College Football Playoff Plan

This blog introduces a playoff solution for the top division of college football that would allow both college football authorities and college football fans to have their football cake and eat it too.

The Patterson Playoff Plan:

1. Gives every major division football school the opportunity to play their way into the playoffs.
2. Preserves the existing bowls system and its revenue.
3. Does not require ANY team to play more than a 13 or 14 game season (including the playoffs and bowls).
4. Enables the top division college football champion to be decided on the field of play.

16 Team Playoff - click on picture to enlarge

Plan Details:

The Patterson Playoff Plan essentially flips the season so that conference schedules are played at or near the beginning of the season. The entire in-conference portion of a team’s schedule, including any conference championship games,  would be completed within the first nine games of the season.

By completing the conference schedules early, the playoff field - including at-large teams could be decided by the end of game 10. However, the greatest advantage is that the playoffs could begin during the regular season and would effect only a handful of late season non-conference games.

Based on the playoff plan only 12 games total would need to be “flexed” (postponed, cancelled, or rematched). For example, playoff round 2 would be played during the week where the 11th regular season game (a non-conference game) was scheduled. The 8 teams playing in playoff round 2 would have 8 scheduled opponents that they could not play due to the playoffs. One “flex” solution could be to rematch the 8 opponents so that they are playing in 4 games amongst themselves. A policy and compensation plan could be worked out by the NCAA.

Here is the proposed breakdown of a season:

Game 1 Week.

The college football season would begin with each team playing one non-conference game.

Game 2-9 Weeks.

Following the season opener teams would begin their conference schedule. Teams would play eight conference games, including any conference championship game. This would not represent a change for most teams or conferences since 8 is the number of conference games currently played by most. Alternatively, a conference could elect to play a nine game conference schedule instead of playing a season opening non-conference game.

At the end of the ninth game week the champions of the major conferences (currently eleven) would be decided. All 11 conference champions would receive an automatic playoff spot.

Game 10 Week.

Game 10 week represents a return to non-conference action for all teams. Each team would be playing their second non-conference matchup.

Additionally, at the end of Game 10 week the remaining playoff spots (5 at-large bids) would be decided to round off the field of sixteen teams.

Week 11 (playoff Round 1)

Week eleven would be reserved on the schedule of all top division schools for the opening round of the playoff. For the 16 teams competing in the playoff, Week 11 would be their 11th overall game. Week 11 would be an open date for all non-playoff qualifying schools.

The 8 playoff games held on Week 11 would demand total television attention for the college football weekend. This first weekend would be a huge spectacle similar to New Year’s Day bowls. And college football would be able to demand a handsome price for television rights.

At the end of Week 11, 8 teams would remain in national title contention, and 8 teams will have been eliminated. However, an opening round playoff loss would NOT end the season for the 8 teams eliminated.

Week 12 (playoff round 2).

On Week 12 the rest of college football (except for the 8 teams remaining in the playoff) would continue their regular season schedule with their third non-conference game. Week 12 would be the 11th overall game for non-playoff qualifiers.

In addition, the eight teams eliminated during the first round of the playoff would resume their regular season with their scheduled non-conference game. For these 8 teams, week 12 would be their 12th overall game.

The eight teams remaining in the playoff could meet in four games scheduled on Monday or Tuesday in prime time. Again, this would offer another big television revenue opportunity for college football.

However, the eight regular season non-conference games scheduled for Week 12 would have to be “flexed” (postponed, rematched, or cancelled).

At the end of Week 12, four more teams will have been eliminated from the playoff. The remaining teams will have advanced to the ”Football Four” or national semi-final.

Week 13.

Week 13 would be the 13th overall game and the final regular season game for the playoff teams which lost in the first two playoff rounds.

Week 13 would be the 12th overall game and final regual season game for all non-playoff qualifiers.

Polls.

Polls would continue to be relevant in regards to providing input to the selection committee on choosing the at-large teams, and in regards to seeding of the playoff field. This plan envisions that the seeding of the 16 team field would be based on a poll formula identical to or similar to the current BCS ranking system. However for fairness, this plan recommends that no at-large team should be seeded above any conference champion.

Polls would also continue to be relevant in regards to post season bowl selections.

Bowl Games.

Both non-playoff qualifying teams and playoff teams eliminated prior to the national semi-final round would be eligible for bowl selection.

National Semi-Final and Final.

The 3rd round of the playoff  (2 national Semi-final games) would not be played Week 13. Instead, both national semi-final games could be played as major post New Year’s bowl games as part of a “Football Four” spectacular.

The Championship Game would be held the following week, either in a major bowl or as a standalone game.

Please provide your feedback and suggestions.

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