Keep bowls and BCS away from college football playoff
College football officials must realize they don't need bowls or the BCS for a playoff system.
In full disclosure, and at the risk of ostracizing myself from seemingly all except those who fondly recall memories of the inaugural 1902 Tournament East-West game in Pasadena — where admission was 50 cents, plus $1 for the family’s horse-and-buggy – here goes:
I like bowl games. I like tradition. I like the idea of an end-of-season reward for two college football teams, players and their families. It probably helped that I grew up in the shadow of the Rose Bowl (which the East-West became) and not the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl. But there was no urgency for a playoff, and the arguments over rankings were considered part of the fabric and charm of college football.
We’re past charm, of course. I’m not completely past the thought that bowl games serve some purpose, but I don’t want them anywhere near a college football playoff. Do you know what the dysfunctional combination of bowl games and a “playoff” has gotten us in the past 20 years? The BCS. It has created one oft-debated matchup and rendered most other games unwatchable.
College officials and conference commissioners finally agree we’re headed for a four-team playoff. But for some reason they appear unwilling to cut the cord with the bowls, which have contributed to the BCS mess and succeeded only in making money for their occasionally corrupt executives (see: Fiesta Bowl). This was reaffirmed Wednesday when ACC commissioner John Swofford, echoing the sentiments of his brethren, said his conference would like bowl games to be used as sites for playoffs and for the BCS structure to be kept for non-playoff teams.
Why … and why?
It makes no sense that the NCAA, which runs a successful basketball tournament, would allow outside contractors to stage potentially its most profitable venture. Imagine the NFL going through the regular season and then telling a start-up company, “OK, you take it from here. See if you can make the Super Bowl work.”
So here’s my plan. It won’t please everybody, but no plan will:
• The top four teams will be picked before the bowls get involved. Semifinals will be played on New Year’s Day. The championship game the following week.
• The semifinals will be held at campus stadiums of the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds. The thought of a game in Baton Rouge, Austin or Ann Arbor blows away the sterile atmosphere of a neutral-site dome. The home team obviously will have an advantage, but higher seeds should have an advantage in playoffs. I’m also not convinced that the fan bases of two college football teams can afford to travel in consecutive weeks in the postseason. This eliminates that problem. And please, no more whines about logistical issues and there not being enough hotel rooms. I’m in the media and even I don’t care about logistical issues. Every college has hosted major games of national interest.
• The championship game should be put up for bid, just like a Super Bowl. If Phoenix wants in, fine. But the host should be Phoenix, not the Fiesta Bowl subcommittee of “Dewey, Cheatem and Howe.” (Copyright: Three Stooges.)
• There will be no automatic qualifiers, not even from the mighty SEC. Sports are cyclical and with realignment Armageddon ongoing, nobody can be certain where the power structure is headed. All four teams will be at-large berths and can come from any of the FBS conferences. We can’t just assume that Middle Tennessee State can’t inexplicably field a great team in 20 years and eke in as a No. 4 seed.
• Playoff teams do not have to be conference champions. No other sport, college or pro, mandates this. This should be about the best four teams, period. That also means no cap on conference participants. That 1985 Final Four with three Big East schools — Georgetown, St. John’s and little ol’ Villanova — seemed to work out OK.
• The four teams will be picked by a panel. If the NCAA can come up with a tournament selection committee for basketball, it certainly can do the same for football. Wire service and computer rankings will not be part of any official criteria, even if it’s assumed everybody on the panel will be peeking at them.
• The bowls have free reign of participants after the four playoff teams are picked. The Rose Bowl can have its Pac 12-Big Ten matchup every year. The Sugar Bowl can take an SEC school. Let bowl officials scramble for teams again. The games are better. Everybody’s happy. The only mandate: All games must be played by New Year’s Day. Only the championship comes after.
College football gets a true champion. The bowls return to function as they should’ve all along. The BCS gets hit by a wrecking ball. What could be better?
