[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.