A look at how the bowls decide which teams play in their game and how the system could be improved.
Checkout this video:
The College Football Playoff
The College Football Playoff is the annual postseason tournament that determines the national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The playoff system began in 2014, replacing the previous Bowl Championship Series. The playoff consists of four teams, chosen by a committee, that compete in a single-elimination semifinal game, with the winners advancing to the College Football Playoff National Championship.
How It Works
The College Football Playoff (CFP) is an annual postseason tournament to determine the national champion of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)’s Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the highest level of college football in the United States. The inaugural tournament was held at the end of the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Four teams play in two semifinal games, with their winners advancing to the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Who’s In and Who’s Out
The College Football Playoff (CFP) is an annual postseason tournament to determine the national champion of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)’s Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The four-team playoff system, which began with the 2014 college football season, features two semi-final games, which rotate annually between six different bowl games: the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, the Capital One Orange Bowl, the Allstate Sugar Bowl and the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual. The national championship game is then played at a separate site each year.
So who’s in and who’s out of this year’s College Football Playoff? Here’s a look at the four teams that will be vying for a spot in the national championship game:
1. Clemson Tigers
The Clemson Tigers are the defending national champions, having beaten Alabama in last year’s title game. They are also the reigning ACC champions and are currently undefeated, with a record of 11-0. They are ranked No. 1 in both the CFP rankings and the AP poll and are favored to win another national championship.
2. Oklahoma Sooners
The Oklahoma Sooners are also undefeated, with a record of 11-0. They are ranked No. 2 in both the CFP rankings and the AP poll and are one of the favorites to make it to this year’s national championship game. They won the Big 12 conference championship this year and will be looking to add a national title to their resume.
3. Georgia Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs are also among the favorites to make it to this year’s national championship game. They have a record of 11-1 and are ranked No. 3 in both the CFP rankings and the AP poll. They won’t be playing in this year’s SEC Championship game because they lost to Alabama earlier in the season, but they still have an outside chance of making it into the playoff if one of or both of Clemson or Oklahoma lose their respective games.
4. Alabama Crimson Tide
The Alabama Crimson Tide round out this year’s field of playoff teams. They have a record of 10-2 and are ranked No. 4 in both the CFP rankings and AP poll. They won’t be playing in this year’s SEC Championship game because they lost to LSU earlier in
The Bowl Games
The Bowl Games are a series of college football games played at the end of the regular season. The first Bowl Game was the Rose Bowl, which was played in 1902. The Rose Bowl is still played today, and it is the oldest bowl game. Bowl games are a great way for teams to end their season on a high note, and they are also a great way for players to showcase their talents to NFL scouts.
The Major Bowls
Not all bowl games are created equal. Some carry more weight than others, both in terms of the teams that play in them and the prestige that comes with a win. These are the major bowl games, in order from most to least important:
-The College Football Playoff National Championship
-The Rose Bowl
-The Sugar Bowl
-The Orange Bowl
The Other Bowls
Not all bowl games are created equal. The postseason college football landscape is littered with a plethora of them, and the vast majority of them are far from the top-tier matchups that take place in the New Year’s Six bowls. In fact, most bowl games are so unappealing that they struggle to fill their stadiums.
But even among the bottom-feeders, there are some bowls that stand out as being especially unappealing. Here are the five worst bowl games, based on a variety of factors including attendance, TV ratings, and on-field product.
5. Independence Bowl (Louisiana Tech vs. Miami (Ohio))
4. New Era Pinstripe Bowl (Wisconsin vs. Miami)
3. Taxi Bowl (Brigham Young vs. Nebraska)
2. Camping World Independence Bowl (Georgia Tech vs. Tulsa)
1. Foster Farms Bowl (Indiana vs. Utah)
The College Football Championship
The college football championship is a tournament that takes place at the end of the college football season to determine the national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The first college football championship was held in 1869, making it the oldest bowl game in college football. The championship is currently a four-team playoff that rotates among six different bowl games, with the semi-final games being played at two of the home stadiums of the participant teams.
How It Works
The College Football Playoff (CFP) is an annual postseason tournament to determine the national champion of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The four-team playoff system, which began with the 2014 season, features two semi-final games, played on December 28 or 29 of the year preceding the Rose Bowl Game, and a championship game, played on the first Monday that is at least six days after the semi-finals.
The CFP is overseen by a 12-member committee that meets annually in December to discuss potential participants and make its selections. The committee’s voting is done in a closed meeting; thus, there is no public record of individual votes. Committee members are:
-Chairman Ken Harrison
– vice chairman Rob Mullens
– Clemson AD Dan Radakovich
– Ohio State AD Gene Smith
– Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick
– Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione
– Florida AD Scott Stricklin
– Texas Tech AD Kirby Hocutt
IRO executive director Bill Hancock
Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey
ACC commissioner John Swofford
Who’s In and Who’s Out
The college football championship is a bit of a misnomer. While there is one game to determine the national champion, there are actually two different championship systems in place. The first is the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), which consists of five different bowl games. The second is the College Football Playoff (CFP), which began in 2014 and consists of four different bowl games.
The teams that make it to the BCS and CFP are determined by a combination of polls and computer rankings. The playoffs are open to any team that is ranked in the top 25 of either the Associated Press (AP) or Coaches Poll, as well as any team that finishes in the top 16 of the final BCS Standings.
The four teams that make it to the CFP will play in two semifinal games, with the winners advancing to the national championship game. The semifinals this year will be the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl, both of which will be played on January 1, 2018. The national championship game will be played on January 8, 2018 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.