seasons since Lou Holtz (1991-93). Quarterback Ian Book, 20-3 as a starter, announced he would remain at Notre Dame for his senior season, which will be a huge boost for the Irish, who lost RB Tony Jones Jr. and TE Cole Kmet early to the NFL Draft.

Excuse me, what?

In what was perhaps the biggest bowl game in the history of Iowa State football they got fired into the sun by Notre Dame, who we weren’t sure had any interest in being there much of the week.

The talent discrepancy was as evident in that game as it was on any Saturday in South Bend this year besides the New Mexico or Bowling Green clashes. Yet those close games Iowa State lost get rewarded with a top ten ranking.

Hilarious.

And USC at 14 in their current situation is just as laughable. In a bad Pac-12 they were an after-thought in regards to the conference championship. A notorious underachiever who just got their doors blown off by Iowa in the Holiday Bowl are going to finally put it all together in 2020?

Good luck with that.

Notre Dame returns a ton on both sides of the ball. Obviously replacing Claypool and Kmet will be a challenge but the offensive line figures to be better, defense should be nearly as good even with a dip at corner and potentially a game-changing offensive coordinator could still be brought in.

15?

If Notre Dame finishes 15th in the final rankings next January it will have been an incredibly disappointing season for the Fighting Irish.

Side note —

Should I do my own of these? Warning: I would use actual logic behind them and not just fire crap at the wall to see what sticks.

Where Ohio State ranks in Sporting News’ way-too-early top 25

The Ohio State Buckeyes football team has been ranked as a top-two team in Sporting News’ way-too-early 2020 top 25.

The Ohio State Buckeyes went out of the 2019 season in disappointing fashion. It was a horrible ending to what was otherwise a dominant year for the Buckeyes. An opportunity lost if you will.

They cruised through the regular season with little turbulence. While they had a brief scare in the Big Ten Championship Game, the Buckeyes were able to come out on top.

Sadly losing to Clemson, having yet to ever beat the Tigers in program history, the Buckeyes will look towards next season. They’ll have to reload much of their roster though.

Some of the nation’s top draft picks will be coming out of Columbus. Two of the top-five prospects are Buckeyes, a program expecting to have numerous first-round picks.

However, the Buckeyes are No. 2 in Sporting News’ way-too-early top-25 because they retain Heisman finalist Justin Fields and three All Big-Ten performers on the offensive line. The program also has some game-breakers at the skill positions coming back, and others on the way. Once again, the defensive line should be deep and dominant.

“The receiving corps will be the deepest in the country. Expect Garrett Wilson to be a breakout star while five-star receiver Julian Fleming joins the fun. Wyatt Davis and Josh Myers return to a nasty offensive line. Shaun Wade’s decision to return to school helps a defense that will rebuild the line around Tyreke Smith and Zach Harrison. Road trips to Oregon and Penn State are the biggest potholes to another Playoff run. Second-year coach Ryan Day can work with that,” Sporting News’ Bill Bender wrote.

Clemson came in at No. 1 with Alabama, LSU and Georgia rounding out the top five. As for the Big Ten in general, Penn State came in at No. 9, Minnesota at No. 12, Wisconsin at No. 14, and Michigan at No. 15.

Things may have felt like they ended prematurely, but OSU fans can at least take comfort in believing this team will again compete for some pretty special things in 2020.