By Jeff Schultz
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265 comments Add your comment
Dawg Doo
May 18th, 2012
1:36 pm
Including a Big East Champ like the 8-5 2010 Connecticut team in the national championship playoff just because it won its conference will certainly lend tremendous legitimacy to the way college football crowns its national champion. And by forcing a team to lose no more than 5 of its games, it will greatly magnify the importance of the regular season. And the icing on the cake: viewers across the nation will be on the edge of their seats to watch UConn play for it all. Oh boy, I can’t wait.
gbal
May 18th, 2012
1:37 pm
The big 6 confrence winners fill the first 6 playoff spots IF they have a top 10 ranking per the BCS formula.
If you win the confrence but are not ranked in the top 10, you are out and the next highest ranked team gets in.
2 additional at large teams get a spot in the playoff based on highest rank at end of season.
This gives all 6 confrence champs a shot if they deserve it based on regualar season performance but does not give a weak confrence champ an automatic slot. Then two additional high ranked teams.
To make this playoff the best it can be you have to attempt to put the best 8 teams in the playoff.
Bhorsoft
May 18th, 2012
1:46 pm
I like it all. One addition — the bowls go back to their original names. Go back to the Orange Bowl, not the Tropicana Orange Bowl, or the Arrow Shirt Cotton Bowl (or what ever it is these days). Sponsors get enough for their millions without screwing up bowl names.
Cdpridg
May 18th, 2012
1:47 pm
Clemson…hmmmm…if they give up 70 to WV….what would it be against the best in the nation….this is ACC football at its best ladies and gentlemen…..care to correspond all 2 of u within the bug community??
gbal
May 18th, 2012
2:08 pm
By my 8 team playoff senerio…..
Teams In by winning confrence……
Wisconsin (# 10 at end of regular season)
Oregon (#5)
lsu (#1)
oky st (#3) ………… would all be in as confrence champs.
clemson
w Virgina ….. won confrences, but out of playoff because they ended season ranked out of top 10…#15 & 23 with 10-4 & 10 & 3 records.
Bama and Sanford, would be in as the 5th and 6th team with 11-1 records and highest ranked at end of season. Replacing confrence champs Clemson and WV.
the last two slots would have gone to boise and Arkansas as the highest two remaining ranked teams that did not win a major confrence.
This gives some credence to confrence winners if they play a complete season. Does not fill one of 8 playoff slots with a #15 or 23 ranked weak confrence winner.
This is with out a doubt the best system …. Call it the gbal national championship system!!!!
WDE
May 18th, 2012
2:14 pm
Great idea Jeff….but I’m in favor for anything that increases the college football season…I’d love for it to run the entire length of the NBA season for instance.
5150 UOAD
May 18th, 2012
2:20 pm
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150593305944481&set=a.109983729480.84055.104804139480&type=1&theater
You have to see this It is perfect description of College Football.
gbal
May 18th, 2012
2:25 pm
Ended the season with a playoff consisting of the # 1 – 7 ranked teams plus a #10 wisconsin major confrence winner in the playoff.
Boy would spurrier have thrown his visor ending the season at #8 –
Longhornguy08
May 18th, 2012
2:29 pm
I like most of what you said. I do disagree on 1 point however, the use of a committee to pick the teams. The problem with the BCS and the system for naming a champion before that, was that it relies on “OPINION” Polls. We all know what opinions are like. The NFL doesn’t seed it’s playoffs with an opinion poll, or a committee, why should college football. Everything should be decided on the field. There should be NO human element involved at all, because all humans are biased and easily corrupted. I would prefer an 8 team playoff featuring the 5 major conference champs, with 3 wildcard teams determined by record, strength of schedule, head to head and common opponents. If you have clear and transparent rules for who gets in, then it’s completely fair, not decided by the opinions of a mysterious cartel of voters, and we would finally have a true champion.
gbal
May 18th, 2012
2:40 pm
The reason opinions have to come into play is that there are 120 college teams and not divided into somewhat equal divisions as in the NFL/ NFL can settle it on the field because the league sets the schedules each season and there are clear cut division winners and then wildcard slots. With 120 teams, head to head and common opponents are out the window and strength of schedule is a matter of opinion.
