Man. You've got to be trolling me right now. Indiana vs Miami? After all we've been through this season? There's no way you didn't set that up on purpose LOL.
I will argue you to the death on this 12 team playoff stance you seem to have. I think we are of the exact opposite opinion actually. A season like this does a lot of work to convince me that the playoff field went in the wrong direction. I'd feel much better locking some of this fluff out than letting it all in.
Even with all the playoff spots, we're still going to manage to get it wrong, as Ole Miss is the only SEC team without a multi-possession loss, and they're not going to make it. As far as I'm concerned, this playoff is too big to be small and too small to be big. We can't let in everybody but also keep out deserving teams like Ole Miss. In that way, it's still too small, but on the other hand, if anybody except Ohio State, Notre Dame, or Oregon wins the tournament, they're going to be the least deserving (consensus) national champion in the history of the sport, down there with 2017 Alabama. Better to just entirely disallow that from happening. In that way, this tournament is too big.
Which is my real opinion? I don't know. If you want championships to matter, it's too big, but if you want to speed run the process of championships not mattering at all (like CBB did), it's too small. I enjoy the regular season. It's much more entertaining than the playoffs in almost all cases. I also think Americans are WAY too wrapped up in granting artificial importance to their artificial end of season tournaments, and therefore I'm in favour of any change that tarnishes the relevance of the championship. My proposal is, considering we're already letting undeserving riff raff in there anyway, why don't we make it a 128 team playoff?
As far as this 12 teamer that we've got, is Notre Dame ineligible for a bye? Normally they have exceptions carved out for them, but I suppose in this case they haven't. Your bracket is dramatically better than the real one, without all the rematches, but I still just cannot buy the idea of Arizona State being a playoff team. In the interest of competitive playoff matchups, we need to hope the stars align to get K-State in there somehow, or just pray that Iowa State wins that game.
I actually quite like Iowa State. I don't love their three one possession games, but it's better than Arizona State seemingly playing a one possession game every game they play. If we have to let a Big 12 team in, they're the one, and have always been the one in terms of team quality, even with the BYU mirage happening for most of the season, although I'm not sure they'll put up a great fight against Ohio State/Oregon either.
Entirely unlike Arizona State, I would honestly ask why Iowa State is not in the fight for an at-large. I think I would bet on them to beat Clemson, for what that's worth. I forget where they were on your rankings yesterday, but I like the idea of them being a bit higher.
To be clear, I hate the idea of any team with a multiple possession loss making the playoffs. If any team at any point can definitively prove that they're better than you, you're not championship calibre in my opinion. Not in this sport. It's not like the NFL. Therefore, neither Clemson nor Iowa State are deserving candidates in my opinion (nor is South Carolina BTW). In fact, there are not 12 teams without multiple possession losses in the country. To me, that means this playoff is too big, but if we have to split hairs between one team that is not championship calibre and another, I would pick Iowa State over Clemson right now.
Man. You've got to be trolling me right now. Indiana vs Miami? After all we've been through this season? There's no way you didn't set that up on purpose LOL.
I will argue you to the death on this 12 team playoff stance you seem to have. I think we are of the exact opposite opinion actually. A season like this does a lot of work to convince me that the playoff field went in the wrong direction. I'd feel much better locking some of this fluff out than letting it all in.
Even with all the playoff spots, we're still going to manage to get it wrong, as Ole Miss is the only SEC team without a multi-possession loss, and they're not going to make it. As far as I'm concerned, this playoff is too big to be small and too small to be big. We can't let in everybody but also keep out deserving teams like Ole Miss. In that way, it's still too small, but on the other hand, if anybody except Ohio State, Notre Dame, or Oregon wins the tournament, they're going to be the least deserving (consensus) national champion in the history of the sport, down there with 2017 Alabama. Better to just entirely disallow that from happening. In that way, this tournament is too big.
Which is my real opinion? I don't know. If you want championships to matter, it's too big, but if you want to speed run the process of championships not mattering at all (like CBB did), it's too small. I enjoy the regular season. It's much more entertaining than the playoffs in almost all cases. I also think Americans are WAY too wrapped up in granting artificial importance to their artificial end of season tournaments, and therefore I'm in favour of any change that tarnishes the relevance of the championship. My proposal is, considering we're already letting undeserving riff raff in there anyway, why don't we make it a 128 team playoff?
As far as this 12 teamer that we've got, is Notre Dame ineligible for a bye? Normally they have exceptions carved out for them, but I suppose in this case they haven't. Your bracket is dramatically better than the real one, without all the rematches, but I still just cannot buy the idea of Arizona State being a playoff team. In the interest of competitive playoff matchups, we need to hope the stars align to get K-State in there somehow, or just pray that Iowa State wins that game.
I actually quite like Iowa State. I don't love their three one possession games, but it's better than Arizona State seemingly playing a one possession game every game they play. If we have to let a Big 12 team in, they're the one, and have always been the one in terms of team quality, even with the BYU mirage happening for most of the season, although I'm not sure they'll put up a great fight against Ohio State/Oregon either.
Entirely unlike Arizona State, I would honestly ask why Iowa State is not in the fight for an at-large. I think I would bet on them to beat Clemson, for what that's worth. I forget where they were on your rankings yesterday, but I like the idea of them being a bit higher.
To be clear, I hate the idea of any team with a multiple possession loss making the playoffs. If any team at any point can definitively prove that they're better than you, you're not championship calibre in my opinion. Not in this sport. It's not like the NFL. Therefore, neither Clemson nor Iowa State are deserving candidates in my opinion (nor is South Carolina BTW). In fact, there are not 12 teams without multiple possession losses in the country. To me, that means this playoff is too big, but if we have to split hairs between one team that is not championship calibre and another, I would pick Iowa State over Clemson right now.