If you really want the 4 best teams in the playoffs, listen to Vegas......

[TheHandOfChaos]

Put all the 0 to 2 loss teams in a bucket. Then, like a football pool, ask vegas what the betting line would be for each team vs each team. fill out for the whole sheet head to head.

The 4 teams who are favored by vegas the most times on that sheet (tiebreaker:by the most points) should be the 4 teams in the playoffs. Why the hell do we have a committee of stiffs handicapping games over professionals?

If we did it like this, the real 4 best teams I think would be-
Bama
Washington
OSU
Michigan

 

[DHajekRC84]

Put all the 0 to 2 loss teams in a bucket. Then, like a football pool, ask vegas what the betting line would be for each team vs each team. fill out for the whole sheet head to head.

The 4 teams who are favored by vegas the most times on that sheet (tiebreaker:by the most points) should be the 4 teams in the playoffs. Why the hell do we have a committee of stiffs handicapping games over professionals?

If we did it like this, the real 4 best teams I think would be-
Bama
Washington
OSU
Michigan

those would be my 4 as well. pure eye test..

 

[NorthNJRUFan]

While I like your idea that's not at all how gambling lines are established.

 

[drewbagel423]

While I like your idea that's not at all how gambling lines are established.

I don't know why nobody can ever get this through their heads.

 

[Scarlet4ever]

Also if we are going by the eye test just give Alabama the championship and forget the playoff. Results on the field don't matter it's all about perception. Should save a lot of time. We can do that each week and I will have a lot more time on my hands to do things around the house rather than watching football in angst that the inferior team will actually win and ruin what we think should happen.

 

[Upstream]

While I like your idea that's not at all how gambling lines are established.

Plus think of the potential controversy if fans can "buy" a bid for their favorite team.

 

[vkj91]

I think if you asked vegas USC would be there

 

[Mr_Twister]

If you ask Vegas to rank them by body of work, USC is out of the picture. Losses to Alabama, Stanford, and Utah. Not championship caliber. The season does not start at the fifth game..

 

[Abro1975]

Take subjectivity out, give every conference champ an invite , then figure out the brackets.

 

[letterman]

Alabama football equals UCONN women's basketball. This will not change anytime soon.

 

[letterman]

To match up with Alabama, you need the very best athletes. USC has the 5 star kids all over the field. They started the season with the wrong qb. At this point in time , they are truly one of the best teams.

 

[TheHandOfChaos]

I don't know why nobody can ever get this through their heads.

I know the lines are about the MONEY, but the point is the MONEY is almost always more accurate than any other criteria

 

[drewbagel423]

I know the lines are about the MONEY, but the point is the MONEY is almost always more accurate than any other criteria

You mean most of the time people have an idea who is going to win beforehand? And that most of the time they're right? Not really earth-shattering, that's why the money line exists.

 

[TheHandOfChaos]

You mean most of the time people have an idea who is going to win beforehand? And that most of the time they're right? Not really earth-shattering, that's why the money line exists.

No, it means i think the collective opinions of thousands of bettors and professional handicappers converges to a more accurate prediction than leaving the judgement to a small commitee.

Now that the pairings have come out, i dont think Clemson really belongs for example. I highly doubt that Clemson would be favored against michigan or ohio state on a neutral field. which means, in my opinion, the 4 "best" teams are not in the playoffs

 

[TheHandOfChaos]

Well see what the line is on OSU-Clemson, OSU seeded #3 but they will be favored

 

[Extra Point]

I conclude that there is no way to make the system 100% correct.

 

[TheHandOfChaos]

If predictions were 100% correct they wouldnt be predictions :) but i think the 4 best teams should be the teams that would be favored the most vs the other candidates

 

[TheHandOfChaos]

OSU just opened at -3 vs Clemson even though they are the lower seeded. and ill bet that line is going to move to -5 or more. the same would happen i think if you replaced OSU with Michigan.

 

[BoroKnight]

Will you people once and for all stop with what Las Vegas is doing? Has ZERO to do with what you have accomplished, EVERYTHING to do with making money, and, as a direct result, a lot to do with who is hot right now. The whole season has to count.

The bull about bettors and bookmakers knowing "more" is utterly irrelevant. It's about the body of work, not who would be favored tomorrow.