A BCS Playoff Would Keep 11-1 Texas Tech's Title Hopes Alive!As the bowl predictions are being published on what seems to be a daily basis I can’t help but wonder how cool it would be if we were talking playoff scenarios instead. The BCS is a foolishly flawed system but I believe that the majority of the problem is that it is designed to select only two schools to compete for the national title. There isn’t a system around that can do that without drawing criticism.
The AP poll selected the national champion for years and many times it fell under criticism. Since its inception the BCS has drawn criticism and each step of its evolution seems to alienate more and more college football fans. However, what if the BCS system was used to select the top 8 teams for a playoff? There would still be criticism (as long as we have football we’ll have criticism) but I think a lot less. There are currently five BCS football games and you could use those sites to host the playoffs. The top 4 teams would be the “home” team and would host the first round of the playoffs. The four losers would then be sent to two of the BCS bowls with the winners being sent to two others. The BCS bowls would keep the current rotation so that each site has equal opportunity to host both advancing rounds and consolation games in alternating years.
Yes, I do understand that two BCS bowl games wouldn’t really count for much every year but if you stop and thing about it, under the current system you have four BCS bowls that don’t really count for much every year. This system raises the stakes and makes the BCS bowls even better than before.
Here’s a sneak peek at what it would look like based upon the most recent BCS standings.
BCS Championship Game – Orange Bowl Winner vs. Sugar Bowl Winner – Played at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, FL
What logical college football fan wouldn’t want to see these match-ups? Logistically it isn’t impossible for the teams and financially the BCS bowl sites, the schools and the NCAA would make a killing. Before you throw out the, “too much travel for the fans argument” keep in mind that NCAA basketball fans travel for almost a month to watch their teams make their way through conference and then the NCAA tournaments.
The AP poll selected the national champion for years and many times it fell under criticism. Since its inception the BCS has drawn criticism and each step of its evolution seems to alienate more and more college football fans. However, what if the BCS system was used to select the top 8 teams for a playoff? There would still be criticism (as long as we have football we’ll have criticism) but I think a lot less. There are currently five BCS football games and you could use those sites to host the playoffs. The top 4 teams would be the “home” team and would host the first round of the playoffs. The four losers would then be sent to two of the BCS bowls with the winners being sent to two others. The BCS bowls would keep the current rotation so that each site has equal opportunity to host both advancing rounds and consolation games in alternating years.
Yes, I do understand that two BCS bowl games wouldn’t really count for much every year but if you stop and thing about it, under the current system you have four BCS bowls that don’t really count for much every year. This system raises the stakes and makes the BCS bowls even better than before.
Here’s a sneak peek at what it would look like based upon the most recent BCS standings.
8. Penn State (Rose Bowl) at 1 Alabama (Sugar Bowl)
Loser faces the loser of the Texas Tech/Texas game in the Fiesta Bowl.
Winner faces the winner of the Texas Tech/Texas game in the Orange Bowl.
7. Texas Tech (Cotton Bowl) at 2. Texas (Fiesta Bowl)
Loser faces the loser of the Penn State/Alabama in the Fiesta Bowl.Winner faces the winner of the Penn State/Alabama game in the Orange Bowl.
6. Utah (Sugar Bowl) at 3. Oklahoma (BCS Championship Game)
Loser faces the loser of USC/Florida game in the Rose Bowl.Winner faces the winner of the USC/Florida Game in the Sugar Bowl
5. USC (Fiesta Bowl) at 4. Florida (BCS Championship Game)
Loser faces the loser of the Utah/Florida game in the Rose Bowl.Winner faces the winner of the Utah/Oklahoma game in the Sugar Bowl(Indicates predicted bowl game)
BCS Championship Game – Orange Bowl Winner vs. Sugar Bowl Winner – Played at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, FL
What logical college football fan wouldn’t want to see these match-ups? Logistically it isn’t impossible for the teams and financially the BCS bowl sites, the schools and the NCAA would make a killing. Before you throw out the, “too much travel for the fans argument” keep in mind that NCAA basketball fans travel for almost a month to watch their teams make their way through conference and then the NCAA tournaments.
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