Dude, I haven't once gotten pissed off or insulted anyone. I don't know why people resort to posts like this.
Not solely, but I think it plays a big part of it yes. Think about it, in the last few weeks, every one loss team in America anxiously watched USF/Rutgers, BC/VaTech, LSU/Auburn, Oregon/ASU, BC/Florida State, LSU/Bama, Oregon/USC, Ohio State/Wisconsin, OSU/Illinois, Kansas/Nebraska, etc. etc. etc. Why? Because the fate of their team depended on the outcomes. People all across the country was watching these games, rooting on some team they normally would care less about. Hearts were skipping beats when that Flynn to Byrd pass was in the air. Next question for you. How many people outside of Louisiana and Missouri watched the Saints/Rams game this weekend and really gave a chit about the outcome? Other than a few transplants, my guess is not many. Same with any other NFL game played on any given weekend of any given year. Yet peolpe in Eugene, Oregon gave a chit about the LSU/Bama game in Tuscalooser. People in Tempe, Baton Rouge, Norman, Boston, all cared about a USF/Rutgers game in Piscataway N.J. That is something no other sport can even attempt to offer. That is why fans show up by the hundreds of thousands, and watch and yell at TV in a parking lot with strangers outside of a Stadium they don't even have tickets to. That is why people pack up an RV and travel anywhere in the country to follow their team.
I would watch SportsCenter that night to check scores. Kinda like I do with EVERY pro sport out there. Mainly, because I (as most of us here do) feel we can beat any other team in the country. However, while I may watch a little to see what a certain team has, I would in no way be as into the games as I have been this year. And this is every season it's like this. We had 2 losses last year, so we weren't the team doing the watching, but there were SEVERAL teams ahead of us who were. I can pretty much garauntee Florida fans were p!$$!ng in their jorts when Booty threw that last int. vs. UCLA last year. Would have been all but meaningless with a playoff system. Question for Saints fan out there. How many of you watched Bears games toward the end of last year with any sort of passion? Or did you just check scores to see if the Saints made up ground on them for home-field advantage?
I grant that, because of the current system, losses for the big teams are hugely dramatic, and possibly season killers. But personally, that's exactly my beef. In the SEC especially, one loss shouldn't be able to knock you out of contention for the NC, unless everyone else is undefeated. I'd sacrifice all the drama, tradition, and anxiety if it meant we could see teams settle it on the field rather than in the rankings. I'd sacrifice all that publicity if it meant the system wouldn't, almost every single season, screw a deserving team out of a shot at the NC, a shot that a 4 or 8 team playoff could provide with minimal effort. And yes, even then there'd be screwjobs, but it'd be closer to being fair, at least. I realize we may disagree on this. I just really believe that if we were in Kansas' position, and in real danger of going undefeated and still being forced to watch two one-loss teams play for the crown, our tune would be greatly different.
I'm not sure it directly applies to Atreus21' argument, but I like you're point, Nutriaitch. Although it's not the reason I love college sports, the polling is definitely the reason I give a damn about who Oklahoma or Kansas or Oregon or Ohio State or SoCal are playing. FWIW - I think college football fills up stadiums and is such a passion is because the players are very talented but they haven't become millionaire celebrities yet - so they're hungry. Makes for a good show. And the locals identify with regional institutions like colleges more than national businesses like Pro teams.
So youre willing to throw away everything that makes college football great, and turn it into the same dull monotonous routine that is every other sport in America? If so, you really need to go watch some completely irrellevant NFL game this weekend. Pick one, any one. And no, I'm not talking about the "sexy" matchup of the weekend. I'm talking randomly pick some obscure game between 2 teams you know nothing about (and have no fantasy players on). Monday, report back to me how much you truly enjoyed it. My early guess is: Not much. Yeah it was football, but it meant nothing. Didn't have a dog in the fight, maybe even took a nap during the second half. That's what you just did to College Football.
Of course we can. But not every team's fans feel the same. And even if we think LSU can beat any other team, I would imagine that most LSU fans (maybe not you) would want to watch a game that could determine (a) which opponent LSU will face in the playoffs, (b) whether LSU has to play in the first round of the playoffs or not, (c) whether LSU will have to travel to play or whether they'll host a game (this would be in a really bad year for LSU , etc. What you're saying though is that, for just a relatively small number of teams each year, there are games that are extremely important that would not normally be important. But with the system I'm advocating, there would be more games being this important for more teams. Using this year as an example, Kansas is #3, and they know they've been tagged by many of the voters as having a really weak schedule. A loss will knock them potentially all the way into the 9-12 level, meaning that they would go from having a first-round bye to playing a first-round away game. Look at Ohio State... they dropped to #7 after their loss on Saturday. The Michigan game is now not just about winning the Big Ten, but also they face a good chance of missing the hypothetical playoffs completely if they lose again this week. Look at Georgia and Virginia Tech... they're at 9 and 10 right now. Think they wouldn't be have fans glued to their sets to see if #7 Ohio State and #8 West Virginia get beaten, allowing them to host a first-round game?
I think we all understand your desire for a playoff system and there are even many on here who agree with the notion, but coming up with impossible scenarios does not further your cause or make your arguments more plausible. LSU could never be in Kansas' position because we play in the SEC. If we were to go undefeated in the SEC, beating 5-8 top 25 teams along the way, we would not be held out of the NCG behind a 1 loss, 2 loss, 3 loss, 4 loss, or any other absurdly hypothetical loss team you come up with. Kansas is stuck at 4 right now because, they have yet to impress the voters with their victories and everyone agrees their conference is not very strong top to bottom. It doesn't matter that three of them are now ranked in the Top 10. Soon, they all won't be because they will have to play one another. You can keep coming up with exaggerated scenarios and claiming that LSU's ranking is a sham but you probably won't get many agreeing with you. Sorry, I just don't agree with this notion.
There are PLENTY like that in College football too. UL vs. Florida International; UAB vs. Memphis; Bowling Green vs. Temple; Kent St. vs. Temple (Both 3-7); Tulane vs. Rice (Both 3-7); or Duke vs. Notre Dame (Both 1-9) though that one has some humorous entertainment value. Weren't you a big proponent of the playoffs? I remember you posting playoff format on two occasions. Why don't you watch the UL vs. Florida International game and let us know Monday......... :hihi:
College Football has way, WAY more irrellevant matchups, due to the large volume of teams and the BCS making it difficult for little teams, however good their record, to play in any significant bowl games. "Irrelevant" games in the NFL, because of the conferences and their divisions, have ramifications similar to that of other SEC games affecting our outlook on winning the West, like Auburn losing last week.
