When Texas was beaten out by Oklahoma to go to the Big 12 championship game, two thoughts came to me. First, Texas is getting a little karma after Mack Brown lobbied several years ago for a BCS spot and got it over Cal. I am not a Golden Bears fan, but this seems like a little payback from the football gods.
Secondly, why don't we have a playoff in college football? Of course, for the big boys, as the smaller schools actually settle things on the field.
How do the arguments go? Lets see, there is the tradition of the bowls, it would make the season too long, the money is found in the current system, etc. ad nauseam.
So lets look at this objectively then get to the obvious solution. The bowls don't have to go away, so lets leave the tradition alone for a bit. On the season being too long, apparently the NCAA only cares about the players at the big schools because the small schools have a playoff. Weber State is in the "formerly known as Division I-AA" playoffs and has already hit 13 games. If they win, its off to the semi-finals, then a final championship would bring the total to 15 games. Hmm. Right now Division I-A play 12 regular season games. So a 16-team tournament would take them to 16 games. Well, that would be too many, so why don't we eliminate the 12th game the NCAA added just a couple of years ago. I went back to week two of the 2008 season and found that top 25-teams played several I-AA cupcake games. Ranked at the time #6 Missouri played powerhouse SW Missouri State. Clemson played the Citadel (who played Florida in week 14!). Kentucky played Norfork State(!). You get the idea.
So, first, repeal the 12th game. Yeah, some schools would lose money, but they will make it up by sharing in the playoff/bowl money grab.
If the BCS makes money now, what would they do with a playoff? The Superbowl charges around $2 million for a 30 second spot. Anyone doubt a championship game for college football could charge $1.5 million? I don't know what they charge now, but come on, you know it would be worth a lot more and would probably be second only to the Superbowl for add revenue. Plus, some company would shell out BIG bucks to sponsor the game. You don't have the Superbowl sponsored (yet) but look at the current BCS bowls: Nokia Sugar Bowl, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, The Rose Bowl presented by...., you get the idea. How much is the NCAA Football Championship Game worth?
Now, we get to how this should be done. There are currently 34 bowls. An ESPN columnist wrote that nearly 60% of teams make the post season. That is laughable. So would it really be that bad to eliminate some of these teams? Do we really need a 6-6 Clemson playing another game? So lets get a 16 team playoff that will use up 15 bowl games. That still leaves 19 bowls that can invite teams to the post season and would make more 8-3 versus 9-2 games instead of 6-6 versus 7-5 games.
So what bowls are involved? All of them. They rotate annually between the smaller bowls for the first and second round then the big bowls still get the semi- and finals games. Now, one argument is making fans travel. Well, too bad. But we can do something for you. The higher rated team will be the home team at the closest small bowl hosting that year. For example, this year if USC is #5 and playing #12 Ball State, we look for the closest bowl hosting the playoff and it is played there. Maybe the Las Vegas Bowl, or Holiday Bowl, or San Diego Credit Union Bowl. It doesn't matter that much anyways, since the local fans will most likely snap up tickets because they would rather see USC play Ball State than the number 6 Pac 10 team against the number 2 WAC team.
There are even bowls in the North that could be played outside! What a concept. Yes, you can still have Ford Field in Michigan host Ohio State or Penn State, but you could even open up a neutral stadium, like Michigan Stadium (ouch 3-9 Michigan) to host the Penn State v. Boise State game. Wow, who wouldn't want to go see that? Its like NCAA Football on Playstation!
So the opening games rotate as do the quarter finals between the smaller and medium bowls (the previously mentioned as well as the likes of the Holiday Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Citrus Bowl and one of the big bowls each year) then the semi's and finals rotate just like they do now.
Tell me why this wouldn't work? The small bowls get better games, the playoffs rotate between bowls, the money would be reeeeediculous and college football would finally not be the only sport that doesn't decide things on the field!
The only question is who gets in? Well, I am glad you asked. Every conference champ (just like hoops) and 5 at-large teams. Highest BCS rakings overall. No limitations like "only 2 from one conference." If Oklahoma is #3, Texas #4, Texas Tech #7 and for argument sake Missouri # 12 and Oklahoma State number 13, then they all get in! One conference champ and 4 at large (assuming the other conference champs are all highly ranked.)
But one argument seems to remain: wouldn't a playoff degrade the regular season? Oh, you mean a regular season where 2 losses dooms your chances (except for freaky 2007)? Doesn't the regular season mean less right now to Utah, Boise St. and Ball St.? They can't even get a sniff at the championship despite beating everyone they lined up against. Shoot, neither BSU is even getting into the BCS.
So the regular season would mean just as much with a playoff. Lose a game, well, you better win the rest to get a chance at an at-large birth. Oh, and we can eliminate the "conference championship games." Lets be honest, they are money makers, but again, the playoffs would make more.
And finally, in regards to the LOOOOONG season? Simply state that all final games must be played by the Saturday following Thanksgiving. The playoffs would then start the 3rd week of December (right after finals), quarter finals the final week, semis the first week of Jan and the final the second week of Jan. The time lines would be the same as the currently are. And in between, you could still play the 19 remaining non-playoff bowls. You could even spread out some of the games. The first week of playoffs could have a Thursday night, Friday night and then 6 games on Saturday. Who wouldn't watch all those games? (We already have games starting at 9am PST.) So kickoff the games at 11am EST, hard core PST fans will still get up and watch (sorry Hawaii and AK). Then four games the following Saturday? A double header near New Years? And a Monday night final right as the NFL playoffs start? Dream on!
Please, NCAA, BCS, ESPN, and all fans, lets get this thing done. If Barack Obama can be elected President, lets make history and again and get rid of the powerful rich conferences controlling the BCS and let everyone have a chance (even if it is only theoretical) to win a championship.
Of course, this makes way too much sense, and since it is clear the powers that be (hello, college presidents!) don't know how to make common sense decisions it won't happen. Besides, it would take another huge blog to point out the hypocracy that is known as big time football "college athlete." So lets drop the premise, make the changes, and give the fans what they want: a champion crowned on the field just like every other NCAA sport!
