Tier 1
1) SEC (4 teams)
2) Big 12 (4 teams)
Tier 2
3) Pac 10 (3 teams)
4) Big East (3 teams)
Tier 3
5) Big 10 (2 teams)
6) WAC (2 teams)
7) ACC (2 teams)
Tier 4
8) Conf USA (1 team)
9) Mountain West (1 team)
10) Mid-American (1 team)
11) Sun Belt (1 team)
This gives us 24 teams in the tournament. Note that the tiers can be adjusted each season based on conference performance. Just as with the Champions League in Europe, the better teams will enter in later rounds. Here is a proposed breakdown for college football (based loosely on 2008 performance):
The first set of teams to enter:
24) Tier 4 Champion (Sun Belt - Troy)
23) Tier 4 Champion (Mid Am. - Ball State)
22) Tier 4 Champion (Mnt. West - Utah)
21) Tier 4 Champion (Conf USA - East Carolina)
20) Tier 1 3rd Runner Up (Big 12 - Missouri)
19) Tier 1 3rd Runner Up (SEC - Ole Miss)
18) Tier 2 2nd Runner Up (Big East - West Virginia)
17) Tier 2 2nd Runner Up (Pac 10 - Oregon)
The teams to enter Round 2:
16) Tier 3 Runner Up (ACC - Boston College)
15) Tier 3 Runner Up (Big 10 - Ohio State)
14) Tier 3 Runner Up (WAC - Fresno State)
13) Tier 1 2nd Runner Up (SEC - Georgia)
12) Tier 1 2nd Runner Up (Big 12 - Texas Tech)
11) Tier 2 Runner Up (Big East - Pitt)
10) Tier 2 Runner up (Pac 10 - Oregon State)
9) Tier 3 Champion (lowest ranked of the three tier 3 champs) (WAC - Boise State)
Round 3 new entries:
8) Tier 3 Champion (ACC - Virginia Tech)
7) Tier 3 Champion (Big 10 - Penn State)
6) Tier 1 Runner Up (SEC - Alabama)
5) Tier 1 Runner Up (Big 12 - Texas)
4) Tier 2 Champion (Big East - Cincinnati)
3) Tier 2 Champion (Pac 10 - USC)
Quarterfinal entries:
2) Tier 1 Champion (Big 12 - Oklahoma)
1) Tier 1 Champion (SEC - Florida)
Now we have the teams and when they enter. My next step was to simulate the tournament. Using a random number generator I randomly paired the teams for each round up and through the quarterfinals. Then I used a crude algorithm to determine the winner. This algorithm used a weight system to give higher ranked teams an advantage since they would be a better team. Weights were equal to teams that entered in the same phase. So, for example, Texas and Cincy would not have a weight but Texas/Florida would be weighted in favor of Florida. If Florida were to play Utah, a more severe weight would be installed since Utah entered in the first round.
Now on to the tourney!
Round 1
Missouri beats Ball State
Utah beats Oregon
Troy beats West Virginia
Ole Miss beats East Carolina
The four winners (MU, Utah, Troy, Ole Miss) move to Round 2 with the Round 2 entrants. Again, all teams were randomly paired for round 2.
Round 2
Missouri beats Oregon State
Texas Tech beats Georgia
Boston College beats Troy
Ohio State beats Pitt
Utah beats Boise State
Old Miss beats Fresno State
Same thing for Round 3
Ohio State upsets Cincy
Penn State over Alabama
Boston College upsets Texas
Utah beats Missouri
Virginia Tech beats USC
Quarterfinals (the final two teams enter, last round to use a random draw)
Ohio State beats Boston College
Florida beats Utah
Oklahoma beats Virginia Tech
Penn St beats Texas Tech
Semi Finals
Ohio St beats Florida
Penn St beats Oklahoma
Finals
Penn St wins over Ohio State.
So there you go. Obviously this would need some tweaking. Overall rankings might be needed and seeding each round might make for more fair match-ups. The Utah/Missouri matchup shows this as two early entry teams play in a later round. On the other hand, the random draw creates a fair bit of excitement and adds an element of surprise.
You can also argue how the teams are initially entered and the feasibility of this working with the current season structure. Teams would have to cut out some none conference games. Also, it would be idea if the conferences all had the same number of teams and played the same number of games and determined their champions in a similar manner.
Leave comments and let me know how you'd tweak it up!
2 comments:
I like this idea. The matchups were interesting, especially the VT over USC game! Anyway, I think that this would be an intriguing solution.
A potential issue is the problem of momentum. Say a MWC has a great team and steam rolls their way through the early competition and then wins a couple of tough games. Then they play in the semifinals against one of the highest ranked teams but with substantial emotional inertia. Since we all know how much emotion plays a part of college sports, would this be an unfair advantage for the MWC team against a Big 10/Pac 10/etc opponent? Or to put it a different way, if one team is plays 3 or 4 extra games and their opponent is off during that team, does the rested team have an advantage or disadvantage?
Also, I think it would be interesting to apply the "do poorly in a good division and get demoted to a lesser division/do well in a lesser division and get promoted to a good division" system to college football.
Yes, the relegation could be cool. The only tricky part is that there is a high turnover in college football. Relegation would get rid of teams like Baylor, though.
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