No way to get it 100% right with so many teams and confrences but this system in my opinion ….. I would be 100% confident that the best 4-6 teams made the field …. another 2-3 could be questionable no doubt BUT the best team is in there and can play its way to the national championship.
Have Clemson in last year as a ACC confrence champ with three losses (one to GT)….. just wouldnt belong … and to prove it they got blown out 70-30 by WV in their bowl. That type of performance doesnt deserve a playoff spot.
Delbert D.
May 18th, 2012
2:42 pm
If an 8 and 5 UConn team gets in a playoff as conference champions, it will be an 8-team one; the 4-team scenarios being bandied about would not support that scenario. However, that UConn team must win the quarterfinal game against another conference champion, probably the highest seeded one, to advance. You may want to consider if you dare the Big East, Mountain West, or C-USA team (whoever is seeded lowest of the
as a “tacit bye” for the #1 seed. The problem is if the #1 seed stumbles while looking ahead.
gbal
May 18th, 2012
2:45 pm
committe, bcs system, whatever… the BCS system is part “committee” by the way. Any committee is going to have outside influences. The computers do not! I think its a good mix. Again, whateve best to assure that the top CFB teams are in that playoff field.
Delbert D.
May 18th, 2012
2:45 pm
My final point: What transpire in the cascading series of events last year made the SEC regular season and conference championship meaningless. Had LSU played Oklahoma State and lost that would not have been the case. This BCS nonsense must be stopped.
harold
May 18th, 2012
2:47 pm
SEE HAROLD’S POST AT 1:24.
WE NEED A 16 TEAM PLAYOFF.
5150 UOAD
May 18th, 2012
2:52 pm
To make it better stop having the BIG conferences playing 3 cupcakes. make the OCC games traditional rivals or other Major football teams. I don’t want to pay to see Ga Southern or Jacksonville St get beat to death.
yellowfever
May 18th, 2012
2:52 pm
16 team playoff, you have got to be freaking kidding me.The only ones who want that are the ones whose teams consistently finish in the 10-15 final rankings and look at this as a good opportunity to finally get lucky on any given saturday and luck their way to a NC.
gbal
May 18th, 2012
2:59 pm
Delbert – The SEC regular season was not meaningless at all…. it was a great season… bama, lsu, arky, sc, uga,,,, all had a shot at the SECC game and it played out very exciting. Then bama plyed their way back in.
Thats like saying that the regular season in basketball is meaningless. after all you can play average ball thru the season and get in the field of 64 …. who cares about that regular season…. just get me to March and the tourney. Thats where its all decided.
5150 UOAD
May 18th, 2012
2:59 pm
harold……..17 games is too long of a season for major college football. the risk to NFL careers is too great. There will be very few Seniors plying too. Every GOOD kid will want to play as a freshman and leave as soon as possible. the Graduation Rate will plummet with a 15-17 game season. 12 game season. 13 for championship game or 13 game for teams going to Bowls. Anywhere from 13 to 17 games for the teams in the playoff of 16 teams.
gbal
May 18th, 2012
3:03 pm
Hey … LSU and Bama were arguably the two best teams and they met again in the big one. No go to an 8 team or even 4 …. it reduces the argument as to who the best team is at the end of the season. Yes you can argue who got in and who didnt, but at the end of the playoff ther will be less argument about the eventual champion.
Matt
May 18th, 2012
3:08 pm
Great ideas, but unfortunately none of them will happen.
gbal
May 18th, 2012
3:13 pm
Dont care for the BCS per se but the ranking system does a pretty good job of identifying the top 10…10 to 20 teams. You can loook at bowl results and see this. If this ranking system is going to influence which 8 teams get in a playoff…as a group, I am ok with that.
