Notably, CFP4 had the most subjective selection system of the 3 formats, which suggests that increasing objectivity in selection will further increase the competitiveness of playoff games.
Average MOV by system:
BCS: 14.56
CFP4: 18.6
CFP12: 14.81
OT games by system:
BCS: 1 game, 2 OTs
CFP4: 3 games, 4 OTs
CFP12: 1 game, 2 OTs
It’s difficult to not conclude that CFP4 was a significantly worse system in terms of competitive games than either the BCS or year 1 of CFP12.
The CFP4 had the most games played so far, with 52.6% of the 57 total postseason games, yet that system had 70% of the top 10 & 65% of the top 20 most lopsided games.
The BCS (28.1% total) had 20% top 10 & 25% top 20.
The CFP12 (19.3% total) had 10% top 10 & 10% top 20.
Since the start of the BCS, the 3 most lopsided postseason games were played in the 4-team CFP format.
The 4-teamer also produced 7 of the top 10 most lopsided games. The 12-team CFP only had 1 & it was the lowest MOV in the top 10 (28 points).
CFB QBs w/ 400+ attempts & 70+% completions:
‘24
Shedeur Sanders
Will Howard
Dillon Gabriel
‘23
Bo Nix
Carson Beck
‘22
Bo Nix
‘21
Will Rogers
CJ Stroud
Aidan O’Connell
Brock Purdy
Carson Strong
‘20
Mac Jones
‘19
Joe Burrow
Anthony Gordon
‘18
Gardner Minshew
Brent Stockstill
Dwayne Haskins
In 2024, only 9 teams beat at least one opponent ranked in the AP top 5.
Ohio State beat 5.
Four of those were still ranked in the top 5 after the season was over.
45% of Ohio State’s offensive drives in the playoffs resulted in a touchdown. Another 10% produced a field goal.
(Does not include clock-expiring drives.)
Note: This does not include championships awarded retroactively.
National Championships By Decade
30s
OSU: 0
Michigan: 0
40s
OSU: 1
Michigan: 1
50s
OSU: 2
Michigan: 0
60s
OSU: 2
Michigan: 0
70s
OSU: 1
Michigan: 0
80s
OSU: 0
Michigan: 0
90s
OSU: 0
Michigan: 1
00s
OSU: 1
Michigan: 0
10s
OSU: 1
Michigan: 0
20s
OSU: 1
Michigan: 1
Total
OSU: 9
Michigan: 3
The first 3 coaches to win a Super Bowl were Vince, Weeb & Hank.
The next 3 were Don, Tom & Chuck.
Notre Dame’s Playoff Games as a Cumulative Box Score
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
ND 14 26 25 35
Opp 0 37 17 31
(+14) (-11) (+8) (+4)
Ohio State’s Playoff Games as a Cumulative Box Score
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
OSU 42 48 31 24
Opp 7 25 22 21
(+35) (+13) (+9) (+3)
Some others I thought of:
Kirk Ferentz: 48th year
Brian Kelly: 42nd year
Jim Mora: 41st year
Butch Jones: 38th year
Greg Schiano: 37th year
Mike Gundy: 35th year
Pat Narduzzi: 35th year
If your goal is a national title, these guys probably won’t deliver.
Forgot Belichick. 50th year.
With the average at 26, some notable current coaches with urgency to win soon:
Curt Cignetti (42nd year)
Brent Venables (32nd year)
James Franklin (30th year)
Kalen DeBoer (28th year)
Mario Cristobal (27th year)
Matt Rhule (27th year)
Steve Sarkisian (25th year)
Measured from their first listed coaching job on Wikipedia, years it took the last 10 first-time CFB championship coaches to win it all:
Ryan Day: 22
Jim Harbaugh: 29
Kirby Smart: 22
Ed Orgeron: 35
Dabo Swinney: 23
Jimbo Fisher: 25
Gene Chizik: 24
Les Miles: 27
Urban Meyer: 21
Mack Brown: 32
Seems obvious but not showing the title game on ABC was a ratings mistake.
Also, OSU’s quarterfinal, semifinal & championship games were the 3 most-watched of the year.
Have to agree here. One of the few 2.5 hour movies that didn’t feel like a 2.5 hour movie. Faithful to the play but also its own thing.
Not excited to wait an entire year for part 2 though.
SEC teams with a loss to a B1G team in 2024: 6 (all finished in the top 7 of the SEC)
B1G teams with a loss to an SEC team in 2024: 3 (finished #6, #7 & #15 in the B1G)
I didn’t see this originally but it encapsulates my feelings perfectly. Some of us were vindicated last night.
This can’t possibly include the playoff can it?
Not Sorry Final Rankings
1. Ohio State
2. Oregon
3. Penn State
4. Notre Dame
5. Georgia
6. Texas
7. Arizona State
8. Boise State
9. Indiana
10. Tennessee
This may never be matched. Unbelievable season!
Ohio State wouldn’t have made the 4-team playoff but beat 3 of the teams who would have.
Enjoy the game tonight!
QBs In The Playoffs
Will Howard
73.9% completion
6 TDs
2 INTs
306.3 ypg
10.44 ypa
12.7 rush ypg
0 rush TDs
Riley Leonard
67.1% completion
3 TDs
3 INTs
171.3 ypg
6.51 ypa
48.3 rush ypg
2 rush TDs
Ohio State averages 3.8 sacks in their 6 games against playoff teams this year. That includes 0 sacks in the first game against Oregon.
Notre Dame averages 2.7 sacks in their 3 games against playoff teams this year. (They played 0 playoff teams in the regular season.)
Based on BCSKnowHow’s work, 8 title game participants and 4 champions (in 10 years) would’ve been left out of the BCS system if we hadn’t switched to the CFP.
And now, both title game participants and therefore this year’s champion would’ve been left out of the 4-team CFP.
Progress.
If the 12-team playoff has proven anything so far, it’s that we never should’ve trusted a committee to pick the 4 best teams in the first place.
No amount of statistics and advanced analytics and good-natured debate can tell you which teams have what it takes to win.
Only games can do that.
It’s funny because Ohio State is playing Texas, Alabama & Georgia in the regular season over the next 7 years.
Notre Dame is also playing Alabama, Texas & Indiana in that span.
But I’m sure you had a point.
