Finally, here’s the perfect college football playoff plan
The first objective: Get to the college football postseason without the acronym, BCS. (AP photo)
While there is no actual data to back this statement, I’m almost certain my three greatest sources of email relate to unclaimed winnings in the Irish lottery (“This is your final notice!”), male enhancement pills (“See the desire in her eyes!”) and the perfect college football playoff format (“I have no life, no friends, I live on Pop-Tarts and ramen noodles and have been working on this for 17 months!”).
So it comes as great relief that college football finally appears to be moving close to some form of a playoff, with even NCAA president Mark Emmert saying Thursday that he might support a four-team format. We will get a champion. I will get less email.
But I’m kind of old school in many ways. I believe college football is better with debate. It partially fuels the passions and traditions of the sport. What we don’t need is an eight- or 16-team playoff format, which is unworkable and would drive the bones of these kids into dust. We already have hypocritical university presidents who pound their fist on tables and claim they’re all about academics, then when the TV lights click off approve 12-game regular seasons and conference championship games to generate revenue (and not to build libraries).
“The season is very long, and I don’t know if you can do a whole lot more than what we’re doing now,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said Friday. “I guess you can do the plus-one that they’re talking about. Keep it sane. But beyond that, you’d have to cut back on regular-season games.”
That’s not happening.
Mark Richt says an expanded playoff system in college football isn't workable. (Jason Getz/AJC)
With that, I now unveil the perfect plan, not to be confused with all of the other plans.
Understand something: Bowl games largely have lost their appeal. Too many matchups are not appealing to even the fan bases involved in the game. One reason for that is the BCS’s No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup has rendered all other bowls meaningless. The under-40 crowd may not realize this, but New Year’s Day games used to be a treasure, not just because the Sugar, Rose, Orange, Cotton were great, but because the games actually meant something. Human polls determined the champion, so several teams in the major bowls could convince themselves, with a series of results, that they had a chance to finish No. 1.
This plan also restores the bowls’ tradition, gives them meaning, provides a title game and leaves worthy debate intact. So here goes:
• 1.) Drop the BCS into a dumpster. What other sports enterprise takes its biggest money-making venture and allows an outside company to run it?
• 2.) The NCAA creates a blue-ribbon panel of a dozen members, similar to basketball, who select at-large berths for the five major bowls (see below). All remaining teams are available for other bowls.
• 3.) We bring the Cotton Bowl, which has revenue-generating Cowboys Stadium, back into the equation, joining the Sugar, Rose, Orange and Fiesta. If somebody considers five too many, dump the Fiesta. They bring little to the table anyway, other than corruption.
• 4.) The major bowls will have traditional conference tie-ins. SEC champion to the Sugar, ACC to the Orange, Big 12 to the Cotton, Pac-12 and Big Ten to the Rose. (The Fiesta can get two worthy at-large bids, since no other conference champion is worthy of an automatic bid.) Potentially, each of the five bowls will mean something because there’s no automatic 1 vs. 2 match-up. It effectively gives you “five semifinal” games (kinda, sorta). The often-heard proposal of having two of the current BCS bowls designated as semifinals would render the other three bowls meaningless.
• 5.) After the New Year’s bowls, the panel selects the two best teams for the championship game. Of course, arguments will ensue. So what? Each team will have had a chance to prove itself in the bowls. Picking four teams for semifinals would diminish the bowls and extend the season too long.
One last thing: If the two best teams come from the same conference, I’m OK with that. Most consider the NCAA basketball tournament the greatest thing going, and nobody complains when there are multiple teams from the ACC, Big East, Big Ten or Big 12 in the Final Four. So why should football be any different.
So there’s the perfect plan, which by the way would’ve concluded the same way as the BCS’s imperfect one: Alabama over LSU in the final.
