The Sec and Big Ten want to fill the playoff. But the story suggests that it will not really help them

As you have read, the Big Ten and the Sec, College Football playoff are planning to transform into Tony Petiti/Greg Saney Invitational. You want your conferences in an extended 14-team field to guarantee four automatic lounger, compared to two for the Peons in ACC and BIG 12.

Currently, only the masters of these conferences qualify for an automatic berth in the 12-team CFP and leave seven large places. In the proposed Petitti/Saney Invitational, the first to fourth teams are automatically in their conferences, regardless of where they are classified by the committee.

I went back and looked at the last ranking of the college football playoffs from 2014 to 2004 to see how dramatically this brilliant plan would have benefited if it had been set up all the time.

The answer is: not at all.

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Your total number of berths during this period would hardly be different.

And in some cases it would have backfired. As in 2019, according to the current rules, the SEC would only have qualified five teams and the ACC. But under the SEC's own proposal No. 24 Virginia (9-4), the second-placed team of ACC, in Alabama No. 13 (10-2), which would have earned the last Largen berth. would be outside.

Was given all the time over a playoff with 14 teams, but with only the five best rated conference champions, the annual average values ​​largely reflect what is proposed (using the current conference membership). The Big Ten and Sec had 4.2 participants per season and the ACC and Big 12 on average 2.1. The group of 5 (1.0) and Notre Dame (0.4) made the rest.

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But nobody will watch 11-year average on the selection on Sunday. Everything that matters is who should be or not this specific season. And not once in these 11 seasons, the separation among Power 4 naturally landed to 4-4-2-2.

For a few years, the ACC or BIG 12 would have received more than two bids, a few years less. In 2021, the BIG 12 had up to five or two more than the Big Ten or the SEC this season.

In a few years, the Big Ten or Sec received more than four commandments, as in 2023, when the SEC six and the Big Ten Five had had. But a few years – keep themselves – they would have had fewer As four teams. The Big Ten passed three times and four for the Sec.

This was last happened in 2022 when the fourth highest team of SEC No. 17 LSU (9-4) was. According to the plan of the Power 2, the Tiger would automatically have made the 14-team field at the expense of Washington No. 12 (10-2).

This is hardly the most extreme case of bracket manipulation that work in favor of the Sec. In 2015, Florida No. 19 would have State in Oklahoma State as the fourth SEC team together with the state of Oklahoma, the second team of Big 12. Together they would have bumped out not only one, but two TOP 10 ACC teams, No. 9 Florida State and No. 10 North Carolina.

In other seasons, however, the SEC would have found itself at the wrong end of the automatic berth of another. Like the example mentioned above by Virginia 2019. In 2023, neither the ACC nor Big 12 had a second team, in this case No. 15 Louisville (10-3) and No. 20 and Oklahoma State (9-4), No. 11 Ole Miss (10-2) . No. 12 Oklahoma (10-2).

In 2020 IOWA (6-2) No. 15 (6-2) No. 15 No. 9 No. 9 Georgia (7-2) would have replaced. Name revenge for 2016 when the SEC would only have qualified two teams among the current parameters. Instead, Auburn (8-4) and No. 17 Florida (8-4) No. 9 USC (9-3) and No. 13 Louisville (9-3) would have replaced.

Do you already notice a recurring topic? The. Is. Dumb!

This clearly well thought -out Petiti/Saney Invitational must have a long -term payment for the Big Ten and SEC, right? If you have eight other conferences strongly, it must be sure that you immerse yourself a number of additional berths.

No. The big ten apply their model to the last 11 seasons and comes from 46 CFP teams to 47, while the second falls from 46 to 45. The biggest winner is actually the BIG 12, which recorded two berths from 23 to 25. (The poor Acc fell from 23 to 21.)

This leagues would be almost no long-term benefit by manipulating the playoff field. But it would have at least one long -term consequence: destroy the credibility of the entire event.

Here is a better plan: keep a playoff that consists exclusively of the best teams in the country This season.

Number of college football playoff teams per conference in a 14-team playoff, 2014-24, using current membership

* G5 contains two appearances of the Washington State

(Photo: David J. Griffin / Icon Sportswire about Getty Images)