Playing Nick Saban's Game Would Get Major Programs Relegated to Lower Division

Relegation scenario sends numerous big-name teams packing

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. 

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