If it were 2026 right now, here’s the sports feature story we’d be reading as college football fans. The new contract would be signed with an 8-team playoff.

"AP--The college football playoff came into clearer focus this weekend, as conference play wrapped up and the championship games for next weekend solidified.

Auto-bids in the 8-team playoff for the Power 5 conferences will be on the line next Friday and Saturday. Although Clemson and Ohio State are huge favorites in their games, if they slip up, their hopes for a playoff berth will be seriously threatened. Only Alabama (who plays against #4 Georgia for the SEC championship) seems to have a strong chance at advancing even with a loss.

One of the two at-large spots has been wrapped up by undefeated, #3 Notre Dame. The other could go to the SEC championship game loser, or perhaps Clemson if they were to lose but Alabama beats Georgia.

In the fight for the Group of 5 spot, #9 UCF can clinch the berth with a win over Memphis, but if they falter, the winner of Boise State/Fresno State would likely earn the G5 spot.

The other consideration is seeding. Notre Dame seems guaranteed a home game for round 1 on December 15 or 16. Clemson and Alabama, likewise, would definitely get home field if they can win their conference championships. The fourth spot though could come down to a beauty contest between Ohio State and Oklahoma, assuming both can pull out wins on Saturday.

If everything goes as Vegas thinks it will on Saturday, here’s the first round of the CFP and bowl proections.

THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF
Friday Night, December 15
#8 Washington at #1 Alabama, 8:30pm EST

Saturday, December 16
#7 UCF at #2 Clemson, 2pm EST
#6 Georgia at #3 Notre Dame, 6pm EST
#5 Ohio State at #4 Oklahoma, 9pm EST

BOWL SCHEDULE
Saturday, December 29
#12 Florida vs. #11 Penn State (at-large), Peach Bowl, Noon EST
Quarterfinal winners, Orange Bowl, 4pm EST
Quarterfinal winners, Cotton Bowl, 8pm EST

January 1,
CFP quarterfinal losers, Citrus Bowl, 12pm EST
CFP quarterfinal losers, Fiesta Bowl, 1pm EST
#9 Michigan (Big Ten) vs. #14 Washington State (Pac-12), Rose Bowl, 5pm EST
#10 LSU (SEC) vs. #13 West Virginia (Big 12), Sugar Bowl, 8:30pm EST

Monday, January 14
Semifinal Winners, Levi’s Stadium, 8pm"

If everything does NOT go as Vegas thinks it will on Saturday, here’s the first round of the CFP and bowl projections. Lower seeds winning all CCGs...

THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF
Friday Night, December 15
#8 Pittsburgh at #1 Notre Dame, 8:30pm EST

Saturday, December 16
#7 Northwestern at #2 Georgia, 2pm EST
#6 Utah at #3 Alabama, 6pm EST
#5 Clemson at #4 Texas, 9pm EST

BOWL SCHEDULE
Saturday, December 29
#13 Florida vs. #11 Ohio State, Peach Bowl, Noon EST
Quarterfinal winners, Orange Bowl, 4pm EST
Quarterfinal winners, Cotton Bowl, 8pm EST

January 1,
CFP quarterfinal losers, Citrus Bowl, 12pm EST
CFP quarterfinal losers, Fiesta Bowl, 1pm EST
#9 Michigan (Big Ten) vs. #14 Washington State (Pac-12), Rose Bowl, 5pm EST
#10 LSU (SEC) vs. #12 Oklahoma (Big 12), Sugar Bowl, 8:30pm EST

Monday, January 14
Semifinal Winners, Levi’s Stadium, 8pm"
[/quote]

I guess with the 8 team playoff instead of the same 4 schools in it every year it becomes the same 8 schools.

Maybe a Colorado, TCU, Syracuse, UCF or Boise sneaks in one time.

how many times do I have to tell you that playoff losers will NEVER play in a bowl game. Get that thru your thick skull....

Incarnate Word declined playing Iowa St this week due to playoffs because they knew after losing in the playoffs, they didn't want to play another game..... Sorry.....

(11-25-2018 12:47 PM)stever20 Wrote:  how many times do I have to tell you that playoff losers will NEVER play in a bowl game. Get that thru your thick skull....

Incarnate Word declined playing Iowa St this week due to playoffs because they knew after losing in the playoffs, they didn't want to play another game..... Sorry.....

That's BS. It's like saying CCG losers would never want to play in a bowl game. The UIW-ISU game was canceled because UIW's losing in the first round of the FCS playoffs would actually benefit them financially, as they would still be able to pick up a paycheck from ISU. Couldn't have such a conflict of interest.

(11-25-2018 12:52 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(11-25-2018 12:47 PM)stever20 Wrote:  how many times do I have to tell you that playoff losers will NEVER play in a bowl game. Get that thru your thick skull....

Incarnate Word declined playing Iowa St this week due to playoffs because they knew after losing in the playoffs, they didn't want to play another game..... Sorry.....

