Oregon's playoff exit further proof that the system is broken for a few major reasons
There are plenty of reasons to believe the new 12-team College Football Playoffs bracket needs to be reworked. Oregon fans know it well, and are left looking at Penn State, the team that they beat in the Big Ten Championship, advancing to the Semifinals thanks to an easy path with SMU and Boise State as […]
There are plenty of reasons to believe the new 12-team College Football Playoffs bracket needs to be reworked. Oregon fans know it well, and are left looking at Penn State, the team that they beat in the Big Ten Championship, advancing to the Semifinals thanks to an easy path with SMU and Boise State as their two opponents, while the Ducks are at home preparing for next season.
One interesting tidbit worth looking into is how the four teams that were "awarded" a first round bye fared in their Quarterfinal matchups. Spoiler: they didn't do well.
Add Georgia, the fourth team to get a first round bye to the list, as Notre Dame held Georgia to only a field goal until halfway through the third quarter, eventually winning 23-10.
All four teams that got a first round bye thanks to the automatic bye system ended up losing in the Quarterfinals, and the fact that the four teams had three full weeks off between games could be a part of it.
Penn State, Texas, and Ohio State came out looking sharp and honed in for their matchups. Their opponents looked to be a step slow. And while Georgia's defense kept it close, they still weren't able to get it done.
The automatic bye system that the College Football Playoffs attempted to put in place did exactly the opposite of what it set out to do. It rewarded the middle seeds with easier matchups in the first round, essentially giving them tune-up games before suiting up in the Quarterfinals. The College Football Playoffs committee had Texas as the No. 5 seed, Penn State as the No. 6 seed, Notre Dame as the No. 7 seed, and Ohio State as the No. 8 seed. Those are now the four teams in the semifinals.
All four of them handled their first round opponents with wins of at least 10 points. Meanwhile, their quarterfinal opponents sat by for three weeks, adding extra distractions and too much time off for college kids.
I thought the added time would give Oregon, in particular, an advantage in preparation. Instead, they looked flat, with Ohio State carrying massive amounts of energy and momentum into their matchup on the heels of a massive 42-17 victory over Tennessee.
The system backfired, plain and simple. And while the games have been entertaining, the seeding created a disaster. You mean to tell me that Arizona State and Boise State should have entered the playoffs as higher ranked seeds than any of the four teams seeded behind them? You can't possibly make that argument. The final AP Poll, which isn't perfect, had it much closer, with Boise State ranked 8th, and Arizona State ranked 10th. They need to overhaul this system as soon as they are able to do so.
Oregon Ducks’ week goes from bad to worse after Rose Bowl loss with unexpected news
Didn’t see that coming.
Follow along all year for more Oregon Ducks coverage on A to Z Sports. You can find me on Bluesky @jonhelmkamp.bsky.social, as well as follow our main page @AtoZSports.bsky.social for all the latest news.
