I know this is not typical midseason content, but it might help provide a brief escape from that miserable performance against Tulsa.
With the expansion of the College Football Playoff to 24 teams now imminent, I’ve begun to mourn the loss of Conference Championship games. Rightfully so, teams who are securely in the playoff will resent and maybe even aim to avoid the extra game. There’s little to gain and a lot to lose. What if it wasn’t an extra game though?
I present to you two possible solutions. The mission is simple: Save Conference Championship Games. (I know what you’re thinking. We’d be 2021 Big 12 Champs if there wasn’t an extra game, but hear me out.)
Option A
Play an 8-game predetermined schedule and reserve the final week for a “Flex Game.” First and second-placed teams play in the Conference Championship. From there, match up 3rd vs 4th, 5th vs 6th, 7th vs 8th and so on. Some shuffling will likely be required to avoid rematches for everyone outside of the championship game.
Option B
Divide the conference into two groups. Play an 8-game predetermined schedule that, in the Big 12 and SEC’s case, features a full round-robin within each group plus one inter-group game that can be utilized to protect rivalries. In the final week, the two group winners play in the Conference Championship game. Everyone else matches up against their counterpart in the other division. 2nd place in Group A vs 2nd place in Group B, and all the way down to last place in each group.
Straying from the point here, but you might be wondering how this is different from divisions. In this approach, the two groups are new every year. To minimize the number of seasons any two opponents go without facing each other and to maintain balanced groups, shuffle the teams every year based on the previous season’s standings. Group the odds (1st, 3rd, 5th…) of Group A with the evens (2nd, 4th…) of Group B and group the evens of Group A with the odds of Group B.
Either of these options would preserve the magic of conference championship games, not to mention the revenue they generate, while removing the burden and risks associated with participating in it.
Together, we can save conference championship games. Thanks for reading and Go Pokes!