[Matt Hayes] The SEC willingly flushed its conference championship game that last year had better ratings than all eight first round CFP games of the brief, 12-team era.

[u/CrashB111]

https://x.com/MattHayesCFB/status/2111056779366785054

[u/i_run_from_problems]

We're not just doing this for money

We're doing it for a shitload of money!

[u/Pinewood74 → u/i_run_from_problems]

No, we're not. Net $155M is fucking peanuts when you really think about it. Not even $3M on average per P4 school.

And that's only accounting for the CCGs.

Still need to deduct the bowl game losses. And I wouldn't be the least bit shocked if late season matchups lose some juice.

And I also think that ESPN is vastly overestimating the interest level in these first round matchups. I don't think Georgia Tech vs BYU is really pulling much national audience when everyone is expecting the winner to get clobbered on the road by Georgia.

[u/CodyRCantrell → u/Pinewood74]

Absolutely. As a neutral, I have no reason to watch the Iron Bowl anymore.

If Alabama loses, they are still in with a 24 team CFP and there is no SECCG berth on the line so why bother?

[u/ClaudeLemieux → u/CodyRCantrell]

Alabama has made a 2 team playoff without even winning their division before and a 4 team playoff without even winning their state so yeah I can’t even imagine what it would take for them to miss a 24 team playoff lol

[u/Accomplished-Pin6564 → u/ClaudeLemieux]

They even got voted in over an undefeated power conference champion.

[u/CodyRCantrell → u/Accomplished-Pin6564]

To leapfrog Georgia because of the results of the SECCG when <checks notes> the committee has said repeatedly every year they don't punish conference championship game participants and used that as their reasoning to keep Alabama in the CFP last season.

[u/onrocketfalls → u/Accomplished-Pin6564]

Talking about FSU? Ignore my flair for a second: the committee was right. They’ve told us from the beginning that they’re trying to put the best teams in, not the teams with the best record. I’m not sure FSU had an argument for being one of those teams after they lost their best and most important player. It sucks, it’s unfair, and it’s totally in line with what they said they’re trying to do.

[u/Wafflehouseofpain → u/onrocketfalls]

Except they made decisions not in line with that philosophy previously, so it really just looked like “Make up whatever bullshit we need to in order to get Alabama in the playoffs”.

[u/GoatsinthemachinE → u/Wafflehouseofpain]

well havent realy watched football since they did it. atleast i realiz e they dont care about me /my thoughts so i just moved on to other things, my saturday is a bit more relaxing finding other things to do with my time now. been kind of nice

[u/CodyRCantrell → u/Wafflehouseofpain]

2025 reinforces this.

Georgia was #1 and lost the SECCG in a very close game and dropped to #6.

Alabama got absolutely dog walked in the 2025 SECCG by Georgia, pick up their third loss, and they not only stay in the CFP but don't move a single position in ranking.

Likewise, in 2025, BYU also got dog walked but at #11 they would've been left out of the CFP regardless since the conference championship auto bids would've filled out with two G6 teams kicking #11 and #12 out of the CFP.

BYU still got dropped to #12 in a symbolic punishment showing everything that that performance would never be acceptable for them as a fringe team unlike Alabama getting the red carpet rolled out for them.

[u/blotsfan → u/onrocketfalls]

I’ll never forget how upset the Michigan players looked when they saw they got Bama instead of FSU.

[u/CodyRCantrell → u/onrocketfalls]

The committee has also said they will NOT punish teams for participating in conference championship games.

Well Georgia sure as hell got punished when they went from #1 and in to #6 and out because of the SECCG. But oh my we can't drop a three loss Bama out in 2025 when they get dog walked by Georgia in the same game. We can't even move them a single spot down in the rankings.

[u/I_Shall_Be_Known → u/CodyRCantrell]

Just pointing out this mindset is exactly part of the problem. You only care to watch the iron bowl if playoff stakes are on the line. Doesn’t matter if it’s a great rivalry or if both teams are good. So, they’re giving you more playoff games to watch instead.

[u/gatman19 → u/I_Shall_Be_Known]

Every regular season CFB game is competing with a dozen other games. I’ll watch what I’m most interested in. Implications add intrigue to games featuring teams I don’t give a shit about. My team doesn’t play Bama nor Auburn anymore so I don’t give much of a shit about them. The outcome of their rivalry game having actual implications makes me more likely to choose to spend my time watching that instead of something else

[u/CodyRCantrell → u/gatman19]

Exactly! It wouldn't surprise me if a ton of viewers are the same way and this also existed prior to the CFP because the BCS incentivized every game when one single upset could prevent a team from being selected for the national championship game.

The 4 team CFP let more regular season games have interest because one loss teams weren't almost guaranteed to be excluded from contention.

The 12 team CFP does this for two loss team.

A 24 team CFP disincentivizes the bulk of the regular season because you'll have teams with four losses getting in regularly and likely the occasional five loss team.

[u/CodyRCantrell → u/I_Shall_Be_Known]

I care to watch the Iron Bowl when any stakes are on the line which is why I explicitly mentioned the SECCG as well. If there are no implications or things to be lost there is no meaning to the games to make me prioritize them over other television.

This also existed before the CFP in the BCS era. Every game mattered because any loss could prevent you from being in the national championship game.

[u/23Hotsoup23 → u/CodyRCantrell]

If Alabama loses some could shoot their sister ( Both bama fans).  Or poison some trees and bbrag about it on the radio