Coleman Playoff System 2011

My original posts on the Coleman Playoff System (CPS) started a few years ago, and here is the way it is set up (Skip to the bracket if you already know the format for the CPS):

A wise man once told me that "opinions are sort of like rear ends; everybody has one, and most of them really stink!" With that in mind, I'm going to try and explain to y'all the way major college football SHOULD decide it's National Champion at season's end.

I'm no expert on the current BCS formulas for ranking the top 25 teams, but I have found that it is becoming more and more accurate as the system has been tweaked over the years. The CPS will use that top 25 ranking to aid in a 16 team playoff system that seems like a no-brainer solution to me.

There is no doubt that some of the 11 conferences are stronger than others. Even so, the winner of each of those conferences is going to receive an automatic seeding in my playoff bracket. That leaves 5 remaining spots to finalize the 16 team bracket. The CPS then takes the 5 highest ranked non-conference winners left in the BCS rankings to fill those remaining spots.

Here is the end of regular season 2011 BCS top 25 rankings: (Conference Champs are marked with a *)
1 *LSU 1.0000 (SEC)
2 Alabama .9419
3 *Oklahoma State .9333 (Big 12)
4 Stanford .8476
5 *Oregon .7901 (Pac 12)
6 Arkansas .7687
7 Boise State .7408
8 Kansas State .6827
9 South Carolina .6553
10 *Wisconsin .6374 (Big Ten)
11 Virginia Tech .5190
12 Baylor .4977
13 Michigan .4794
14 Oklahoma .4603
15 *Clemson .4218 (ACC)
16 Georgia .4119
17 Michigan State .3883
18 *TCU .3869 (Mountain West)
19 Houston .3504
20 Nebraska .2606
21 *Southern Miss .1918 (Conference USA)
22 Penn State .1305
23 *West Virginia .1233 (Big East)
24 Texas .0876
25 Auburn .0584

Unranked Conference Champions that would be listed in the CPS: Arkansas State (Sunbelt), Northern Illinois (Mid American), & Louisiana Tech (WAC). 
The remaining 5 teams that are going to receive a bid are in green in the BCS top 25 above.

Now that you have digested all of that, here is what the first round match-ups would look like in the Coleman Playoff System (CPS) (Seedings are beside each team, and they are calculated based on rankings, and the bracket is pictured below):

1) LSU
2) Alabama
3) Oklahoma State
4) Stanford
5) Oregon
6) Arkansas
7) Boise State
8) Kansas State
9) Wisconsin
10) Clemson
11) TCU
12) Southern Mississippi
13) West Virginia
14) Arkansas State
15) Northern Illinois
16) Lousianna Tech



Click Image For Larger Version

This playoff is very straightforward and leaves little room for questions. The CPS has some intriguing match-ups as well! The only real question that remains, is how to work this system into a blend of using the current bowl venues/sponsors. I could give my opinion on that, but I have talked enough for now. It's a damn shame that the Dawgs didn't make the playoffs this year, but next year...LOOK OUT CPS!

Let me know what you guys think about this system! I will post hypothetical match-ups and outcomes in the coming days, so come back if you are curious as to who prevails in the 2011 version of the CPS!

Why Auburn Should Handle Oregon

For the past week, I have been having more fun writing responses on UGA Haters blogs than posting things on my own website about the Dawgs. But, I do have something I would like to say today, and it isn't really related to UGA, other than the fact that I think this year will have another SEC dominant performance in the BCS National Championship game.

We all know that Cam Newton is amazing, and he is going to "get his" against the Ducks on January 10th. But, the real deciding factor in this match-up, as far as I see it, will be the battle in the trenches. Take a look at these stats:

AUBURN O-LINE: 6'8"-320lbs, 6'6"-300lbs, 6'3"-316lbs, 6'3"-305lbs, 6'4"-297lbs
OREGON 0-LINE: 6'5"-295lbs, 6'4"-290lbs, 6'5"-285lbs, 6'7"-320lbs, 6'5"-285lbs

AUBURN D-LINE 6'4"-256lbs, 6'2"-260lbs, 6'5"-298lbs, 6'3"-296lbs
OREGON D-LINE 6'3"-245lbs, 6'3"-230lbs, 6'7"-250lbs, 6'2"-256lbs

For those of you keeping score at home, that is a 308lb average on the O-line for the Tigers, and a 295lb average for the Ducks. On the flip side, that is a 278lb average on the D-line for the Tigers, and a 245lb average for the Ducks. The Oregon defensive line is giving up a whopping 68 pounds on average across the trenches. WOW!

