Quote:Whether people want to agree to it or not, Power 5 auto-bids are pretty much the only impetus to for the system to move to an 8-team playoff. That will be the entire reason why the ones that actually have the power to make change (the P5) would be motivated to expand the system.

Most don't want the 8-team playoff apparently, after they voted for an expansion (very safe to assume 8 was the focal point).

When you put thought into it, you're going to run into Problems giving P5 *unconditional* auto-bids. What if Boise is as good as yesteryear (less than 10yrs ago) -- and UCF is about as good as now? You have two G5 Champs potentially being better than the lowest P5 Champ who pulled an upset and ranked low down the line. Chaos. Again, these aren't "spotlight matchup bowls". These are Playoffs. Ranking leans heavier.

Giving P5 Champs *unconditional* auto-bids, presents a (uncommon, but destined) problem. You trade CLEAR NO-EXCUSES general Fairness of a P5 Champ being left out (with possibility of NO team from their Conf going), while letting 1 or even 2 high & HIGHER RANKED G5 Champs IN -- or you ditch one of the HIGHER RANKED G5 CONF CHAMPS for a *lower ranked* P5 Champ... because they get more TV attention/$$-revenue.

Again, that's semi-excusable for Big Bowls. That's not going to fly for Playoffs. No sport is like that. "Well, you're both champions of your conference, and You are ranked higher by Committee than the other.... BUT you don't get quality TV revenue coming in, so we're going to go for the other guy ranked #20."

Good luck convincing anyone of that flying. :)

That's why I say the way to help ensure a P5 Champ will *almost always* be IN an 8-team Playoff, even if not ranked #8, while nobody can have complaints:
- Top 4 unconditional auto-bids; no matter what conference
- If within Top 8 and you're a Conf Champ; unconditional auto-bid
- Limit on total # from the same conference (may help open a bottom slot for a P5 Conf struggling)
- Up to 6 Conference Champ Auto-Bids: Must be ranked in Top 13. No more than 2 past #8.

By the rationale of the Unconditional P5 Champ Auto-Bid Scenario:
#7 - Boise State
#8 - Central Florida
...
#12 - Washington State (upset)
#13 - Nebraska (upset)

Boise & UCF would be booted for #12 & #13. Good luck with that controversy and a showing of the 100% *FLAW* in the system.

Yes, wouldn't happen very often at all, either. But at least potentially nixing a P5 Champ who's clearly *ranked lower* than a G5 Champ, and letting said G5 Champ in -- doesn't have a Conceptual Flaw to it. Just a controversy about ratings -- not Rankings.