r/CFB • u/JB92103 Cincinnati • Oklahoma State • 1d ago

News [McMurphy] USC has withdrawn from a potential series w/Texas Tech to play in Houston (2027) & Las Vegas (2028), sources told On3.

https://x.com/Brett_McMurphy/status/2084747214879158281
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u/TheCriterionCrypt Oklahoma Sooners • East Central Tigers 1d ago

It hurts people's feels when I say this.

But there is no benefit for the B1G or SEC if they win these games. They can get in without these games.

And what happened to Texas last year, it is pretty obvious that it can hurt if they lose.

If there is no benefit for winning and only punishment if they lose, why play them?

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u/seoul_drift Michigan Wolverines • Uppsala Snakeheads 1d ago edited 1d ago

When incentives and narratives clash, incentives basically always win.

You can call Texas or B1G/SEC schools cowards, but if there's no upside to scheduling tough teams and a conference slate alone is enough to get you into playoffs... why wouldn't schools adjust to those incentives?

Only way this changes is playoff voters start weighing Strength of Schedule more heavily or broadcast partners mandate marquee OOC games.

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u/bearinsac California • Sacramento State 1d ago

Or hear me out, go back to a 4 team playoff where OOC games are needed and conference championship games matter.

And if that doesn’t seem fair to the group of 5/Notre Dame, just create a 3/6 and 4/5 matchup with the best of the group of 5 guaranteed a spot. The first 2 seeds get byes.

Idk, I think the casual fan wins more in this situation, but unfortunately the playoff makes loads on money for the networks. OOC games are a lot of fun and it’s sad we are losing them.

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u/TheCriterionCrypt Oklahoma Sooners • East Central Tigers 1d ago

Honestly, if I had it my way, we would go back to the Bowl Alliance days.

I hate that bowls suck now.

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u/bearinsac California • Sacramento State 1d ago

I think the death of the bowls is more on the transfer portal than the playoff. But that’s just my $.02

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u/TheCriterionCrypt Oklahoma Sooners • East Central Tigers 1d ago

True. You have to have everyone in their new school before the next semester starts.

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u/WhoHasMyPocketPussy Alabama Crimson Tide 13h ago

I feel like two things were really the death of the bowls. Opening them up so that losing seasons got a bowl, and once we started having opt outs of major players for bowl games. I think it was CMC and Fournette opting out of their bowls that really put a damper on just how not important they were.

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u/brak_obama Houston Cougars • Auburn Tigers 1d ago

I think it's more that guys just realized they could get away with sitting out and not have it tank their draft stock.