Setting the NFL Champion Tables - Championship appearances

Wow.  Four playoff games ending with a last minute field goal with three of the four with visiting team wins. The last game was, by far, the best playoff game every. Next week will be a gut check for Cincinnati. 

By showing up next week, San Francisco will have 24 championship appearances, adding them to the existing three-way tie for third in that metric. If they win, they will have 25 for showing up to the Big Game - putting them into a tie with Green Bay and turning the tie for third into a tie for fourth. 

An NFC loss moves the New York NFC team into a tie with them for 5th at 12 wins and 12 losses. An NFC win ties them with Dallas if they lose the Big Game or ahead of Dallas (but behind Pittsburgh) for fourth. In other words, they are in and will stay in the lead pack. 

The top 3 teams will not move. Had Green Bay won and gone on to win the Big Game, they would have evened it up with New England. Not this year.

Los Angeles is locked in for number 7 in appearances, but will have sole position with 20 of them - moving Las Vegas to 8th. If they go to the Big Game, they will still be in 7th. A loss next week leaves them in their current position in number of championships won and lost.

Kansas City will tie with Miami for 17th with 12 appearances, leaving Tennessee alone at 19th. If they go to the Big Game, they will move into a tie for 16th with, of all teams, Buffalo (moving Miami to 18th). 

A Big Game loss by LA moves them to 12th place in championship victories (unless Kansas City beats them there wins next week too - which puts LA in 13th and puts Kansas City into 9th).  If KC loses in the Big Game to anyone, they move to 10th in number of Championship. A loss next week moves KC down to 13th.

Cincinnati is tied with New Orleans at 29th with four appearances. Showing up moves them to 28th with Arizona. Going to the Big Game puts them in a seven way tie for 22nd for appearances. A loss next week moves them down to 25th (tied with Arizona) and gives New Orleans sole possession of 24th. A Cin win next week moves them to 23rd, passing Tennessee (the irony of it all). A win in the Big Game moves them to 17th place (with three other teams), pushing Seattle out of the top 20.

I will put up the new GOAT list after the Big Game.

If this week is any indication, the next three games will be outstanding. Remember, any given Sunday... 

If I had an NCAA sports writer vote....

...this would be my rankings:

1. Georgia

2. Alabama

3. Ohio State

4. Oklahoma State

5. Baylor

6. Michigan State

7. Michigan

8. Cincinnati

9. Kentucky

10. Arkansas

11. Central Michigan

12. Wake Forest

13. Utah

14. Notre Dame

15. Pittsburgh

16. Ole Miss

17. Purdue

18. South Carolina

19. Wisconsin

20. Maryland

21. Oklahoma

22. Clemson

23. Texas Tech

24. Minnesota

25. Kansas State

I have a system. By rule, champions are #1 and #2. The next 5 are the winners of the other selection bowls, followed by the losers of the championship bowls and the winners of New Years Day bowls - then the other bowls by score and closeness to New Years.

In the best of all possible worlds, there would be no rankings for bowls - just play-ins - starting at conference finals of the Big Five conferences plus wildcards as needed for 16 teams to start (or add conferences, like MEAC and Mountain West).

Next year...back to normal - no COVID cancellations.

Most importantly, I would pay the players.