Why do some college football fans consider the regular season a playoff when it clearly isn't?

Question

Of all the arguments championing the lack of a playoff in college football, the notion that the "regular season is a playoff" is the weakest. Anyone who thinks the regular season is a playoff is incompetent or speaking out of his/her behind. Of the millions of reasons the regular season is not a playoff, one of the first is that if it were a playoff, Tulane would've played Tennessee in the '99 BCS championship game while Boise State would've been in Arizona playing tOSU in '07 instead of Oklahoma. In a playoff, you are eliminated once you lose. In a playoff, sportscasters' opinions don't matter at all. In a playoff, the "best team on paper" doesn't always advance. In a playoff, ALL of the best teams settle it on the field. There are thousands of reasons why the statement "the regular season is a playoff" is a fallacy, but there wouldn't be enough space to list them.

Answer 1

i'll take a playoff.....but this isn't the nfl. it is isn't win or go home in college football (112 teams i think, not 32). a playoff would interfere with so many things in college football. first of all, how would the bowl games be scheduled with a playoff system? teams are notified at the end of the season on which bowl game they are headed to depending on the division and the teams overall record. i don't think certain bowl games want to wait around for those who lose in a playoff tournament.......and don't mention getting rid of bowl games, those are incentives for playing well during the regular season and they are rewarding. lastly, the playoff system would again interfere with the lives of the 'student-athlete' who has to take exams at certain points during the season. hey, a playoff system takes away an interminable layoff, but then again i think the season would last forever if there was a playoff. im not disagreeing with you, but the format for right now is the best 'they' can come up with.  

Answer 2

I wouldnt call it a playoff

but like more of a qualifying thing

Answer 3

Get rid of the bowl games and start the playoffs the first week of December, leading up to a real championship game on New Years Day.

No more idiotic 59 day layoffs before playing a "National Championship Game".  Play a real tournament like you do in basketball