Playing Nick Saban's Game Would Get Major Programs Relegated to Lower Division
With Nick Saban making the media rounds dropping the idea that college football could one day go to a system where numerous underperforming teams get relegated to a lower league, it seemed like a wonderful opportunity to waste a Saturday dealing in Saban's favorite thing – hypotheticals.
The scenario that is about to send a lot of schools that aren't as good as their fans think they are into a screaming Twitter storm plays out like this:
• Only 64 teams get to play in the upper division where a true champion will be crowned.
• Those 64 teams will compete in one of four 16-team conferences where a championship game will determine which team competes in the national semifinals.
• Upper division and lower division (where everyone else has been relegated) will have set teams for periods of two years.
• Every two years, teams that have had a losing record both years will be relegated to the lower division.
• Lower division national champions get moved into open spots first every two years, then consideration is given to teams that post winning records in both years with the order being set by total wins over that time.
How were initial Upper Division teams chosen?
• A Top 25 finish in 2021 automatically puts a team in. In this case, 26 teams found themselves ranked in a recognized poll at season's end. They were:
Alabama
Georgia
Michigan
Cincinnati
Baylor
Ohio St.
Oklahoma St.
Notre Dame
Michigan St.
Oklahoma
Utah
Ole Miss
Pitt
Clemson
Wake Forest
Louisiana
Houston
BYU
Kentucky
North Carolina St.
Iowa
Arkansas
Oregon
San Diego St.
Utah St.
Texas A&M
With 26 spots taken, it's time to see who's left for the final 38 spots.
If a team finished with a winning record and beat a Top 25 team, they were in also.
Below are the teams that were considered as a result of a Top 25 win. Teams in bold were added to the Upper Division.
TCU pulled shocker over Baylor, but not a winning record, so, based on the only remaining qualifier that will be explained next, the Horned Frogs are relegated.
Same for Auburn. The Tigers had an upset over Ole Miss, but couldn't put together a winning record.
Iowa St. upset of Big 12 champion Oklahoma St. and barely eeked out winning record at 7-6 to slip into the Upper Division.
Oregon St. claimed a spot in the upper division in the same manner with a win over Utah and a 7-6 record.
Purdue
Wisconsin
Western Michigan beat Pitt and combined it with a winning record to secure a spot.
Miami nearly found itself out in the cold also, but upset wins over Pitt and North Carolina St. gave the Hurricanes the seven wins needed to advance to the Upper Division.
North Carolina had win over Wake Forest, but fell short of a winning record, so the Tar Heels have been relegated.
Texas upset Louisiana, but again failed to generate a winning record, so the Longhorns won't be playing with the big boys for at least a couple more years.
However, it's not all bad news in Texas. Texas Tech stunned Houston and snuck away with a winning record by the slimmest of margins, giving the Red Raiders a much needed recruiting edge.
Boise St. posted upsets over BYU and Utah St., which gave them just enough to produce a winning record.
UAB
Tennessee and Mississippi State barely get in with a win over Kentucky that gave them each a winning record. The Bulldogs also beat NC State and Texas A&M to bring them into the Upper Division as the possibly the strongest team to ever finish a game over .500.
Stanford may have had the upset of the year over Oregon, but came nowhere near a winning record, so the Cardinal will head to the lower division.
Fresno St.
Wyoming upset Utah St. to clinch a winning record, so there will be at least two Cowboys in the Upper Division
LSU beat Texas A&M, but had a losing record, so Brian Kelley starts his career with a two-year battle to regain relevancy for the Tigers.
With 40 spots taken, the final 24 slots will be chosen from teams that produced winning records last season. Teams will get two points for a Power 5 win and one for a Group of 5 win and be admitted by score.
AUTOMATIC ADMISSION
Minnesota 17
UCLA 15
Washington St. 14
Arizona St. 13
UTSA 12
Kansas St. 11
Penn St. 11
Maryland 11
Coastal Carolina 11
Air Force 10
UCF 9
SMU 9
South Carolina 8
Northern Illinois 9
Central Michigan 9
App St. 9
Western Kentucky 8
Army 8
Nevada 8
Georgia St. 8
Tulsa 7
Liberty 7
Three teams with six points had room to earn admission. Teams were first admitted based on wins over teams in consideration for admission. This put Eastern Michigan and Middle Tennessee in and eliminated UTEP.
