The BCS mess has a less angry feel to it this year, probably because there is general agreement on 1-4 and what it will take for Missouri, West Virginia, Ohio State, and Georgia to reach the championship game. And UGA has to feel good about having 2 losses and a BCS bowl. It would be hard to argue if you're Ohio State, that you deserve better than 3 if the other 2 win. In fact, with no meaningful undefeated team, it becomes an argument of 1-2 loss teams and it simply doesn't draw controversy like having 3 unefeated teams would draw.
That may be why we're not hearing as much talk about a playoff this year. But, what might be missed is this would be a GREAT year in which to stage a playoff. I know there are a lot of various scenarios on this topic, but I have always favord an 8 team playoff so I'll lay that out, just for kicks. I'm also assuming the following winners, based on today's lines.
OK - USC - WV - Hawai - ASU - VT - LSU
The calendar even works well this year. Give the guys a week off after the last week and play the round of 8 on December 14/15. Can you imagine what the weekend would be like with these matchups? The streets would be empty and holiday shopping would suffer (unless the wives went out and actually spent more money)
5:00 - Dallas, TX(replaces Cotton unless they'd rather opt out)
1 WV v 8 Hawaii (seeding based on BCS but a deal like Hawaii being undefeated might necesitate BCS-type rules. You could put Mizzou here but you will efffectively eliminate non-BCS schools from competition)
8:00 - San Diego, CA(replaces whatever bowl, unless they'd rather opt out)
2 Ohio State v 7 Oklahoma
5:00 - Orlando, FL(replaces Cap 1 Bowl, unless they'd rather opt out)
3 Georgia v 6 USC
8:00 - Miami, FL(replaces Orange Bowl on a rotating basis)
4 Virginia Tech v 5 LSU (an unfortunate rematch but in this non-existent world, you can't play a conference foe your first week and you probably wouldn't schedule the same either)
Left out: Missouri, Kansas - shouldn't have lost to Mizzou, Mizzou losing to OK bumps you out, that and your pitiful schedules. ASU
Saturday 12/22
5:00 - Tempe, AZ(replaces Fiesta on a rotating basis)
1 WV v 5 LSU (what a game!)
8:00 - Rose Bowl
2 Ohio State v 3 Georgia
2 weeks off, at which time the already inconsequential bowls are played
January 5, New Orleans
WV v Georgia
That first weekend would be like March Madness on steroids. The second weekend would bring about the most intriguing matchups the college football world has ever known! Anyone who benefitted from a weak conference or whatever would get a chance to legitimize themselves or prove the point. You might have people gripe about getting left out, but the argument would not be very strong as you're talking about the 7-8 team or so, and people would gripe more than ever that the conference championship could really hurt the loser, but oh what a time it would be!
Another option: 12 teams, with top 4 BCS getting byes. this is flawed because you're taxing the 9-12 with another game but 16 just seems too big to me. Maybe you could stipulate that only conference champs get byes, and the 4 conferences are determined by OOC record against other BCS teams? That would pose too many problems. You could simply say, the 4 conference champs with the highest ranking, which this year, would screw GA but it makes the conference championship paramount. Plus, the whiny bowls would benefit more, getting to include more games in the mix. Better yet, screw the bowls and let the teams who win get to host and benefit financially. That could take the sting out of having to play an extra game.
Byes: WV, OSU, VT, LSU
w1: 5 UGA v 12 Hawaii (Athens)
6 USC v 11 Kansas (no intra-conference games the first round) (LA)
7 Oklahoma v 10 Arizona State (Norman)
8 Missouri v 9 Florida (Jeff City)
BC would be out if they lost to VT, no one else would be out who would have a beef, that I can see.
Then...w2, predetermined "neutral" sites:
1WV v 9 Florida
2OSU v 7 Oklahoma
3VT v 5 UGA (no intra-conference games allowed)
4LSU v 6 USC
Wow!
W3:
1WV v 6 USC
7 Oklahoma v 5 UGA
This got way beyond what I intended to post, which illustrates how cool it could be. The main point here is, following this weekend, the college football season dies. You have a sometimes questionable national championship game, and the rest or exhibitions. It is cool to suppose a UGA v USC in the Rose Bowl, but how much cooler would it be if the same matchup actually mattered?
2 comments:
Good thoughts.......and I think it would be crazy....I mean...crazy in a way that the NFL can't touch....at least I know it would be in the South....so I guess the question is does anyone really think it will ever happen??
Can you imagine the money that sponsors would throw at a playoff system....it would be sick.
I could live with either scenario. Both are far better and make more sense that the current, broken system.
The Dawgs are on a tear. Going into Jacksonville most of us were hoping to salvage the season with 2 wins spread over Auburn, KY, and UF and a victory over GT. They brought us 4 very convincing wins, and they are playing arguably as well as or better than any team in the country. Their reward: sit for a month. Our reward as fans: watch the languishing Falcons play just well enough to miss out on a franchise-changing draft pick for next season.
A break in play kills momentum. UGA has been known to come in flat to their bowl game (see UGA vs. WV), and I believe it's due to the extended time practicing in December. Imagine Tom Brady being told on December 30th, "Hey congratulations on a perfect season. We'll see you and Peyton on February 3rd." The momentum of a perfect season would be down the tubes.
The fans are the big losers in all of this, but the NCAA settles for a hiatus when they could have the mother-of-all football bashes, ratings through the roof, huge ad fees like the Super Bowl, and truckloads of cash for the schools.
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