Before I say anything, I just want to say that the Utah Utes are my national college football champions for the 2008 season. Why? Because college football is stuck in an archaic tradition in which the national champion is decided by a poll every year. If AP voters can choose their national champion, why can’t I choose mine?
What we all know, however, is that the college football postseason must have changed a long time ago. Yes, some years, like 2002, the BCS was helpful. But in other years, like 2008, the BCS was a complete disaster. Why? Because it is inherently flawed. The BCS is designed to pair the top two teams from the regular season in a championship game. That’s all very well when in 2002 Ohio State and Miami (FL) were the only undefeated teams.
But what about this year? Utah and Boise State finished the regular season undefeated. Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, USC, Florida, Alabama and Penn State all ended with a loss. How the heck can the BCS claim to “know” which of those teams are the best two? Each of them made a good case for consideration.
So with the idea that a college football playoff is not on the BCS agenda, what can be done to fix this mess? The answer is one format plus one.
Currently, the BCS pairs the top two teams at the end of the regular season. A format plus one takes the bowl season into consideration before deciding who the two best teams in the nation are. Imagine this year if the bowls had been Florida beating Texas, Oklahoma grinding against the state of Ohio, and Utah dismantling Alabama? Wouldn’t the bowl season have been the case for Utah to play Florida in the title game? Imagine a national championship in which both teams did more than win the perceived “best” lectures in college football?
So here’s a college football postseason proposal that can really work. First, add a fifth bowl to the BCS bowls. The Cotton Bowl seems like an obvious choice. Then create a traditional rivalry between the conference champions. The following might work:
Rose Bowl: Pac 10 vs Big 10
Fiesta Bowl: Big 12 vs WAC
Sugar bowl: SEC vs MWC
Orange Bowl: ACC vs Big East
Cotton bowl: C-USA, Sun Belt, MAC
The two highest ranked teams between C-USA, Sun Belt and MAC can play in the Cotton Bowl. Notre Dame enters the Cotton Bowl if they are ranked # 8 or higher and are also higher ranked than at least two of those conference champions.
Now all of these bowls will be played over two days to bring back some of the New Years tradition. Two bowls are played on December 31 and the other three on January 1. Adjust accordingly if one of them falls on Sunday. Turn these BCS bowls into the last bowls played of the season. Once all the pins have been played, including these BCS pins, the teams are re-ranked by the BCS.
The plus one format would require the new number one and number two to meet in the national championship game. It’s perfect No, because there will always be controversy. But does anyone ever tune into a bowling game that their team is not playing? This would bring the importance of the regular college football season to the bowling season. Losing a bowling game would be more than just a disappointment as it is now; It could derail your aspirations for the national championship.
A playoff is the only true way to eliminate controversy in this sport, but we all know the BCS and the powers that be that will not allow that to happen any time soon. That is, of course, unless Obama and the administration step in and put an end to the unfair practices of the BCS. He wouldn’t hold his breath though. Until a playoff becomes a reality, this proposal plus one would be the best we could get.
