Why would anyone not play OOC cupcakes now?

[burntoc]

We've entered the era of NIL and 11-15 team playoffs (plus a handout). The punishment for losing to the #1 team in the country this year, in week 1, will be to miss the CFP (yes, with the other body of work, which would otherwise still place us top 10). 

I get why we did it, and I've enjoyed the matchups. But CDC should cancel the Ohio State, UM, and ND games coming up if that committee keeps us out. There is simply way, way more downside than upside, and you're going to get those great matchups in the playoffs instead.  #changemymind

Edited 6 hours ago by burntoc

[Roy Hinojosa]

How much money did Texas and Ohio State generate playing in that opener? The committee is going to water down college football, and it's going to hit it where it hurts most, everyone's wallet. If we do cancel this game, I don't want to hear anything about it from the national media either. They made their bed when they incessantly attacked Texas all year. 

[SCHorn803]

As long as I have been watching college football the criteria to determine whether or not a team was good has always been how many loses do you have and when did you lose. Unfortunately, both of those do not work in our favor. We beat 2 top 10 teams in November and we are barely going to be a top 15 team to end the month. A loss to Georgia at the end of October gives us time to change the narrative. Where a loss to Georgia in the middle of November impacts us way more than beating 2 top 10 teams. 

Do I agree with this methodology, no. But that is how college football is and I doubt that will change anytime soon. Until that methodology changes and who you beat matters more than who you lose to, the solution is not to get rid of the big marquee game in September but to move a cupcake non conference game to November. This increases our chances to go undefeated in November which should always be the goal in November. 

Big non-conference matchups in September help set the tone for the season and if we win those games allows us to control our seeding as long as we win the games we’re supposed to win. 2023 and 2024 are perfect examples of this. 

Does it suck that we are going to miss out on the playoffs, yes. Most of us expected that after watching how bad we were against UTEP and Florida. Add in how up and down we were on offense and defense throughout the year most argued how we weren’t a playoff team. 

My hope is that missing the CFP will change how this staff approaches this offseason. The changes this staff did this past offseason was a regression compared to 2023 and 2024. 

[Gerry Hamilton]

When the playoff goes to 16 teams ... none of the non-con talk will be a subject or matter any longer. 

Just need to get to 16 teams sooner, rather than later.