Determining 1 from 2 or 2 from 3 or 4…. thats always going to be an issue but with a playoff we are not worried about that. Just want to ID a group of top teams.
5150 UOAD
May 18th, 2012
3:19 pm
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7945482/big-12-sec-champions-play-new-year-bowl-game
Looks Like the SEC v Big XII are looking to match their Champs in a Bowl game.
dawgustus
May 18th, 2012
3:20 pm
Jeff, Jeff, Jeff. You’re almost right, but you’ve fallen into the same trap as most of the decision-makers, which is taking into account too much pre-existing BCS-y junk. The biggest problem with the BCS is not the BCS but how it’s rendered the bowl games irrelevant. Try this on for size:
No BCS, bowls choose whomever they wish. AFTER all the bowl games are played, either a committee or whatever rankings (even the BCS formula) chooses the top two teams and they play one more game. A true plus one. The biggest merit being that a team ranked 3 to 5, 6, 7, maybe even 8? might have the chance to play in the championship game and thus that many more bowl games are meaningful. It’s simple, it’s traditional and it’s fair.
5150 UOAD
May 18th, 2012
3:22 pm
OHIO ST self reports 46 violations. HAHAHAHA and the NCAA took TECH’s ACC Championship? The NCAA is a JOKE.
Pitbull
May 18th, 2012
3:23 pm
I say lets go back to when college football was fun before ESPN and the BCS and college football presidents and athletics directors managed to take the fun out of it.
Bowls invite whomever they want regardless of ranking. The team’s players in closed door meetings without the coaches present vote on which of the bowls that invited them that they want to play in.
The team captains tell the coach who calls the bowl official and accepts the invitation.
End of story. Lets go back to letting the AP numb nutts who do the voting award the meaningless trophy to whomever they like and all of the joke organizations like the Womens Temperence Union can also award meaningless championship trophies to their favorite football teams.
Its not the same thing as an NCAA championship because their has never been an NCAA championship for a Division 1 ie BCS program in football and people need to accept it and deal with it and get over it.
gbal
May 18th, 2012
3:34 pm
yo
285exp
May 18th, 2012
3:49 pm
HAROLD,
TELLING PEOPLE TO LOOK AT YOUR OWN POSTS IS LAME.
You can forget about a 16 team playoff, it isn’t going to happen. The only playoff under consideration is 4 teams, the only thing being debated is which 4 and where to play them. I think it’s best to pick the best 4 teams, using whatever system can be reasonably agreed on. Coaches poll shouldn’t be used in the system, too much self interest involved. Last years game, using conference champions only, would have had the 1, 3, 5, and 10 ranked teams in the playoff. Do you really think that those are better matchups than the 1-4 ranked teams? And it would have included Oregon, who LSU had already beaten. If you’re going to complain about Alabama getting a rematch, why let Oregon in? And for those who are pointing to last year’s tv ratings as a reason to have conference champs only, since when should we start choosing the playoff teams on what would give the best tv ratings?
The semi final games should not be home games, should use existing BCS bowl games for that, then the final bid out.
Delbert D.
May 18th, 2012
3:57 pm
gbal – The results rendered it meaningless is what I’m saying. LSU can’t be all puffed up right now from having won the SEC Championship and then losing to an SEC team in a bowl, especially one in their division who they beat in the regular season.
Cdpridg
May 18th, 2012
4:02 pm
5150…..trust me when no one cares about techs defunct championship due to cheating….mean u guys plau in a conference of buffoons…..really not a big deal
Delbert D.
May 18th, 2012
4:02 pm
The SEC and Big 12 have agreed on 5-year contract for their conference champions to meet in a bowl. Unless one is in the final BCS game; then another team will be selected. Since the BCS contract is about to expire, I wonder if they even involved the BCS in the discussion.
5150 UOAD
May 18th, 2012
4:04 pm
Delbert D… I guess the LSU SEC Championship Rings say Owned by BAMA on them.
