Dump the BCS for a real Playoff System

[Ming]

The BCS system where a computer program is used to determine which two teams get a shot at the national championship in College Football... or a Playoff system like other college sports have. You make the call?

Personally, the fact that the BCS is run by a bunch of greedy ole farts who have absolutely nothing to do with College Football with the exception of trying to bleed it for every penny of profit they can... I would like a playoff system

 

[Flatlander Fox]

The fundamental problem is how do you reward the teams that have pretty good seasons but WON'T get into a bowl game with a playoff?

How do you implement the existing bowl games into a playoff?

Who gets in and who doesn't with a playoff?

These are all questions that need to be effectively answered before a playoff is feasible.

 

[mordhiem]

BCS is what makes College Football interesting! Otherwise it'd just end up as a poor man's NFL ike the NBA/College Basketball relashionship.

 

[gr8ful wes]

No true opinion here, but I do feel that it would have worked in favor of several teams who have the undefeated season but get slighted by the votes. I would prefer that they simply remove those silly sounding corporate sponsorship names from the bowls.

Oh, what the heck, More Football!!!!!!!!

 

[JollyRoger]

The semifinals are already in place. They are called the Big 12 & SEC Championship Games. Just have the winners of those games meet for the championship. The lesser conferences can have the BCS (Bowl Consolation Series).

Seriously, I'm for having the conference champions of the 6 major conferences and 10 at large teams (selected from a pre-determined computerized/poll combination like the current BCS) selected for the playoff. Seed them 1 to 16 and have a 4 round playoff. Won't ever happen because of he vested interest of bowl sponsors. If you're not in the top 16, you should be allocating more resources to recruiting and less to bowling anyway.

 

[Greadius]

I think one of the things that makes college football so appealing is that the product is very limited. You get just enough every year, and then before you know it the season is over.

A playoff would add more games to the season, and considering the limited number that they play right now I doubt this is something the College Football establishment wants to do.

However, there is no reason that the 'Bowls' couldn't be converted into rounds in the playoffs. If you survive the Xerox Bowl you get to move on to the Tostidos Bowl, ect. Might help sell the bowl events if the bigger name teams were the one's participating.

 

[Ming]

So here is a solution that would give EVERY 1- A team a chance to win the 1 - A championship. And would still allow the money grubbing sleeze buckets that run the Bowl games and are trying to block a true national championship, to be involved.

While there are about 117 1 - A Schools, there are only 11 Conferences and 6 independents.

The winners of the 11 conferences and the best independent team qualify for the tournament, making a 12 team tournament.

The tournament would consist of four rounds. A similar ranking system to the BCS could be used to determine which of the Indies qualifies and how the 12 teams rank compared to each other. This way, the computer system is only being used to seed the teams, and to pick which of the 6 indies is the best. While one might complain about how the the teams get seeded, the rankings won't be used to keep somebody out. (yeah, the indies could get screwed if there are two great teams, but we are only talking 6 team in total, and that's what they get for not joining a conference)

The top 4 teams would get a bye in the first round while the lowest 8 ranked teams would play. These games could be played a week before Christmas at neutral sights during the week in primetime television so they wouldn't be going up against the NFL. (would help keep everybody happy)

The second round would then be played around a Christmas... also in prime time on nights not to conflict with the NFL. The major bowls could alternate which get which and rotate them every year to be fair to all..

The winners would advance to Bowl games on New Years day... with one game being in the late afternoon and another in the evening...

A week later, you could have the championship game.

This type of system would have a lot going for it...

First and most important... the champion would be a champion regardless of their record. As Imran pointed out, why should a team that plays in a strong conference be screwed. If you are your conference champion, you deserve and will get a shot at the national title. Any team that didn't win their own conference can't really whine that they deserved a chance at the National Championship. This would keep the regular season being REALLY meaningful and give EVERY 1 - A school a shot at the prize.

Second... MORE money for everybody... which means that there would be hope that this could actually work.
The Big Bowl people would still be involved, and while they might not like that their games wouldn't be on New Years day, they will take the money instead of risking lossing it all to a different system.

