Another year, another exciting college football season.
Sure the BCS National Championship game was over two weeks ago. I just remember the excitement the BCS provided us.
Auburn and Oregon were far and away the two best teams in the nation. They both survived treacherous schedules. Both teams averaged over 40 points a game. Both teams defeated their rivals – only Oregon did it in convincing fashion. Both have unstoppable offenses that thrive on wearing teams down and breaking their spirits in the process.
I know folks are saying “what about TCU?”
Well, …what about TCU? The toughest team the Horned Frogs had to play was a mediocre Oregon State team at Cowboys Stadium. The Frogs also beat down what turned out to be an overrated Utah team on the road.
Yeah TCU had a nice win over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl, but let’s face it – the Badgers did not play their best game. Why Wisconsin chose to throw the ball on the 2-point conversion instead of running it in (what they do best) was baffling to me.
Simply put, Auburn and Oregon were the best teams from 2010, and that’s what the BCS gives us.
With no playoffs in place, every game in college football game MATTERS. A playoff would cheapen the regular season. And even though a playoff system would indeed bring in more money, there will still be some teams who will get left out and bitch about it. It’s not a perfect fix.
Now if I were to change one thing about the BCS, I would add a “Plus 1” in the event of having another unbeaten team after the championship game. That way, all these Cinderella honkers would have their mouths shut when their TCUs get their asses kicked.
By the way, Boise State is NOT a Cinderella. It is a damn good football team who earned their way into the spotlight. As long as Boise still schedules opponents (on the road or otherwise), the Broncos will get the props they deserve.
In the meantime, let’s enjoy major college football for what it is…
Categories: college football, sports story
Well said. Everyone thinks the playoff is such an easy fix. But when you get into the nuts and bolts of it, a playoff has many, many problems.
* Major conferences will insist on automatic bids. In an 8 team playoff, six spots are already gone. That’s when you end up with UConn instead of Boise State.
*If Notre Dame is good (2 losses or less), they will get a spot. (Believe me, ESPN or whoever has the rights will insist on it. They bring the major bucks.That’s seven spots gone out of eight. If the SEC only got one team in, they would have a fit.
*A sixteen team playoff would require two teams to play 4 extra games. That’s an NFL schedule.
*Can’t use the Bowls as quarter and semi final matches. The Bowls are dependent on fans traveling to the game and generating revenue for the host city. If Ohio State is scheduled to play the quarters at Cowboy Stadium, the semis at the Rose Bowl and the Championship at the Orange Bowl, what alumni besides Jack Nicklaus can afford the expense or time off to go to all those games? They will sit on their money until the Championship round.
*You want to use home games instead? That’s no good either. Cold weather sites like Columbus or PIttsburgh would not be good for a festive bowl atmosphere. And, if I’m wrong and Buckeye fans wanted to travel multiple times, how are you going to get 30,000 of them into Tuscaloosa, Alabama? Not enough hotels.
The plus one idea is the way to go. Play the traditional bowl schedule like the old days and then match up #1 and #2 after the bowls are done.
JAG