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the Ducks should struggle mightily with the bigger, faster, and stronger Auburn team. But, we all know that games aren't played on paper, now are they?

CPS Playoffs - Round 2

If you are interested, you can go back and read my last few blogs on my idea of what the NCAA football playoffs should look like this year. Today, I am continuing the series with what I predict would happen in round 2 of the 2010 playoffs. For Round 1 Click Here.

#1 Auburn versus #5 Wisconsin

• Auburn faces another tough task in this one, and the Badgers are well prepared for Cam Newton. As usual, the SEC speed is too much for the Big Ten.
• Auburn 24 - Wisconsin 17
  

#2 Oregon versus #11 Virginia Tech

• Man those Hoakies are on a mission. They win their 13th straight to make it to the final 4!
• Virginia Tech 19 - Oregon 17
  

#3 TCU versus #10 Boise State

• This is the match-up we were all waiting for...until the Boise kicking fiasco. TCU proves that they are the better of the two guys normally left out in the cold.
• TCU 34 - BSU 30
  

#4 Stanford versus #8 Arkansas

• Ryan Mallet is making his case to be a top 10 pick in the draft on this playoff run. He gets the best of the other best QB prospect in this year's draft.
• Arkansas 38 - Stanford 24

Stay tuned tomorrow for the Final 4 edition of the 2010 CPS NCAA Football Playoffs!

CPS Playoffs - Round 1

CLICK THE BRACKET FOR A LARGER VERSION

Yesterday, I posted the 2nd Annual Coleman Playoff System break down. Today, I thought it would be fun to see how the first round might play out (according to my expertise, lol).

#1 Auburn versus #16 Florida International

• Is there really any question that the Tigers win this game by 4 scores...at least! Hey, the bright side is that a program like FIU gets a bit of exposure, and a big pay day!
  

#2 Oregon versus #15 Miami (OH)

• This game may be more competitive than one might think. I'm sure Oregon has a hard time getting up for this game, and Miami is no slouch. Still, I think the Ducks win by 17.
  

#3 TCU versus #14 Connecticut

• That TCU defense is LEGIT. Plus, with a healthy QB, and the power of Christian prayer, the Horned Toads roll!
  

#4 Stanford versus #13 Central Florida

• On any given day, Stanford may be the best team in America. Luck is my top pick in the draft this year, and he would light up that CFU secondary!
  

#5 Wisconsin versus #12 Nevada

• Wisconsin is what the Big Ten is all about; power and strength. Nevada will be outmatched, but still keeps it close.
  

#6 Ohio State versus #11 Virginia Tech

• It's hard to bet against this pissed off VTech team right now. They are on a ROLL with 11 wins in a row since the embarrassing start to the season. The Hoakies win on a last second field goal in what is the best game of the first round!
  

#7 Oklahoma versus #10 Boise State

• They did it once, so why can't they do it again with a better team! Boise wins in another thriller!
  

#8 Arkansas versus #9 Michigan State

• MSU hasn't seen the fire power they will face in this game. I think Arkansas will win handily!
  

The naysayers can say what they want to, I think a playoff makes for some damn good football. Round two should be even better, so come back tomorrow to see who wins!

2nd Annual Coleman Playoff System

If you want to read the original details about the Coleman Playoff System (CPS), you can go read HERE for last year's explanation. I have seen that a few nationally syndicated sports reporters are already copying my system this bowl season.

For the 2010 season, here's how the playoff would start off; taking into account the conference champions, and the remaining highest ranked teams on the BCS Rankings.