That's BS. It's like saying CCG losers would never want to play in a bowl game. The UIW-ISU game was canceled because UIW's losing in the first round of the FCS playoffs would actually benefit them financially, as they would still be able to pick up a paycheck from ISU. Couldn't have such a conflict of interest.

It's a night and day difference between CCG and playoff....

Sorry but no. You think we have a lot of folks sitting out for a meaningless bowl- it would be a billion times worse for a playoff loser going to a bowl.....

(11-25-2018 01:17 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(11-25-2018 12:52 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(11-25-2018 12:47 PM)stever20 Wrote:  how many times do I have to tell you that playoff losers will NEVER play in a bowl game. Get that thru your thick skull....

Incarnate Word declined playing Iowa St this week due to playoffs because they knew after losing in the playoffs, they didn't want to play another game..... Sorry.....

That's BS. It's like saying CCG losers would never want to play in a bowl game. The UIW-ISU game was canceled because UIW's losing in the first round of the FCS playoffs would actually benefit them financially, as they would still be able to pick up a paycheck from ISU. Couldn't have such a conflict of interest.

It's a night and day difference between CCG and playoff....

Sorry but no. You think we have a lot of folks sitting out for a meaningless bowl- it would be a billion times worse for a playoff loser going to a bowl.....

Yeah, the NCAA basketball tournament use to have the final four losers play and it did not go well, so they gave it up

(11-25-2018 01:17 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(11-25-2018 12:52 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(11-25-2018 12:47 PM)stever20 Wrote:  how many times do I have to tell you that playoff losers will NEVER play in a bowl game. Get that thru your thick skull....

Incarnate Word declined playing Iowa St this week due to playoffs because they knew after losing in the playoffs, they didn't want to play another game..... Sorry.....

That's BS. It's like saying CCG losers would never want to play in a bowl game. The UIW-ISU game was canceled because UIW's losing in the first round of the FCS playoffs would actually benefit them financially, as they would still be able to pick up a paycheck from ISU. Couldn't have such a conflict of interest.

It's a night and day difference between CCG and playoff....

Sorry but no. You think we have a lot of folks sitting out for a meaningless bowl- it would be a billion times worse for a playoff loser going to a bowl.....

And it's a night/day difference between college basketball (where the season is six months long and includes almost 40 games) and college football (where the season is barely four months long and has fewer than 15 games).

Let the NFL prospects sit out...most fans are more interested in NEXT YEAR (i.e. the freshmen and next year's starters) than this year's guys (who, at that point, have already peaked, i.e. losing in the quarterfinals). Last year, PSU fans saw Barkley run a limited amount of plays in our 2017 Fiesta Bowl game...but we got to see Miles Sanders look great, the guy who became our feature back in 2018. It wasn't a normal Saquon Barkley dominated game...but it was still a fun and challenging PSU game.

Americans will watch football. Any football. Even teams that lost two weeks earlier (which most viewers wouldn't even know probably) will be watchable football. Thick skull...ha!

(11-30-2018 11:39 PM)micahandme Wrote:  

(11-25-2018 01:17 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(11-25-2018 12:52 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(11-25-2018 12:47 PM)stever20 Wrote:  how many times do I have to tell you that playoff losers will NEVER play in a bowl game. Get that thru your thick skull....

Incarnate Word declined playing Iowa St this week due to playoffs because they knew after losing in the playoffs, they didn't want to play another game..... Sorry.....

That's BS. It's like saying CCG losers would never want to play in a bowl game. The UIW-ISU game was canceled because UIW's losing in the first round of the FCS playoffs would actually benefit them financially, as they would still be able to pick up a paycheck from ISU. Couldn't have such a conflict of interest.

It's a night and day difference between CCG and playoff....

Sorry but no. You think we have a lot of folks sitting out for a meaningless bowl- it would be a billion times worse for a playoff loser going to a bowl.....

And it's a night/day difference between college basketball (where the season is six months long and includes almost 40 games) and college football (where the season is barely four months long and has fewer than 15 games).

Let the NFL prospects sit out...most fans are more interested in NEXT YEAR (i.e. the freshmen and next year's starters) than this year's guys (who, at that point, have already peaked, i.e. losing in the quarterfinals). Last year, PSU fans saw Barkley run a limited amount of plays in our 2017 Fiesta Bowl game...but we got to see Miles Sanders look great, the guy who became our feature back in 2018. It wasn't a normal Saquon Barkley dominated game...but it was still a fun and challenging PSU game.

Americans will watch football. Any football. Even teams that lost two weeks earlier (which most viewers wouldn't even know probably) will be watchable football. Thick skull...ha!

You don't get it... The playoffs are viewed as the end of the season. No one and I mean NO ONE is going to want to play a stupid ass exhibition game that is beyond as meaningless as the ones we have right now.... It's not the viewers that would be opposed to it. It would be the coaches and players that would be 100% against it.

And did you really say that viewers wouldn't know that team x lost in the playoffs anyways? That may be the dumbest thing EVER uttered on here....

Sorry but
DOA