CFP since 1998...

[Archangel]

If you can't make it into the Top 4, I have no sympathy for you. That gives you a reasonable mulligan.

 

[PhilSimms11]

If you can't make it into the Top 4, I have no sympathy for you. That gives you a reasonable mulligan.

I....um, okay.

 

[PhilSimms11]

I thought I'd look at the 1971 season since the 'Game of the Century' was played that year. Not exactly sure how many conferences would be considered powers back then so I went with the top-8 in the AP from the final week of the regular season. Would there have been a 'Game of the Century II'? I would have loved to see this played out. It would be !@#$%^& epic.

(1)Nebraska (12-0) vs (8)Arizona St (10-1)
(4)Michigan (11-0) vs (5)Auburn (9-1)

(2)Alabama (11-0) vs (7)Colorado (9-2)
(3)Oklahoma (10-1) vs (6)Georgia (10-1)

The final AP poll was (1)Nebraska (13-0), (2)Oklahoma (11-1), (3)Colorado (10-2). The top-3 teams from the same conference. How crazy is that? That was a bad ass Nebraska team. They won 12 of their 13 games by at least 24 points (OU, 35-31). Colorado's 2 losses, of course, were Nebraska and Oklahoma.

 

[outofyourmind]

I thought I'd look at the 1971 season since the 'Game of the Century' was played that year. Not exactly sure how many conferences would be considered powers back then so I went with the top-8 in the AP from the final week of the regular season. Would there have been a 'Game of the Century II'? I would have loved to see this played out. It would be !@#$%^& epic.

(1)Nebraska (12-0) vs (8)Arizona St (10-1)
(4)Michigan (11-0) vs (5)Auburn (9-1)

(2)Alabama (11-0) vs (7)Colorado (9-2)
(3)Oklahoma (10-1) vs (6)Georgia (10-1)

The final AP poll was (1)Nebraska (13-0), (2)Oklahoma (11-1), (3)Colorado (10-2). The top-3 teams from the same conference. How crazy is that? That was a bad ass Nebraska team. They won 12 of their 13 games by at least 24 points (OU, 35-31). Colorado's 2 losses, of course, were Nebraska and Oklahoma.

Well
Nebraska crushed Alabama in their Bowl game and Oklahoma crushed Auburn in their Bowl game, so that might answer some of that.

 

[PhilSimms11]

Well
Nebraska crushed Alabama in their Bowl game and Oklahoma crushed Auburn in their Bowl game, so that might answer some of that.

(1)Nebraska 38, (2)Alabama 6
(3)Oklahoma 40, (5)Auburn 22
(16)Stanford 13, (4)Michigan 12
(6)Georgia 7, North Carolina 3
(7)Colorado 29, (15)Houston 17
(8)Arizona St 45, Florida St 38

Would have been nice if these bowl games meant something, but most of them didn't.

 

[PhilSimms11]

1985
(1)Penn St (11-0) vs (8)Tennessee (8-1-2)
(4)Iowa (10-1) vs (5)Florida (9-1-1)

(2)Miami (10-1) vs (7)Nebraska (9-2)
(3)Oklahoma (10-1) vs (6)Michigan (9-1-1)

 

[outofyourmind]

1985
(1)Penn St (11-0) vs (8)Tennessee (8-1-2)
(4)Iowa (10-1) vs (5)Florida (9-1-1)

(2)Miami (10-1) vs (7)Nebraska (9-2)
(3)Oklahoma (10-1) vs (6)Michigan (9-1-1)

 

[outofyourmind]

1985
(1)Penn St (11-0) vs (8)Tennessee (8-1-2)
(4)Iowa (10-1) vs (5)Florida (9-1-1)

(2)Miami (10-1) vs (7)Nebraska (9-2)
(3)Oklahoma (10-1) vs (6)Michigan (9-1-1)

 

[PhilSimms11]

1980
(1)Georgia (11-0) vs (8)Nebraska (9-2)
(4)Oklahoma (9-2) vs (5)Michigan (9-2)

(2)Florida St (10-1) vs (7)Notre Dame (9-1-1)
(3)Pittsburgh (10-1) vs (6)Baylor (10-1)

Anyone see a pattern here? It seems no matter what year I put in Nebraska and Oklahoma seem to be 2 of the 8.

