Say it ain't so...........Sad day for the MAC

[Schadenfreude]

There will never be a playoff with all conference champs getting automatic berths.

Never say never. We never thought a MAC school would play in the Orange Bowl or that ESPN would bring its kickoff show to a MAC campus, and these things have happened.

[Flipper]

They WANT OSU and Michigan to make it....they'll do everything they can to make that happen. I don't think Wisky can stomp PSU....I think Washington will lose. even if Colorado/Washington is just a close game that seems a bit lackluster...Michigan is in

Michigan beating both Wisky and PSU gives them the rational to include them...OSU's wins over Wisky and Michigan gives them the rational for inclusion. What's ultimately funny...or galling depending on your POV...is that the lack of a conference title game was used to exclude the Big 12 in the past but this year? Well...those conference title games aren't the be all end all

[jpfalcon09]

They WANT OSU and Michigan to make it....they'll do everything they can to make that happen. I don't think Wisky can stomp PSU....I think Washington will lose. even if Colorado/Washington is just a close game that seems a bit lackluster...Michigan is in

Michigan beating both Wisky and PSU gives them the rational to include them...OSU's wins over Wisky and Michigan gives them the rational for inclusion. What's ultimately funny...or galling depending on your POV...is that the lack of a conference title game was used to exclude the Big 12 in the past but this year? Well...those conference title games aren't the be all end all

Which leads to my question, why have conferences and champions if you're not going to honor a team who was able to survive their schedule and emerge as the top dog among their peers? Everyone should be independent and schedule whoever the hell they want to then to make the strongest case. The committee has been extremely subjective in their rankings and there are inherent biases built into their decision making, and there's been no consistency from year to year.

[hammb]

They WANT OSU and Michigan to make it....they'll do everything they can to make that happen. I don't think Wisky can stomp PSU....I think Washington will lose. even if Colorado/Washington is just a close game that seems a bit lackluster...Michigan is in

Michigan beating both Wisky and PSU gives them the rational to include them...OSU's wins over Wisky and Michigan gives them the rational for inclusion. What's ultimately funny...or galling depending on your POV...is that the lack of a conference title game was used to exclude the Big 12 in the past but this year? Well...those conference title games aren't the be all end all

Which leads to my question, why have conferences and champions if you're not going to honor a team who was able to survive their schedule and emerge as the top dog among their peers? Everyone should be independent and schedule whoever the hell they want to then to make the strongest case. The committee has been extremely subjective in their rankings and there are inherent biases built into their decision making, and there's been no consistency from year to year.

They continue to have conferences because they need larger entities to write up the TV contracts. At least that's the case for now, maybe some day they do go entirely independent and let each team negotiate their own contracts. That will REALLY help the big boys, and crush the 2nd tier Power5 teams. They also like the conferences to maintain some level of "tradition" although most of the real tradition of college football has already been destroyed.

The conference championships only exist to add an additional game of revenue to the TV contracts and ticket sales. No other reason at all for them.

The committee has no accountability, and they maintain consistency in one thing: They will reward the teams that fill the banks with the most money. That's the only consistency they need because ultimately that's who they must answer to. And they'll continue to get by with it because talking heads will tout "the eye test" over the actual results on the field. They'll say OSU is a mortal lock because they beat up on a lot of teams, including Oklahoma. EYE TEST baby! Yet, they ignore the fact they looked like garbage barely beating MSU and Northwestern. Struggled against Wisconsin, and LOST to Penn State. If OSU had 2 losses but won the Big 10 you'd hear how they were in because they were a conference champ.

The committee can do whatever it wants and has a laundry list of conflicting criteria that they can use to put their 4 best teams in. In the end it gives them carte blanche to put whoever the hell they want into the playoff and have SOME justification for doing so. Never mind the hypocrisy in using those same criteria to exclude others...it's irrelevant.

They should just throw the top 16 biggest money schools into a tournament to start the season and call it a year. The rest don't matter.

Mike & Mike is running a contest right now where they want fans to submit 15 second videos why their team should get into the playoff. I think it's a contest to get tickets to the playoff games. I thought about recording a video for WMU to just simply say, "We won all of our games"

[Globetrotter]

They WANT OSU and Michigan to make it....they'll do everything they can to make that happen. I don't think Wisky can stomp PSU....I think Washington will lose. even if Colorado/Washington is just a close game that seems a bit lackluster...Michigan is in

Michigan beating both Wisky and PSU gives them the rational to include them...OSU's wins over Wisky and Michigan gives them the rational for inclusion. What's ultimately funny...or galling depending on your POV...is that the lack of a conference title game was used to exclude the Big 12 in the past but this year? Well...those conference title games aren't the be all end all

Which leads to my question, why have conferences and champions if you're not going to honor a team who was able to survive their schedule and emerge as the top dog among their peers? Everyone should be independent and schedule whoever the hell they want to then to make the strongest case. The committee has been extremely subjective in their rankings and there are inherent biases built into their decision making, and there's been no consistency from year to year.