There would still be many good teams left for lesser bowls so that late morning and early afternoon games on New Years Day can be scheduled... giving fans their traditional football fix and deserving teams that didn't make the tournament there bowl bids on this high visibility day. Plus other meaningless bowl games can be scheduled as they are now long before the holidays so that many teams can still get bowl bids and still get their share of money.

And Notre Dame fans would probably be thrilled, because they would probably be the Indy Representative every year, and this would make the Networks happy as well

The only real negative is that this would add a few more games to the year for the best teams...

 

[Flatlander Fox]

The only problem I see with that is this year for example you have a GARBAGE Florida St. team going to a bowl game while an Iowa or a Texas sits it out. Or Ball St. going instead of USC, who wouldn't make it under your proposal.

Plus, the indies don't have to share money, which makes it a VERY lopsided return for a certain Irish school.

 

[Ming]

I hear you... but it does come down to YOU HAVE TO WIN YOUR CONFERENCE... if you don't, why should you get a chance at the championship... Every other College sport has a playoff. But for some strange reason, the NCAA seems to go along with outsiders determing their champion. What a joke

 

[cgannon64]

The problem with the BCS now is not that its run by a computer, but that more than records and talent are used, but non-sports factors as well.

A recent example: You should get into the x Bowl, ND or USC? While USC has a better record, Notre Dame has more national fans, and has a very large TV audeince. I'm a Notre Dame fan, but a system that takes number of fans into consideration is bad.

CG

 

[Sultan Bhargash]

Go to playoff system.

That would really get me pumped about bowls time, regardless of whether my Gators, Green Wave, or Scarlet Knights had made it. (Listed in decreasing order of likelihood!)

 

[Ming]

I just want to see the NCAA take charge of THEIR championship. I have no problems with the bowl games picking up deserving teams that don't make a playoff... I just don't want games determined by who will make us the most money

 

[Sultan Bhargash]

Agreed. They already have corporate sponsorship...

 

[tcjsavannah]

Unfortunately, college football is king as money is concerned so the NCAA isn't going to do anything that'll kill the golden goose.

Virtually all NCAA Division I schools have their athletic departments funded by college football, especially the biggest ones. I remember one year while at UF, the athletic department PAID for the school to be open during the summer semester when the state was going to suspend operation for the year. Why? Have to have summer classes to get all the football players eligible/in school...

 

[Alcibiaties of Athenae]

I would add a "Championship Bowl", take the two highest ranked teams to win bowl games, and have them play for the national championship.

 

[Steve Winer]

Here is my opinion of what should be done. Have the bowl games the way they are (except for highest bowl), and after that, have a playoff for the highest bowl (Tostitos, Rose, etc.) Just the top 25 teams should be in the running in the playoff.

 

[gr8ful wes]

Lets not forget, these guys are students, If they had to play more games, only the florida teams would win because they arent in college for the education anyway. Big 10 wouldnt be able to compete because of the high graduation rate.

 

[Sultan Bhargash]

Originally posted by Alcibiaties of Athenae
I would add a "Championship Bowl", take the two highest ranked teams to win bowl games, and have them play for the national championship.

This could be a nice compromise solution (and could have given Tulane the 98 championship) but most years the two highest ranked teams end up in the same bowl anyway... meaning the CBowl would probably end up lopsided.

Whereas with a playoff (even one that trimmed current schedules back a few weeks to accomodate the "extra" games) you see the two highest ranked teams seeded so that they don't have to meet to the final game, with all of the thrills along the way we assoiciate with the "Sweet 16" of basketball...

 

[Ming]

Screw the current Bowl System. Let the top 8 teams fight it out for a real championship. Include the conference winners of the lesser conferences if they are unbeaten. Let the Bowls pick from the remaining teams. There will still be great teams for them, and we will have a true national champion. And everybody makes money and goes home happy

 

[Sanaz]

I am in the minority who has liked the BCS from the start. I have liked all the national champion matchups so far, and I think the current system works.