By Jeff Schultz
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192 comments Add your comment
You're a retard
January 14th, 2012
4:38 pm
King (Bamard)….what’s that got to do with SEC Championship game?…..go play your banjo with H. Updyke
Allen Roberts
January 14th, 2012
5:28 pm
Create 8 conferences with confernce championships 2nd weekend in Dec.$ New years Bowl games will feature 8 conference champions.4 winners play 2 nd weekend in Jan with winners facing off the weekend b4 the SuperBowl. All other bowls would continue as are and more meaningful regular sean matchups could be played as polls would not affect championship.Every team is elligible, just have to win your conference championship.
Tide Rising
January 14th, 2012
5:40 pm
Hell I’ve been saying something similar to this for awhile. Only in my plan you would pick the top 4 teams before the bowls and put them into 2 of the bowls and make the bowls part of a 4 team playoff. A 3rd bowl would then host the 2 survivors in a winner take all for the title. So 3 of the 5 bowls would be relevant on a yearly basis. And the 4-5 bowls would rotate every year. So whether its 4 or 5 bowls each bowl gets to host if not the championship game itself at least one of the 2 playin games every other year.
Miamijacket
January 14th, 2012
6:48 pm
A plus two playoff system with 8 teams makes the most sense. 1 to 6 seeds are the conference champs from SEC, ACC, PAC12, BIG10, BIG12, and Big East. 7 and 8 seeds are at large with no conference getting more than two teams in the playoff. These 8 teams play in the Rose, Sugar, Orange, and Fiesta and then the four winners play each other in a semifinal and the two winners of these games play in the final. This way, the regular season count. Every auto qualifying conference should be required to have a conference championship game as well and carry a minimum of 12 teams.
Tech Tony
January 14th, 2012
7:13 pm
But I’m kind of old school in many ways. I believe college football is better with debate.
This is my sentiment exactly. I’m not against a playoff by any means but not one less person attends games or watches them because there’s no playoff. Those who would say a playoff system would produce more revenue (TV)and interest than the current bowl system simply aren’t thinking about what they are saying.
Nativebird
January 14th, 2012
7:25 pm
Dude, the reason the basketball tourney works is because they PLAY IT OFF. Thus, the reason they call it a “play off”. Your system basically just cans the BCS, which is obvious all you really want. Jumpin up and down and screaming and throwing a fit because you hate all things establishment may make you feel better, but it’s not a playoff, nor does it crown a better truer champion.
I can't believe Aaron Murray BLEW THAT GAME to go to 0-9 vs teams ending top 25. 3 sacks, fumble, 2 interceptions, 9 rushes minus 14 yards, 1 reception blocked pass minus 3 yards - all with 16 point lead.
January 14th, 2012
11:58 pm
SEC has been in 8 BCS National Championship Games, and Won all 8. This past season, two SEC teams squared off against each other. For this reason alone, immediately the BCS has to change. All these conferences, and all these other football programs all want to at least be considered for # 1. This is why it will change; and no other reason. Anti-SEC sentiment.
And, what difference will it make with Georgia 0-9 vs teams who finish in the top 25 the entire career of Aaron Murray.
Surely, whatever format they come up with; and no matter 13-1 UGA next season when we only play 1 team who ended this season 1 of the 27 teams with 10-Win Season. Only 1 team we play next season who finished this season in the top 25. 2012 Schedule is even easier than 2011 Schedule, and we had the easiest schedule of All SEC teams 2011; next season even more so – the sorriest schedule of all SEC teams Again.
At some point, Aaron Murray will take his immense “over-inflated stats against not-so-excellent opponents” to quote Ben Dukes from his blog yesterday, and line up against a real team. And, he will not be yanked until the game is totally lost, and will have – as always against any team who ends the season in the top 25 – again, the Yips – the Heebie-Jeebies.
Chris Dimino
January 15th, 2012
12:22 am
I say that we let Jackie Robinson’s widow, Rachel, pick the two teams that play for the championship.
Big Dawg
January 15th, 2012
12:58 am
boo
I couldn’t read past you saying we don’t need an 8 or 16 because it is unworkable. Boo Boo
How can High School, IAA, Pro, etc. work it out and it be unworkable for a bunch of supposedly smart big school college graduates???????
boo boo boo
JMora
January 15th, 2012
8:22 am
Playoffs? Are you kiddn’ me? Playoffs?