5150 UOAD
May 18th, 2012
4:05 pm
FU Cdpridg. there was no Cheating you moron ball licker.
uh huh
May 18th, 2012
4:08 pm
Ok so far, but I’m not sure I trust a selection committee. Put semifinals week before New Years and allow 2 weeks to prepare for NC game. With traditional new years day bowls played in between on new years day.
we're moving on up.....
May 18th, 2012
4:11 pm
definitely home field advantage for two top seeds. DEFINITELY in this economy.
5150 UOAD
May 18th, 2012
4:13 pm
Moving Up………….You know the SEC will want to PARTY in New Orleans and give their game to that Toilet of a city.
Delbert D.
May 18th, 2012
4:17 pm
Without any other details on the SEC-Big 12 bowl game, I wonder if it will rotate between Jerry Jones’ stadium and the one in New Orleans.
Delbert D.
May 18th, 2012
4:23 pm
Here’s what ESPN says on the deal: “The location has not been set. The Sugar Bowl (SEC) and Fiesta Bowl (Big 12) already have a dog in this fight, but expect bids to come from Jerry Jones and his deluxe Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as well as a play from Atlanta. “
Breaking News
May 18th, 2012
4:24 pm
Not to be outdone, the ACC just announced that its champion will square off against the MAC champ in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. The game will be broadcast on a tape-delay basis on the Oprah Winfrey Network.
Delbert D.
May 18th, 2012
4:28 pm
The ACC had better move quickly, with the PAC-14 and Big 12 sewing up bowl games for their champions. The Big 12 (10 teams currently, of course) is going to try to gobble up prime teams to fill out their slate.
5150 UOAD
May 18th, 2012
4:30 pm
Delbert D there is nobody to really match the ACC champ with now. The ACC needs to make the Sales Pitch to Notre Dame and Penn ST to Join the ACC.
Delbert D.
May 18th, 2012
4:33 pm
I deduce that the Big 12 slipped the news to FSU last week, hence the sudden interest of FSU switching conferences.
Delbert D.
May 18th, 2012
4:40 pm
Penn State would be a very long shot. Notre Dame’s seeming distaste for the Big Ten may be less so due to the new bowl scenario. I would think that they would want to be included in the Rose Bowl scenario, now that the SEC and Big 12 are going to lock up a major bowl for themselves with a prime opponent. With Slive’s distaste for most of the playoff scenarios, it looks like he’s pushing the plus 2, with the Rose and the SEC-Big 12 bowl winners meeting in the final game.
Dawg Doo
May 18th, 2012
4:48 pm
Slive has been a strong playoff proponent. The announcement of the SEC / Big 12 game indicated that is either conference champ is part of a four team playoff, then the conference will provide a replacement team.
Delbert D.
May 18th, 2012
4:55 pm
Slive has been against the conference champions only scenarios. This preemptive move ensures that the conference champion, or the next best SEC team should one be left out of a playoff, gets one of the 2 premier bowls, the Rose being the other.
Delbert D.
May 18th, 2012
4:57 pm
The other thing the SEC partnership agreement does is pretty much end any discussion that the Big 12 is unstable.
News: SEC, Big 12 team up on bowl – Atlanta Journal Constitution | News Aggregator for you
May 18th, 2012
7:26 pm
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mike shula
May 19th, 2012
1:36 am
Wont matter Delbert troll and uoad troll…cause games will be played in bama!!!lmao
Nauti-dawg
May 19th, 2012
6:13 am
Agree 99%. I’ve said all along that Semis should be ON CAMPUS. You can’t ask fans to travel two weeks in a row. College campus atmosphere better (and I don’t care if Boise State Bronco field only holds 33,500 – it’s their problem). We’re all tired of the power of the big dollar Bowls & BCS – the Gods of greed…this horse doesn’t belong to them.
-1% … another committee to select the top four, well nothing perfect.
Hal
May 19th, 2012
6:57 am
As Katnip used to say “That sounds logical”