Hey guys, its Mike. I'm up late and decided to fix a problem that I've been having with college football. There’s debates going about if BCS is good or bad and if there is a better system out there. Some people want a playoff and others want bowl games. I think we can reach an agreement in the middle that will benefit both sides of the argument.
What if you keep the BCS ranking system all year as usual but change the postseason format? After conference championship week, take a look at the BCS standings. Select the top 8 teams in the standings and make a playoff: 1v8, 2v7, 3v6, 4v5. They play in a three week playoff in the middle of December. The winner is crowned National Champs.
Here's what it would have looked like if my system was implemented last season:
The 7 games can be played in various neutral sites similar to (or exactly like) the BCS bowl games. Fiesta, Rose, Orange, and Sugar bowls can have one of these playoff games each and 3 more exclusive bowls can also be entered to have a playoff game (ex: Cotton, Chick-Fil-A, Music City). Each year the championship game can rotate just as it does now ensuring fairness among the elite bowls.
There could be controversy over the 7, 8, 9, 10 seeded teams because obviously somebody will be left out. However it will be unlikely that an 8 seeded team will make it through the gauntlet of teams on its way to the championship. If for some reason this happens to be the case for several years, we can go back to the drawing board again. But who wouldn't want to see all these great games? For three weeks in a row everyone is guaranteed awesome playoff games with the best teams in the country. At the end, a true winner is crowned and all the complainers generally shut up.
While the playoff teams are fighting over the weekends, other teams that are bowl eligible play in regular bowl games. They will have a similar system to the bowl games we see now. Throughout December, and maybe the beginning of January, teams that are bowl eligible can have an end of season game as a reward for their hard work. These games would be played around the country at the different bowl sites during the week, leaving the big games for the weekend.
By doing this the schools are happy because they are guaranteed money for themselves through the bowl games. The fans (and teams) are happy because there is a playoff. Also, by having the lesser bowls be played during the week it gives viewers something to watch while waiting for the playoffs. As the month wears on, better bowls will be sprinkled in during the week and the playoff games will get more and more intense. It can be argued that a season with playoffs means two teams will play up to 16 games (with a conference championship game) and that is way too much. However, the entire playoff system will take place while the students are on winter break, won't interfere with school and I think 18-23 year olds would be just fine playing a few extra games.
No system is perfect but I think the BCS does a good job at figuring who the best teams are while a playoff ensures a fair shot for each of the elite teams. I think it could work very well but who am I but a simple college student. There are millionaires and school presidents who have the job of figuring out what to do but they have to change it somehow. I'm sure there are a few kinks to work out with this system but I also think its the best one thrown out there.
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