Conference Champions (with BCS ranking)
ACC - #13 Virginia Tech
Big 12 - #7 Oklahoma
Big East - (NR) Connecticut
Big Ten - #5 Wisconsin
Conference USA - #25 Central Florida
Mid-American - (NR) Miami (OH)
Mountain West - #3 TCU
Pacific 10 - #2 Oregon
SEC - #1 Auburn
Sunbelt - (NR) Florida International
WAC - #15 Nevada

Remaining 5 Teams (with BCS ranking)
#4 Stanford
#6 Ohio State
#8 Arkansas
#9 Michigan State
#10 Boise State

Here's How The Seeds Would Break Down
#1 Auburn
#2 Oregon
#3 TCU
#4 Stanford
#5 Wisconsin
#6 Ohio State
#7 Oklahoma
#8 Arkansas
#9 Michigan State
#10 Boise State
#11 Virginia Tech
#12 Nevada
#13 Central Florida
#14 Connecticut
#15 Miami (OH)
#16 Florida International

First Round Match-Ups

Auburn versus Florida International
Oregon versus Miami (OH)
TCU versus Connecticut
Stanford versus Central Florida
Wisconsin versus Nevada
Ohio State versus Virginia Tech
Oklahoma versus Boise State
Arkansas versus Michigan State

With that set-up, what are your thoughts on the CPS? I see some interesting match-ups! How about Oklahoma getting revenge on Boise? I see that some good teams are left out of the playoff as well. Missouri, LSU, Oklahoma State. etc.

If Boise State Played In The SEC

I have written about my disdain for Boise State getting so much attention in the past. For instance, we all know what happened in the UGA v. BSU game.

Since the hype is going crazy again this year, I thought it would be fun to take a look at what would happen if Boise State had the same schedule as the Dawgs this year. Here are my predictions as to what the outcome would be.

Sep. 4 Louisiana-Laf. - BSU rolls (1-0, 0-0)
Sep. 11 at S Carolina - BSU loses (1-1, 0-1)
Sep. 18 Arkansas - Mallet throw for 400 yards (1-2, 0-2)
Sep. 25 at Miss. State - BSU gets first SEC win (2-2, 1-2)
Oct. 2 at Colorado - BSU wins (3-2, 1-2)
Oct. 9 Tennessee - UT is down (4-2, 2-2)
Oct. 16 Vanderbilt - BSU slams (5-2, 3-2)
Oct. 23 at Kentucky - BSU squeaks (6-2, 4-2)
Oct. 30 at Florida - LOL (6-3, 4-3)
Nov. 6 Idaho St. - BSU can breath (7-3, 4-3)
Nov. 13 at Auburn - AU rolls (7-4, 4-4)
Nov. 27 Ga Tech - hmmm (7-5, 4-4)

I really thought about each one of these games, and gave the benefit of the doubt to BSU pretty much every time I was unsure. A realistic record for the Broncos would be 7-5 with the very same schedule that the Dawgs will play this year. Even if you adjust for a 1 game margin of error, BSU is sitting at 8-4 (best case) or 6-6.

I would love to hear some other opinions on this subject. Let me have it!

Will Mark Richt Let The Dawgs Go Wild

With the University of Georgia football team starting out low in the pre-season rankings this year, this question comes to mind: Will this be the year that Mark Richt let's the Dawgs put up some gaudy numbers on the scoreboard?

When UGA lines up against teams like Louisiana Lafayette or Idaho State, the potential is there for the Dawgs to put up 50+ points. My inclination is that Coach Richt realizes we need to wow the pollsters in order to move up the pecking order. If we want to be in a BCS bowl at the end of the year, we are going to have to jump near 10-15 spots from where we sit pre-season; at least!

Points to Ponder the Morning After

More than anything about last night’s National Championship game, I can’t stop thinking about how many times I heard “this Nick Saban defense”. That statement must have been made at least ten times during the broadcast, at least. For all you “why would Kirby ever make this lateral move” people, there’s your answer. We all know that Saban is a defensive guru, but if it’s still “His” defense, Kirby might as well move on.

Done with that point; it’s been made a hundred times on the web already. On to my points to ponder from the playing field last night:
- The game ended up being a lot closer than it should have been, or did it? Wish Colt hadn’t been hurt!
- Why did it take Alabama a full quarter to remember they have the Heisman winner at tailback? They did get him going though, and that Richardson kid is going to be really good!
- McElroy came back down to earth after that amazing SEC Championship performance.
- Once Colt McCoy was done, the camera showed Vince Young, and he looked like he was aching to suit up. That would have been fun!
- Really Nick Saban, you’re gonna call a fake punt on the first possession of the NC with the ball deep in your own territory? Really?
- I loved it when Mack Brown tried to defend the shuttle pass debacle when he got interviewed running off the field at halftime.
- Kicking the ball at one of those front line guys on kickoff is a dangerous weapon. I bet we see that happen a few more times next season. After all, what else do kickers have to practice all off season?

