Another Meaningless Conference Realignment Article
By J.P. Scott
Sometimes you just gotta have fun during these slow news days in the long Summer months. Conference realignment ideas are a great way to do that and pass the time.
A couple of us writers got into a discussion on Twitter recently about conference realignment and playoffs. Here is an expanded version of my two cents.
Separate the Power Five from the Group of Five
It’s what the Power 5 wants anyway. This is evident in the College Football Playoff Committee’s obviously deliberate omission of would-be deserving Group of Five teams from consideration.
So be it. Let’s draw the line. There is the Power 5 and the Group of Five, and their streams may no longer cross.
Five Conferences of 14 teams
We can do this, because math and geography are not hard.
Here is the new ACC:
Notre Dame (c’mon, we’re halfway in anyway, just finish the process), Clemson, NC State, Wake Forest, Boston College , Louisville, Florida State, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Georgia Tech, Pitt, Duke and North Carolina.
We’re kicking Miami to the SEC. Deal with it.
Here is the new SEC:
Miami, Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky, Florida, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Auburn, Alabama, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Central Florida.
We are kicking Texas A&M and Missouri back to the Big 12. Again, settle down. This is not real.
The new Big 12:
Texas A&M, Missouri, Oklahoma, TCU, Oklahoma State, Texas, West Virginia, Kansas State, Iowa State, Texas Tech, Baylor, Kansas, Colorado State and BYU.
Please welcome the Rams and Cougars to big-time college football.
The new Pac 12:
Stanford, Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, Cal, USC, Arizona State, Arizona, UCLA, Utah, Colorado, San Diego State and Boise State.
Please welcome the Aztecs and Broncos to big-time college football.
The current Big Ten will remain the same.
Round-robin scheduling, no non-con games, no conference championship
Every team will play 13 conference games, facing every opponent in conference. The champion is the champion. That’s it.
Five-team playoff
Each conference champion qualifies for the five-team College Football Playoff. The teams are seeded by a committee. The No. 1 seed gets a bye. The 4-seed and 5-seed will face off in a play-in game for the right to face the 1-seed in the semifinals. The 2-seed will play the 3-seed in the other semifinal.
Boom. Easy. Book it.
Next: Irish Passing Attack Needs To Step Up
But as always, someone is going to complain about something in this plan. And that someone will probably be the fan of an SEC team who doesn’t get to play the Citadel in Week 11 anymore.