Gateway coaches hope for playoff expansion

[CSN-info]

Gateway coaches hope for playoff expansion
The Southern - Carbondale,IL,USA
"Division II has a higher percentage," said Western Illinois coach Don Patterson, who coached 20 years at the University of Iowa before taking over the Leathernecks. "Division III also has a higher percentage of playoff qualifiers, so, you think about it, the truth about it is, the FCS coaches, to use the new terminology; we're more likely to get fired than guys in D-2 or D-3." ...
http://www.thesouthern.com/articles/2007/07/27/sports/20982174.txt

[89Hen]

"Division II has a higher percentage," said Western Illinois coach Don Patterson, who coached 20 years at the University of Iowa before taking over the Leathernecks. "Division III also has a higher percentage of playoff qualifiers..."
I'm not sure that is correct. We've run the numbers before and I-AA has a higher percentage once you take out the Ivy and SWAC.

[bluehenbillk]

I'm not a fan of having 7-4 teams that don't have 1-A losses making the playoffs, why have a regular season?? And, if you expand that's exactly what you're going to have.

[SuperJon]

Big South coaches have been talking about it today.

[89Hen]

I'm not sure that is correct. We've run the numbers before and I-AA has a higher percentage once you take out the Ivy and SWAC.

DII = 24/147 = 16.3%
I-AA = 16/105 = 15.2%
DIII = 32/233 = 13.7%

I was a little off, we're two teams shy of having the highest. Am I missing something or is this not worth mentioning when complaining about our playoffs?

[BDK@YSU]

Division III also has a higher percentage of playoff qualifiers, so, you think about it, the truth about it is, the FCS coaches, to use the new terminology; we're more likely to get fired than guys in D-2 or D-3.

Of course a coach would be more likely to get fired for not performing well: football is a bigger deal at the FCS level than it is at a Division II school than it is at a Division III school. At least it ought to be, anyhow.

[MplsBison]

DII = 24/147 = 16.3%
I-AA = 16/105 = 15.2%
DIII = 32/233 = 13.7%



FCS = 16/122 = 13.1%.

[89Hen]

FCS = 16/122 = 13.1%.

Ivy and SWAC choose to not participate.

123 - 10 - 8 = 105

It's been often said that if those two conferences wanted to join, expansion looks like a certainty.

[Saint3333]

The playoffs IMO are to decide a national champion. I can't recall a snubbed team that would have likely won it all. This isn't little league (or the bowl system) where we must award every player/team for showing up to the games. Expanding will water down the accomplishment of making the playoffs.

The only situation in which I'd implement expansion would be if 2 to 4 of the following: Ivy, SWAC, Great West, and Big South had automatic bids. I'd add an additional at large for every auto-bid.

16 works the best though.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Ivy and SWAC choose to not participate.

123 - 3 - 8 = 112

It's been often said that if those two conferences wanted to join, expansion looks like a certainty.

Changing your math. Only 3 teams choose to decline invites. If AAMU went 11-0, they could forego the championship game and go to the playoffs.

14.28%. Comfortably back in the middle of the range.

[ucdtim17]

I'm not a fan of having 7-4 teams that don't have 1-A losses making the playoffs, why have a regular season?? And, if you expand that's exactly what you're going to have.

Bingo. The playoffs are already too watered-down. This isn't basketball; the regular season should mean something

[Blue42]

I don't think it's a stretch that certain 7-4 teams could compete for the national title. Not every one certainly, but there may be one a year.

But I'm still not a fan of increasing the field, eventhough my Panthers have NEVER received an at-large bid to the playoffs and have thus been left out many years they were capable of going on a post-season run. (How is it possible that UNI has never received an at-large bid?)

It should be a significant accomplishment to make the playoffs (not like making a bowl game). And I think you need to have an equal number of games for each playoff team. I don't like the idea of some teams getting a bye, too big an advantage in football. So you'd have to go to 32 teams and that's too many.

[ucdtim17]

Whether they could or not is not relevant - they don't deserve the opportunity to. What's the point of playing the regular season?

[Hansel]

easy solution

drop autobids altogether and you can get rid of some undeserving teams

xnodx

[Retro]

First off, when are we going to play this extra round? You'll have to stay at 11 games and eliminate the bye week or start a week earlier.

Second, We could easily eliminate all this expansion talk if some conferences with less than 6 members consider merging and make the FCS consist only of teams that fully commit to participating in the playoffs..

That means the swac, ivy and everyone else.. The swac can't say they will, if we change the playoff start date, or if someone outside of southern or grambling win, or a team says they might bypass the swac champ game...

If you settle all these issues, once and for all and truly make the FCS, what it's name implies, then we don't need to expand and in the meantime, conferences like the nec or big south can either merge or join other conferences who have under 12 members.. Same with some swac teams, leave for other conferences if they truly want to join the championship hunt full time and grow their programs.

If you can't win 8 or 9 games out of 11, then your not national title material!xcoffeex

[FargoBison]

I'd like to see the playoffs expand, with more teams on the way its time to add 4 or 8 teams to the playoffs. I think expansion would be nothing but positive for the FCS. The playoffs are a big deal and I don't see how it would be crazy at all if 20% of the teams made the playoffs. As for the 7-4teams getting in it should be expected with the increase in FBS games.

[FargoBison]

First off, when are we going to play this extra round? You'll have to stay at 11 games and eliminate the bye week or start a week earlier.

Second, We could easily eliminate all this expansion talk if some conferences with less than 6 members consider merging and make the FCS consist only of teams that fully commit to participating in the playoffs..

That means the swac, ivy and everyone else.. The swac can't say they will, if we change the playoff start date, or if someone outside of southern or grambling win, or a team says they might bypass the swac champ game...

If you settle all these issues, once and for all and truly make the FCS, what it's name implies, then we don't need to expand and in the meantime, conferences like the nec or big south can either merge or join other conferences who have under 12 members.. Same with some swac teams, leave for other conferences if they truly want to join the championship hunt full time and grow their programs.

If you can't win 8 or 9 games out of 11, then your not national title material!xcoffeex

You don't need to cut any games or start earlier to expand just push everything back. Play the semifinals when the title game is played and then play the title game sometime after Christmas.

[Mr. Tiger]

Changing your math. Only 3 teams choose to decline invites. If AAMU went 11-0, they could forego the championship game and go to the playoffs.

14.28%. Comfortably back in the middle of the range.

No. I will try to explain it. They would still go to the SWAC championship game because the best team in the East and the best team in the West have to meet in the championship game according to conference rules. But here is why it is wacky, everyone but Southern, Grambling, Alabama State, and the two championship teams are playoff eligible.

Example...if Jackson State finishes 10-1 with its only loss to AAMU, a division foe. And AAMU finished 11-0, AAMU goes to the championship game while Jackson State would be eligible for the playoffs. This example just hasn't happened yet.

[mvemjsunpx]

easy solution

drop autobids altogether and you can get rid of some undeserving teams

xnodx


Then having conference play becomes essentially pointless.
Early November would end up being fairly boring as conference title races are rendered meaningless.
Also, the committee would end up choosing every team that gets in, creating a lot more controversy and conspiracy/____-coast bias theories.

[TheCatamount]

The current system is fine