They continue to have conferences because they need larger entities to write up the TV contracts. At least that's the case for now, maybe some day they do go entirely independent and let each team negotiate their own contracts. That will REALLY help the big boys, and crush the 2nd tier Power5 teams. They also like the conferences to maintain some level of "tradition" although most of the real tradition of college football has already been destroyed.

The conference championships only exist to add an additional game of revenue to the TV contracts and ticket sales. No other reason at all for them.

The committee has no accountability, and they maintain consistency in one thing: They will reward the teams that fill the banks with the most money. That's the only consistency they need because ultimately that's who they must answer to. And they'll continue to get by with it because talking heads will tout "the eye test" over the actual results on the field. They'll say OSU is a mortal lock because they beat up on a lot of teams, including Oklahoma. EYE TEST baby! Yet, they ignore the fact they looked like garbage barely beating MSU and Northwestern. Struggled against Wisconsin, and LOST to Penn State. If OSU had 2 losses but won the Big 10 you'd hear how they were in because they were a conference champ.

The committee can do whatever it wants and has a laundry list of conflicting criteria that they can use to put their 4 best teams in. In the end it gives them carte blanche to put whoever the hell they want into the playoff and have SOME justification for doing so. Never mind the hypocrisy in using those same criteria to exclude others...it's irrelevant.

They should just throw the top 16 biggest money schools into a tournament to start the season and call it a year. The rest don't matter.

Mike & Mike is running a contest right now where they want fans to submit 15 second videos why their team should get into the playoff. I think it's a contest to get tickets to the playoff games. I thought about recording a video for WMU to just simply say, "We won all of our games"

Please do it!

[apollo]

There is no reason that there shouldn't be a 16 team tournament with every conference champion getting in. That leaves 7 at large bids. You'd have to play at least the first round at home sites...It would work out well...problem is the big boys don't want to share the money, which you can't really blame them.

I still think Western will get into the Cotton Bowl, but it's pretty depressing to think it may not happen.

[jpfalcon09]

There is no reason that there shouldn't be a 16 team tournament with every conference champion getting in. That leaves 7 at large bids. You'd have to play at least the first round at home sites...It would work out well...problem is the big boys don't want to share the money, which you can't really blame them.

I still think Western will get into the Cotton Bowl, but it's pretty depressing to think it may not happen.

Doubt it. The fact that the Cotton Bowl is waiting until the Army/Navy game, assuming Navy beats Temple, tells you what is going on behind the scenes. Western is about to get royally screwed.

[Flipper]

Worth mentioning in the midst of the ongoing debate re MACtion mid week vs traditional scheduling...in the past two months alone ESPN has lost 1,000,000+ subscribers. At what point will the live attendance and the universe of possible ESPN viewers intersect?

[kdog27]

Like BGdodge said earlier Navy getting that game will likely be the nail in the coffin for me too. I find most games unwatchable anymore as it is. They have got to the point where they can't make a close call without a replay leading to 4 hour games. Half the time they don't make the right call so they don't blow a play dead knowing they have replay in their back pocket. Then replay is inconclusive. I'm fine with getting things right but reviewing10-15 plays a game is absurd to me. End of that rant.

Then the corruption that goes on to win is down right sad. The things that went on at Penn State, Baylor and Louisville in the name of winning is sick. Those are just the places that have been caught! Logic leads me to believe heinous things like this happen on every campus and they are all swept under a rug to protect the name of the school and the athletic program. I can spend my time and money on more important things.

[Globetrotter]

http://www.espn.com/college-football/st ... owl-system" target="_blank

This seems to indicate that the greater fear is if WMU loses.

[kdog27]

Simple to me if WMU wins. A 2 loss Navy team deserves zero consideration over an undefeated WMU.

[falcon83]

anybody else sick of hearing about the Bedford Mules and their band? Perhaps a new topic should be started so we can choose if we want to see what a great time that is.

[Flipper]

Go Mules!!

https://twitter.com/BedfordHSBands" target="_blank

[Flipper]

Oh...almost forgot...Saline sucks