Venture Socialists
January 15th, 2012
9:03 am
http://www.ajc.com/news/ga-failure-not-the-1302706.html
Boise Dawg
January 15th, 2012
9:50 am
The biggest flaw with this plan is the bowl matchups are too random and it could make it very difficult to select the 1 vs. 2. Clemson winning the ACC this year would have crippled this system because no other top team would have wanted to play them in the Orange bowl if they are still trying to prove their worth as a #2 team. Hypothetically… under your plan, what if Alabama was selected to play Clemson in the Orange and Oklahoma State got matched up with either Oregon or Boise State in the Cotton. Don’t you think that would have given Oklahoma State a big advantage in jumping Alabama in the final poll if they beat a much higher ranked team?
The conference affiliations with bowls is a double edge sword… it keeps tradition alive, which I think a lot of us like, but it also is what can royally screw up not only the BCS bowls, but all the bowl games because the matchups are practically pre deterimed before the season starts and you are at the mercy of how a conference / team is perceived at the end of the year. That is how you end up with Clemson vs. West Virginia in a BCS bowl game.
Boise Dawg
January 15th, 2012
9:53 am
I guess a possible tweak could be no conference champion (I’m talking to you ACC / Big East) is automatically eligible for a BCS bowl game if they are not at least ranked in the top 12 after the season is over.
Fan of the Game
January 15th, 2012
9:57 am
The best team very seldom wins the National Championship in college basketball and the same would happen in football.
Fan of the Game
January 15th, 2012
9:59 am
Heck, can’t wait until college baseball. The NCAA needs to adjust the number of scholarships for baseball. 11 1/4 is a joke. And football is worried about going from 85 to 80.
Vince
January 15th, 2012
10:10 am
“Bowl games largely have lost their appeal”. Are you kidding me? From Dec.20 to early January is like heaven on earth–football heaven. Its like having Pamela Anderson answer your roommate wanted ad.
Fan of the Game
January 15th, 2012
11:34 am
Vince – you are right! Ask the kids at La. Lafayette if they have lost there appeal? Those kids were so excited and whether we want to admit it the Bowl games are for the kids.
BCSstinks
January 15th, 2012
11:55 am
Jeff, to begin with they need to do away with all Conference Tie Ins to every single bowl. These tie ins ruin the bowl season when you have to watch two 6-6 teams play. Take the best teams in the rankings to these five bowls period. If an ACC or Big East team is not in the top 10 then they do not deserve to go and play for it all.
I am an ACC fan but let’s be fair and put the teams in these bowl games that deserve to be in the games not teams that play in certain conferences.
gcs
January 15th, 2012
1:32 pm
FYI, the SEC put two teams in the NCAA basketball tournament Final Four in 2006 (Florida [winner] and LSU). The ACC hasn’t done it since 2004 (GT, Duke), Big Ten in 2005 (Ill, Mich St).
The Big 12 has only done it twice ever in 2003 (Texas, Kansas) and 2002 (KU, Okl).
Don’t be dissin’ the SEC, man.
Joe 12-Pack
January 15th, 2012
2:06 pm
By your plan which includes bowl tie-ins and assuming higher seeds play lower seeds, I am guessing the bowls would’ve looked something like this (rankings are pre-bowl games):
Sugar: #1 LSU vs #8 Kansas State
Orange: #15 Clemson vs #4 Stanford
Cotton: #3 Oklahoma St vs #6 Arkansas
Rose: #5 Oregon vs #10 Wisconsin
Fiesta: #2 Alabama vs #7 Boise State
Let’s pretend the top four seeds LSU, Alabama, Stanford & Okl State all win. Stanford is out since they are #4 and beat #15. So, how do you expect this “blue-ribbon panel” to decide? Wouldn’t a win over Arkansas look better than one over Boise? Under your system, Bama may not have even made it to the Plus One Bowl.
The bowl tie-ins screw everything up. I say to heck with the Pac-12/Big Ten Rose Bowl. They need to get over that silly little non-factor game.