Is it next season yet?

College Football's Champion...the Coleman way!

A wise man once told me that "opinions are sort of like rear ends; everybody has one, and most of them really stink!" With that in mind, I'm going to try and explain to y'all the way major college football SHOULD decide it's National Champion at season's end.

I'm no expert on the current BCS formulas for ranking the top 25 teams, but I have found that it is becoming more and more accurate as the system has been tweaked over the years. I will use that top 25 ranking to aid in a 16 team playoff system that seems like a no-brainer solution to me.

There is no doubt in my mind that some of the 11 conferences are stronger than others. Even so, the winner of each of those conferences is going to receive an automatic seeding in my playoff bracket. That leaves 5 remaining spots to finalize the 16 team bracket. I would take the 5 highest ranked teams left in the BCS rankings (after the conference winners are taken out) to fill those remaining spots.

Here is the end of regular season BCS top 25 rankings: (Conference Champs are marked)
1) Alabama (SEC Champ)
2) Texas (Big 12 Champ)
3) Cincinnati (Big East Champ)
4) TCU (MWC Champ)
5) Florida
6) Boise State (WAC Champ)
7) Oregon (Pac 10 Champ)
8) Ohio State (Big 10 Champ)
9) Georgia Tech (ACC Champ)
10) Iowa
11) Virginia Tech
12) LSU
13) Penn State
14) Brigham Young
15) Miami (FL)
16) West Virginia
17) Pittsburgh
18) Oregon State
19) Oklahoma State
20) Arizona
21) Stanford
22) Nebraska
23) Utah
24) USC
25) Wisconsin
Unranked Conference Champions: Central Michigan (MAC), Troy University (Sun Belt), East Carolina (CUSA)...these teams are listed by win/loss records.

The remaining 5 teams that are going to receive a bid are in green in the BCS top 25 above.

Now that you have digested all of that, here is what the first round match-ups would look like in the Coleman Playoff System (CPS) (Seedings are beside each team):

(1) Alabama vs (16) ECU
(2) Texas vs (15) Troy University
(3) Cincinnati vs (14) Central Michigan
(4) TCU vs (13) Penn State
(5) Boise State vs (12) LSU
(6) Oregon vs (11) Virginia Tech
(7) Ohio State vs (10) Iowa
(8) Georgia Tech vs (9) Florida

This playoff is very straightforward and leaves little room for questions. It has a few intriguing match-ups as well! The only real question that remains, is how we will work this system into a blend of using the current bowl venues. I could give my opinion on that, but I have talked enough for now. I am saddened that my beloved Dawgs didn't make the playoffs this year (in my system), but next year...LOOK OUT!

Let me know what you guys think about this system!

Boise State vs Georgia

Four short seasons ago, I sat in Sanford Stadium and watched the Dawgs absolutely walk all over the Boise State Broncos by a margin of 48 - 13. Since that time, Boise has only been beaten seven other times in 66 games, and the average margin of those losses was only a touchdown.

Why am I talking about this? I just can't figure out why the media blows this team up to be so great. There was that 43-42 victory over Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta bowl (highlights...WOW), I'll give them that. To this day though, I firmly believe that if that game was played ten times over, OU would whip BSU the next nine games. I liken that game to the Sugar Bowl when Georgia forgot to show up in the first half against West Virginia. Everyone knows who the better "overall" team was in that game. I remember almost throwing my friend Paul's remote control through his brand new big screen tv when WVU faked that damn punt in the 4th quarter! How could our coaches not see that coming?!?

I guess I am done with my rant for the day, and I will have to give BSU some props for pulling out a tough win last night. On a final note; how about those TCU unis? Those things were awesome! My high school alma matter insisted on adding purple to our black and silver color scheme my senior year, and I hated it. If they would have had some awesome football uniforms like TCU wore last night, we might have won more games!

GO DAWGS!