Chime in on an argument- NCAA vs NFL

[Lottery Larry]

A college football fan and I exchanged strong words over his adamant statement that NCAA games matter more than NFL games during the regular season.

I expect 2+2 will have some good comments.

[dkgojackets]

They mean more up until that first loss. Then you no longer control your own destiny.

[Green Kool Aid]

I think that playoff format is a plus of the NFL, but I'm a fan of NFL over NCAA because of the level of play.

From the standpoint of being a fan of one or the other based upon how much the games matter, OBVIOUSLY they matter more in NCAA. Everybody knows this though.

[gusmahler]

"Ability to get in as a wildcard and win the SB means each NFL loss is more critical than most college losses"

This doesn't make sense. the ability to get in as a wildcard means each NFL loss is LESS critical than college losses.

[livin_a_lie]

A team with 4,5,6,7 or 8 losses cant win the national championship. NCAA regular season is easily more important.

[JaredL]

The answer is NCAA.
NCAA:
- if a team has no losses a loss pretty drastically reduces their chance for a national championship.

- if a team has one loss, a second loss eliminates any shot at a national title and usually means that they won't win the conference title either.

- Losses 3-5 affect how prestigious the bowl game is.

- Loss 6 means no post-season play (under regular scheduling)

Compare that to the NFL:
- a teams first loss means they won't become the second team ever to go undefeated, otherwise it means nothing.

- a second loss on very rare occasions (NE two seasons ago for example) means you won't get homefield advantage. You will however, certainly play at home until the conference title game. Usually a second loss means absolutely nothing.

- a third loss makes it slightly less likely that you get homefield advantage. Often it will simply mean that you don't 'control your own destiny' in terms of HFA. (I'd actually be curious what the average amount of losses is for HFA, I suspect the median is 3 losses)

- a fourth loss means you probably won't get HFA. You will likely win your division without a fifth loss. You could easily still get a bye, and if not will be playing at home.

- a fifth loss means you are going to be playing in the first week of the playoffs - probably away. I'm sure there are cases where an 11-5 team didn't go.

- a sixth loss means you could miss the playoffs.

- a seventh loss means you probably miss the playoffs.

- an eighty loss means you certainly miss the playoffs.

So basically it's all sort of sliding. A loss tends to make it a bit less likely that you get HFA, get bye, get home game in wild card round, make the wild card round. In the NCAA a loss pretty much means you're done in the conference or will mean you get a less prestigious bowl game. Also, it's a lot more common for games to mean absolutely nothing. Indianapolis' last few games meant literally nothing. Also, often times a division champion could lose a couple more games since they aren't getting a bye but the other teams in their division suck.

[TheNoodleMan]

You really botched that poll.

[Assani Fisher]

[ QUOTE ]
They mean more up until that first loss. Then you no longer control your own destiny.

[/ QUOTE ]

[Kneel B4 Zod]

people argue about this? it's not close.

[TheNoodleMan]

[ QUOTE ]
A college football fan and I exchanged strong words over his adamant statement that NCAA games matter more than NFL games during the regular season.


[/ QUOTE ]

Look at week one of the NFL schedule and tell me how many games you are sure are meaningless.

Then look at Week one of the NCAA schedule and tell me how many meaningless games you see.


The NFL has a much higher percentage of meaningful games.