Radford Jackson
January 15th, 2012
2:57 pm
When I was a young man, I could not wait for New Years day. Bowl games that had been talked
about for weeks would be played. You would tune in on the Cotton, Sugar, and later the Rose Bowl. That evening you would look forward to the Orange Bowl. You got to see the top 8 teams play and at days end four teams would claim to be number one. Maybe they were. I think it was a wonderful way
to end the season.
Now I laugh at all the “Bowl” games and wonder why they are even played.
Justbobkc
January 15th, 2012
7:12 pm
16 Team playoffs starting with the major conference championships plus however many additional games needed to fill out the eight games necessary. More than two teams from any conference allowed – just based on top 16 poll rankings at end of the regular season for everyone. (Actually replace the now useless conference championships with a properly seeded 16 team playoff.)
Only four games needed for the next round – your major bowls get these 8 teams rotated yearly to keep it fair. The four winners play the semi’s one week later. And one week after that the national championship game is played. Two teams end up playing 2 extra games. Is that REALLY that big a deal?
Ben
January 15th, 2012
7:53 pm
“So there’s the perfect plan, which by the way would’ve concluded the same way as the BCS’s imperfect one: Alabama over LSU in the final”
Yes and if the NFL played by NCAA Div I rules New England and Green Bay would have gone right to the championship game because they would have been considered the best by the sports writers, but thank goodness they have to actually play the game on the field in the NFL, and every other sport on the face of the earth, and not in your head Schultzy. The Giants of New York – 37 Green Bay Packers – 20…….The LSU of the NFL just lost!!!!!!
MeenGreen
January 15th, 2012
8:00 pm
Awful Jeff
Common Sense
January 15th, 2012
8:12 pm
An 8 team playoff with the 5 conference champs named plus 3 at large teams.
Must end no later than January 2.
Use existing bowls if you msut (an antiquated system, fer sher).
Tons of money for all.
Common Sense
January 15th, 2012
8:13 pm
BTW, Shultz, you’re not nearly as funny/cute/cool as you think.
Common Sense
January 15th, 2012
8:15 pm
Oops. left out the “C” so you’re not as ool or ute as you think.
Mike
January 15th, 2012
9:56 pm
8 teams…seed them and let’s play.
Brian Friel
January 15th, 2012
10:05 pm
Dump the BCS. We all know what it stands for anyway.
1. Use a true playoff with viable seeds, like I-AA, and keep the major bowls you’ve spoken of alive by rotating bracket games every year with a Super College Bowl in a different arena each year. And yes, exclude the “Siesta Bowl” as the will pay off the refs anyway.
Bud Wiser
January 16th, 2012
8:28 am
Funny how where the athletes are bigger, stronger, faster, more skilled, that a playoff format that is used in every subdivision of college football EXCEPT the FBS, will “… drive the bones of these kids into dust”.
Another BCS apologist, another rationalization against playoffs.
Why then are not you and the NCAA and BCS screaming in outrage and protest against ALL the other subdivisions?
North Dakota State (14-1, and division champion) and Sam Houston State (14-1), played Jan 7, for the Division I FCS title was completed. No janitorial crews were seen afterwards with industrial brooms, dust pans, and/or vacuums to clean up the remains of the participants, having just completed their 15th game of the season for both clubs.
Your argument is weak, apologetic, and irrational.
Get some new material.
ugadawg2005
January 16th, 2012
11:22 am
The best system is an eight team playoff incorporating the current bowls (can replace Fiesta with Cotton). The 6 highest ranked conference champions should be autoqualifiers, regardless of conference affiliation. Yes, that would put TCU in over Boise, but conference titles are won on the field, and TCU isn’t punished for scheduling RGIII compared to Boise scheduling a UGA team that was plain bad early on. This year, the 6 conference champions in would have been LSU, Ok St, Oregon, Wisconsin, Clemson and TCU. The last 2 spots would be at large berths based on the highest ranked non-conference champions. This would be Alabama and Stanford.
Yes, this means some top 10 teams will be left out, but the lesson is to win your conference. If you don’t, then you leave it up to chance. This is the only way to give the little guys a shot as any undefeated team would make it under this scenerio.