 

[PhilSimms11]

1983
(1)Nebraska (12-0) vs (8)Michigan (9-2)
(4)Illinois (10-1) vs (5)Miami (10-1)

(2)Texas (11-0) vs (7)Georgia (9-1-1)
(3)Auburn (10-1) vs (6)SMU (10-1)

This was the year Miami beat Nebraska 31-30 in the Orange Bowl. Nebraska decided to go for 2 for the win instead of kicking the PAT for the tie. I respect that. Word is had they tied the National Championship would have gone to the Cornhuskers. Texas would have finished #1, but lost to Georgia 10-9 in the Cotton Bowl. That is just brutal.

 

[PhilSimms11]

1984--Among the most controversial seasons on record.
(1)BYU (12-0) vs (8)Oklahoma St (9-2)
(4)Nebraska (9-2) vs (5)Ohio St (9-2)

(2)Oklahoma (9-1-1) vs (7)Boston College (9-2)
(3)Washington (10-1) vs (6)South Carolina (10-1)

BYU ended up "National Champion". They were the only unbeaten left. BYU was good that year (I guess), but it was Cupcake Central regarding their schedule. I doubt they would've gotten thru this 8-team playoff unscathed. The teams BYU beat that year:

Pittsburgh (3-7-1)
Baylor (5-6)
Tulsa (6-5)
Hawaii (7-4)
Colorado St (3-8)
Wyoming (6-6)
Air Force (8-4)
New Mexico (4-8)
UTEP (2-9)
San Diego St (4-7-1)
Utah (6-5-1)
Utah St (2-9)
Michigan (6-6)

Jesus Christ, that's pathetic. And they were ranked #1 the final four polls of the season. The AP dropped the ball on this one. It should have gone to Washington (11-1).

 

[PhilSimms11]

1986
(1)Miami (11-0) vs (8)Texas A&M (9-2)
(4)Michigan (10-1) vs (5)Nebraska (9-2)

(2)Penn St (11-0) vs (7)Arizona St (9-1-1)
(3)Oklahoma (10-1) vs (6)LSU (9-2)

 

[PhilSimms11]

1991
This was one of those seasons in which two teams claimed to be National Champions. Miami (12-0) won the Orange Bowl and Washington (12-0) won the Rose Bowl. Since the conferences had different bowl affiliations they couldn't settle it on the field. It's not the only time that happened.

(1)Miami (11-0) vs (8)Alabama (10-1)
(4)Michigan (10-1) vs (5)Florida St (10-2)

(2)Washington (11-0) vs (7)Iowa (10-1)
(3)Florida (10-1) vs (6)Penn St (10-2)

 

[PhilSimms11]

1990
(1)Colorado (10-1-1) vs (8)Washington (9-2)
(4)Miami (9-2) vs (5)Notre Dame (9-2)

(2)Georgia Tech (10-0-1) vs (7)Penn St (9-2)
(3)Texas (10-1) vs (6)Florida St (9-2)
----------
1992
(1)Miami (11-0) vs (8)Georgia (9-2)
(4)Texas A&M (12-0) vs (5)Notre Dame (9-1-1)

(2)Alabama (12-0) vs (7)Michigan (8-0-3)
(3)Florida St (10-1) vs (6)Syracuse (9-2)
----------
1993
(1)Florida St (11-1) vs (8)Wisconsin (9-1-1)
(4)Notre Dame (10-1) vs (5)Tennessee (9-1-1)

(2)Nebraska (11-0) vs (7)Florida (10-2)
(3)West Virginia (11-0) vs (6)Texas A&M (10-1)
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1994
(1)Nebraska (12-0) vs (8)Texas A&M (10-0-1)
(4)Colorado (10-1) vs (5)Florida (10-1-1)

(2)Penn St (11-0) vs (7)Florida St (9-1-1)
(3)Miami (10-1) vs (6)Alabama (11-1)
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1995
(1)Nebraska (11-0) vs (8)Texas (10-1-1)
(4)Tennessee (10-1) vs (5)Ohio St (11-1)

(2)Florida (12-0) vs (7)Colorado (9-2)
(3)Northwestern (10-1) vs (6)Notre Dame (9-2)
----------
1996
(1)Florida St (11-0) vs (8)Colorado (9-2)
(4)Ohio St (10-1) vs (5)BYU (13-1)