That left East Carolina, Toledo, Marshall, and Miami of Ohio still in the running for the last spot. With all three sporting the same overall record, the team with the most wins over teams not below .500 was determined.
East Carolina came away with the narrow edge to nab the last spot.
UTEP 6 (0)
East Carolina 6 (2)
Marshall 6 (1) (0)
Middle Tennessee 6 (2)
Toledo 6 (1) (1)
Eastern Michigan 6 (3)
Miami (OH) 6 (1) (1)
Teams Playing with the Big Boys
WEST
West Division
Washington St.
Oregon
Oregon St.
Boise St.
San Diego St.
UCLA
Fresno St.
Nevada
East Division
Wyoming
Utah
Utah St.
BYU
Arizona St.
Air Force
Texas Tech
Oklahoma
MIDWEST
North Division
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Iowa
Iowa St.
Kansas St.
Oklahoma St.
Tulsa
Arkansas
South Division
Ole Miss
Mississippi St.
Houston
SMU
UTSA
Texas A&M
Baylor
Louisiana
MIDEAST
West Division
Eastern Michigan
Central Michigan
Northern Illinois
Western Michigan
Michigan St.
Purdue
Notre Dame
Michigan
East Division
Ohio St.
Middle Tennessee
Western Kentucky
Cincinnati
Tennessee
Kentucky
Pittsburgh
Penn St.
EAST
North Division
Army
Clemson
Wake Forest
North Carolina St.
Liberty
South Carolina
East Carolina
Maryland
Appalachian St.
South Division
Coastal Carolina
Georgia St.
Georgia
Alabama
UAB
UCF
Miami
Relegated
SOUTHEAST (16)
Auburn
Florida
Florida St.
South Florida
Florida Atlantic
FIU
Troy
Georgia Southern
Georgia Tech
South Alabama
LSU
Vanderbilt
Memphis
Southern Miss
Duke
North Carolina
NORTHEAST (15)
Navy
Buffalo
UMass
Temple
UConn
Louisville
Syracuse
Boston College
Rutgers
Virginia Tech
Virginia
West Virginia
Old Dominion
Charlotte
Marshall
MIDWEST (16)
Missouri
Tulane
Louisiana-Monroe
Arkansas St.
Louisiana Tech
Kansas
Ball St.
Ohio
Bowling Green
Akron
Toledo
Miami (OH)
Indiana
Illinois
Nebraska
Northwestern
WEST (16)
New Mexico St.
San Jose St.
Hawaii
UNLV
California
Washington
Stanford
USC
Colorado
Arizona
Texas St.
Texas
TCU
North Texas
Rice
UTEP
This is just the initial set-up. It would be highly likely that after two years, a few teams that are relegated will go up and possibly never come down again.
It's also likely a team or two falls out of the Upper Division, never to return.
However, there are teams that were relegated that have reputations by name only and not by way of actual results. There are big names that, once their logo is disregarded and all that matters is their actual production, will find themselves relegated more often than not.
History would suggest those teams might never "be back" in a relegation scenario, regardless of what their fans think or how much money their boosters have.
Fortunately for those schools, Saban's ponderings don't automatically become college football policy.
Not yet anyway.
HOGS FEED:
HOGS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR KENDAL BRILES MAY EXPECT MORE FROM KJ JEFFERSON THAN SOME FANS
SEC ROUNDUP: LSU SIGNS CHILD OF FORMER NFL, HALL OF FAMER
BARRY ODOM MAY NOT WANT TO BE HEAD COACH AGAIN
HOGS PUT ON THE BOXING GLOVES TO HELP THEIR FOOTWORK IN PASS COVERAGE
SIMEON BLAIR SHOWING BARRY ODOM SIGNS OF HAVING A COACHING FUTURE
SEC ROUNDUP: HOW LANE KIFFIN FOUND A KICKER AT A KEGGER
DON'T EXPECT FAKE PUNTS FROM HOGS ON REGULAR BASIS
CAM LITTLE WOULD LIKE TO ADD KICKING OFF BUT FOCUSED ON GETTING BALL THROUGH UPRIGHTS
SEC ROUND-UP: MIZZOU STUDENTS PAID TO AVOID GAMES, BAMA TO GET TIPSY, AND MORE
WHAT THE POLLS REALLY MEAN, ESPECIALLY IN AUGUST
• Want to join in on the discussion? Click here to become a member of the allHOGS message board community today!