Place the teams into bowls based on any historical conference ties and then let the bowls decide from the pool who else they want to take:
Rose: Oregon v. Wisconsin (winner Oregon)
Fiesta/Cotton: Oklahoma State v. Stanford (winner Oklahoma State)
Sugar: LSU v. TCU (winner LSU)
Orange: Clemson v. Alabama (winner Alabama)
Winner of the Rose plays the winner of the Cotton/Fiesta at the home field of the higher ranked team. The same for the Sugar and Orange. So, we’d have Oregon @ Oklahoma State in Stillwater and Alabama @ LSU in Tiger Stadium. The winners play for it all at a neutral field that rotates like the Super Bowl.
The highest ranked team left out is Arkansas, but they finished third in their division and lost badly to the top 2 teams. Yes, they would probably kill than Clemson and TCU, but in order for the Champion to be decided on the field and not on perception, then there must be an emphasis on winning your conference.
CBG will be a winner at GT
January 16th, 2012
12:30 pm
That plan is just assinine! A play-off is needed. Other divisions have them and have had them for decades. At the least, 8 teams!
Familler
January 16th, 2012
3:02 pm
There is a reason after years of talking about fixing football, we are still talking about fixing football.
http://famillerlife.blogspot.com/2012/01/college-football-is-messed-up-sound.html
Hal
January 16th, 2012
4:09 pm
If you have played the team once in the regular season and you beat them. You will never be matched up with them again in the playoffs. You will automatically win the championship if it turns out that after process of elimination two teams the end up in the final game who have played each other before.The winner of the regular season game is declared the NC and it’s tuff crap if you don’t like it. What is the regular season for? No NC game would be played because there is no reason to play it. The winner of the regular season game has eveything to loose and nothing to gain. Go back to school and hit the books.
D-Jerry
January 17th, 2012
10:07 am
Have the Blue Ribbon committee pick top six; top two get a bye. Three game playoff.
AceDawg
January 17th, 2012
1:55 pm
12 TEAM PLAYOFF…
A plus one would be an epic improvement, but I’d be all for keeping the old bowl games, and pushing for a 12 team playoff. The top 4 ranked teams get bye weeks into the 4 BCS bowls and teams 5-12 play one playoff round with the 5-8 getting a home playoff matchup. Conference champs get an automatic birth in the 12 team field if they finish in the top 16 of the final rankings, and the remaining top 12 is filled out based on the highest ranked non-conference champs. This gives all strong teams a chance to compete for the national championship, including those who have dealt with injuries or got stronger as the season went on – just like in the NFL where NY Giants and Green Bay Packers can win it all as wild-cards.
The point about stretching the season too long makes some sense, but it already happens at other college levels anyhow. 5 weeks for FCS teams if they are lower seeds and keep winning!
chazzo
January 17th, 2012
6:31 pm
I like this plan! Get rid of the BCS; the traditional, nostalgic bowls have their pomp and circumstance, and there is a more legitimate championship game at the end. What’s not to like?
red hill
January 18th, 2012
9:47 am
I love your articles, Jeff, but I just don’t see how this is any better than the current system. The human polls are the problem. Alabama should never have been in the BCS game. All this does is convolute things even more.
aw
January 18th, 2012
12:21 pm
Question: How many of you who want a playoff system actually ATTENDED the school you root for?
My answer VERY FEW. Leave the system alone. They got it right this year. And yes they got it right when USC beat Oklahoma and Auburn went undefeated.
red hill
January 18th, 2012
1:02 pm
I attended th school that I support, aw. Your point?
Whisky Breath
January 19th, 2012
7:47 am
Jeff, you know this is unrealistic and is not going to happen. I will give you credit concerning the presidents love of money over academics. Good job.
Billy852
January 19th, 2012
10:24 am
Oh boy, Jeff… absolutely amazing that you can create and post such drivel… Did someone bounce you on your head over the holidays?? The BCS is a crime against all sports in general and college football in particular. Your “plan” for a playoff is no better than the BCS… and you don’t see the flaws????