(2)Arizona St (11-0) vs (7)Penn St (10-2)
(3)Florida (11-1) vs (6)Nebraska (10-2)
----------
1997
(1)Michigan (11-0) vs (8)Florida (9-2)
(4)Florida St (10-1) vs (5)UCLA (9-2)

(2)Nebraska (12-0) vs (7)Washington St (10-1)
(3)Tennessee (11-1) vs (6)North Carolina (10-1)

 

[outofyourmind]

1997
(1)Michigan (11-0) vs (8)Florida (9-2)
(4)Florida St (10-1) vs (5)UCLA (9-2)

(2)Nebraska (12-0) vs (7)Washington St (10-1)
(3)Tennessee (11-1) vs (6)North Carolina (10-1)

Who was the best team in 1997/Nebraska or Michigan/Discuss

 

[PhilSimms11]

Who was the best team in 1997/Nebraska or Michigan/Discuss

Had this playoff existed we may have had a Florida St (12-1) vs Nebraska (14-0) Championship. We'll never know.

 

[PhilSimms11]

1936
(1)Minnesota (7-1) vs (8)Fordham (5-0-2)
(4)Pittsburgh (6-1-1) vs (5)Santa Clara (7-0)

(2)LSU (8-0-1) vs (7)Northwestern (7-1)
(3)Alabama (7-0-1) vs (6)Washington (6-1-1)

This was the first year for the AP Poll. Every team with one loss or fewer. MAN, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN EPIC!

 

[PhilSimms11]

1977
(1)Texas (11-0) vs (8)Ohio St (9-2)
(4)Michigan (10-1) vs (5)Notre Dame (10-1)

(2)Oklahoma (10-1) vs (7)Penn St (10-1)
(3)Alabama (10-1) vs (6)Arkansas (10-1)

NOTE: In 1977 (7)Kentucky (10-1) (yes, Kentucky) was ruled ineligible for postseason. That bumped (9)Ohio St into the playoff field. If not for that we would've had all 8 teams at 10-1 or better. How sick is that? Does it surprise anybody people didn't raise hell about a playoff sooner? There were some damn good teams that had no shot at a National Championship. It's improved, but it still happens to this day.

 

[PhilSimms11]

1978
(1)Penn St (11-0) vs (8)Arkansas (9-2)
(4)Oklahoma (10-1) vs (5)Michigan (10-1)

(2)Alabama (10-1) vs (7)Clemson (10-1)
(3)USC (11-1) vs (6)Nebraska (9-2)
----------
1979
(1)Ohio St (11-0) vs (8)Houston (10-1)
(4)Florida St (11-0) vs (5)Oklahoma (10-1)

(2)Alabama (11-0) vs (7)Nebraska (10-1)
(3)USC (10-0-1) vs (6)Arkansas (10-1)

I just got slightly aroused. This is fun.

 

[PhilSimms11]

This playoff format may satisfy those who don't want "the regular season to be meaningless". Strictly the teams that take part in their conference championships would qualify. No at-larges. Essentially, it would be a de-facto 10-team playoff.

2016--P5
ACC--Clemson 42, VA Tech 35.
Big Ten--Penn St 38, Wisconsin 31.
Big XII--Oklahoma 38, Oklahoma St 20.
Pac-12--Washington 41, Colorado 10.
SEC--Alabama 54, Florida 16.

1st round--(4)Penn St (11-2) vs (5)Oklahoma (10-2)

semifinals--(1)Alabama (13-0) vs (4)-(5) winner
(2)Clemson (12-1) vs (3)Washington (12-1)

Championship--(1)-(4)-(5) winner vs (2)-(3) winner
----------
2016 G5
AAC--Temple 34, Navy 10.
C-USA--West Kentucky 58, LA Tech 44.
MAC--West Michigan 29, Ohio 23.
MWC--San Diego St 27, Wyoming 24.
SBC--App St 0, Arkansas St 0 (DNP)

1st round--(4)West Kentucky (10-3) vs (5)App St (9-3)

semifinals--(1)West Michigan (13-0) vs (4)-(5) winner
(2)Temple (10-3) vs (3)San Diego St (10-3)

Championship--(1)-(4)-(5) winner vs (2)-(3) winner