Penn State

[El-Moldo]

Is Oregon's #1 play-off ranking etched in stone right now? So if Oregon loses to PSU on Saturday, they will NOT drop lower, no matter the outcome, because they played an extra game? That's even dumber.

[abpk2903]

These are low times for you, Moldy.

Don't worry maybe Pitt will mop up in the 811 Call Before Dig Bowl against a 6-6 C-USA team to get you into the Holiday Cheer.

[Colonel Mustard]

Is Oregon's #1 play-off ranking etched in stone right now? So if Oregon loses to PSU on Saturday, they will NOT drop lower, no matter the outcome, because they played an extra game? That's even dumber.

They shouldn't drop lower than a team that didn't even qualify for their championship game. I'm not saying it won't happen because the committee is a clow-show, but that would be dumb.

[El-Moldo]

Since play-offs teams will be playing for ALL the marbles, then why doesn't ANY team qualifying for their conference championship game just refuse to play? I mean what's the incentive? Why even risk getting someone hurt for a title and a trophy? Just have a token intramural game between second-stringers. It's like the Pro-Bowl in the NFL. What good is it? How many of these guys get selected to play but opt out? How many teams in the NFL, once they earn their play-off spot, don't even play their starters in the last few regular games. They don't need the practice. Why risk injury. Conference title college games are TOO important for them not to mean anything in the play-off picture.

[dadw/2sons]

They do mean something. If you win the conference championship game, you will probably get a bye in the playoffs into the top 8 of the tourney. That means you will only have to win 3 game to get the national title instead of 4. Basically for the winning team it is one if the 4 wins required to win the championship.Does that make sense?

[abpk2903]

Remember when Kenny did the cute fake slide thing and Pitt beat like a 7-5 Wake Forest team to win the ACC Championship? Their grand prize was to get to go play the 3rd place Big Ten East team in a bowl game. That was when conference championships actually didn't mean anything. But you know what, I feel like anytime in life you have a chance to win a championship at anything it is a big deal. Heck my beer league softball team would go out and celebrate half the night when we won a championship in division III of our local parks and rec league. I can't think any competitor or coach at power conference division one athletics has a mindset on anything but winning every game, title, trophy, or championship they get the opportunity to win. Because only 1 team in the 12 team playoff field will win the ultimate prize. But 5 of them will still get to celebrate a conference championship for the decades to come.

These conference championship games mean a lot. 4 of the conference champs get a ticket into the final 8. Some of the conference championship losers will be out all together and the ones that do make it will have a significantly more challenging path.

[El-Moldo]

From CBS Sports today: "Nine FBS Conferences will host their Conference Championship games this weekend. Five of these games will have direct impact on who makes the field and in what order the are ranked."

[DragonsDoExist]

Don’t be surprised if conferences scrap the “extra” game if the results negatively impact seedings. I don’t agree with bumping a team that didn’t qualify (3rd place) ahead of a team that loses in a game the 3rd place team didn’t even qualify for. Like saying it’s better to not make the championship game than to make it and lose.

[Colonel Mustard]

How exactly is Boise St. ranked 10th and Army is ranked 24th, with virtually the same type of resume? This stuff makes no sense. Give the top 4 spots to the regular season Champs of the P4 conferences. Have the 2nd and 3rd place teams in each conference play each other to see who gets into the 8 team playoff. Decide it on the field, eliminate polls and committees. Can you imagine if he NFL used polls and a committee to decide its playoffs? The Cowboys would be in every year.

[CCDevil2012]

Don’t be surprised if conferences scrap the “extra” game if the results negatively impact seedings. I don’t agree with bumping a team that didn’t qualify (3rd place) ahead of a team that loses in a game the 3rd place team didn’t even qualify for. Like saying it’s better to not make the championship game than to make it and lose.

I thought winning your conference guaranteed you a spot and a bye, or at least a home game, that’s a good incentive if true