Reseeding the College Football Playoff bracket: Ohio State moves to No. 2 seed entering quarterfinals

It was straight chalk for the favorites in the first round of the College Football Playoff, but that still led to drastic changes as we reseed the teams still remaining in the field. But first, a problem that needs to be solved.

Fandom is strangely hyper focused on the lopsided results in the CFP’s first round with games decided by an average of 19.3 points. Even worse, the tone is tainted by casualness — and fans showing their lack of awareness around the product. Where were you when Georgia won the national title after it blew out TCU by 58 points, the largest win ever in a bowl game? Stringing up sacrificial lambs is nothing new in college football. Semifinal games during the first 10 years of the CFP were decided by an average of 17.9 points. The national champion has won the title by at least 15 points the last six years.

You’re asking, “Is this what we want college football to be?” That’s not a question worth answering. After all, if you’ve been paying attention, it has always been this way.

The issue is the system and the clunky gears forced awkwardly into the machine by college football’s half-blind watchmakers.

In the end, the 12-team field is down to the eight best teams, though that is debatable because of the convoluted format. Rewarding the four highest-ranked conference champions with a first-round bye led to wider scoring margins in the first iteration of this 12-team CFP. Debate it if you want, it’s a hypothetical discussion based on little empirical evidence, but it’s still a viable issue that needs attention. 

In January, we expect the CFP’s board of directors will discuss tweaks, including selection criteria and byes. If they do, we’ll look back and wonder if matchups like No. 10 seed SMU at No. 7 seed…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/reseeding-the-college-football-playoff-bracket-ohio-state-moves-to-no-2-seed-entering-quarterfinals/

Author : Brandon Marcello

Publish date : 2024-12-23 16:31:00

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