From: james.m.gibson@gmail.com   
      
   On Tuesday, December 19, 2023 at 2:12:01 PM UTC-5, RSFC Moderator wrote:   
   > On Tuesday, December 19, 2023 at 12:56:28 PM UTC-5, JGibson wrote:    
   > > On Tuesday, December 19, 2023 at 9:13:35 AM UTC-5, RSFC Moderator wrote:    
   > > > On Monday, December 18, 2023 at 11:54:50 AM UTC-5, RSFC Moderator   
   wrote:    
   > > > > If we had next years conferences and rules and this years teams, how   
   would a playoff play out?    
   > > > > #5 is a good place to be: getting the 2 weakest autobids---- most   
   years this is probably an easier spot than 1,2 or 3.    
   > > > Thinking about this a little more: the #5 seed will often (40%? ) be the   
   second best team by quality or results. Sometimes they will be the best team.   
   So, it's not crazy that they have a reasonable easy path. That said, having   
   the easiest path to    
   the semis seems a touch too easy.    
   > > Did they for sure stick with the top 4 conference champions get the top 4   
   seeds and the byes?   
   > Hmm.    
   >    
   > In 2022 they said:    
   > "As previously announced, the expanded 12-team playoff will be made up of   
   the six conference champions ranked highest by the committee (no minimum   
   ranking requirement), and the six highest-ranked teams not among the   
   conference champions. The four    
   highest-ranked conference champions would be seeded Nos. 1 through 4 and   
   receive first-round byes. The other eight seeds — Nos. 5 through 12 —   
   would play in the first round."[1]    
   >    
   > In 2023 they said:    
   > "The new 12-team College Football Playoff field will include the six   
   highest-ranked conference champions, which will receive automatic bids. The   
   top four teams will receive a first-round bye to the quarterfinals. The six   
   highest-ranked teams remaining    
   will round out the 12-team format."[2]    
   >    
   > Both are slightly dated, because they have reduced the conference autobids   
   to 5.    
   >    
   > I think the 2023 wording means the same as the 2022--- the "top four" are   
   selected from conference champions before the field is rounded out--- but it's   
   more ambiguous than the 2022 wording.    
   >    
   > This year, the top 5 CFP teams are all conference champions but it's   
   probably the last time that happens.    
      
   Right.  I was just thinking that with Oklahoma and Texas going to the SEC that   
   the Big 12 champion (which was hypothetically Arizona in your example) will   
   often not be one of the strongest 4 teams.  And that's the #5 seed would have   
   the easy path to the    
   semis.  But if they changed it to top 4 overall, regardless of championship   
   status, then that issue goes away.   
      
   One thing they might consider is selection & seeding as separate processes   
   instead of one combined process.  In the whole argument about "strongest team"   
   vs. "team with the best season", I actually like teams with the best seasons   
   for selection & then    
   strongest teams for seeding.  The problem with a mis-seed is that the most   
   affected team is not the team that is incorrectly seeded, but the opponent of   
   said team.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)