Congratulations to the Bowl Championship Series! You didn't get $700 billion, but you did get bailed out in a major way, yet again. This season had the potential to provide three undefeated teams from BCS conferences at the end of the season, creating pure bedlam for the system. Unfortunately, Penn State did not hold up its end of the bargain, falling to Iowa on a last second field goal, 24-23.
We are now in a position for two undefeated teams from BCS conferences to play each other in the national title game. All Alabama and Texas Tech have to do is win out. Then again, Alabama and Texas Tech have to win out. If they don't, the cries for a college football playoff will be deafening.
I'll go ahead and give you the worst possible scenario for the BCS to conceivably have. Trust me, this one is scary.
Starting with the top and working our way down, Alabama has already clinched the SEC West title and will play SEC East champ Florida. Let's say both teams win out and Florida beats Alabama to win the SEC title. Florida is the champ and both teams have one loss.
Moving to the Big 12, let's say undefeated Texas Tech loses to Oklahoma this coming weekend, causing a three-way tie in the Big 12 South between Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Texas. Through the rules of the tiebreaker, Texas would represent the Big 12 South in the championship game, most likely against Missouri. We're talking about a disaster situation here, so let's say Missouri pulls the upset.
In the Pac-10, let's say Oregon State wins out. Since they beat USC head-to-head, they own the tiebreaker and would win the Pac-10 title, while USC would remain a top 10 BCS team if they win out.
In the Big Ten, Penn St. will win it if they don't lose another game, including Michigan State, who they are currently tied with at the top of the conference standings. Penn St. would then represent the Big Ten in the BCS.
Unfortunately, both the ACC and Big East get to have BCS teams this season. The ACC is neck-and-neck, and I mean that in the worst way possible. With only a few weeks left in the season, nearly every team in the conference still has a mathematical shot at going to the title game. Every team in the league has three or more losses and no one looks intimidating. Let's pick the hottest team at the moment and say Miami wins the ACC. The Big East is a little better, but has been a let down with West Virginia, South Florida, Rutgers and UConn all having sub-par seasons. Let's pick the top team right now, Cincinnati, to take it.
In the non-BCS conferences, there's been competition for a spot as well. Utah, Boise State and Ball State are still undefeated. BYU and TCU are also ranked in the top 20. Although Ball St. probably won't pose a threat to claim a BCS spot, Utah and Boise St. are in the top 10. Let's say Utah beats BYU and Boise St. stays unblemished. There are now two non-BCS conference teams in the top 10.
Now for the recap. There are five BCS bowl games, leaving spots for 10 teams. The way this situation has played out means Florida, Missouri, Oregon St., Penn St., Miami and Cincinnati all clinch automatic bids to BCS games. That leaves four spots for Alabama, Texas Tech, Texas, Oklahoma, USC, Utah and Boise St., who all have reasonable arguments for inclusion, to fight and bicker over.
Who do you leave out? Do you exclude Alabama, who has been ranked in the top five since week 5, because they lost a conference championship that teams like Oregon St., Penn St. and Cincinnati didn't even have to play? Do you pass on Texas Tech or Oklahoma, who both would have just won loss, but didn't get to play in their conference championship because of an unlucky three-way tiebreaker? Do you punish Texas for playing in a championship game and losing, giving them a worse record than Texas Tech or Oklahoma, but only because they had to play an extra game? Does USC deserve to be left out because they were upset on an ever-so-dangerous Thursday night away game (with the team they lost to also happening to win the conference)? Do Utah and Boise St. get the short end because of their schedule? They only would have beaten every team they faced.
The argument would be endless. So many fans pulling in so many directions would rip college football limb from limb. Please tell me how a playoff would not be the solution for this!
We all know it's about the money. Commissioners try to act like they would be draining college football players by extending their seasons and keeping them from their school work and other obligations. If you were so concerned about their well-being, why do you make them wait an entire month before the bowl games are played, while every other college student is home on break? You don't seem to have any reservations about making them play on Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year's Day. Don't give me that act, I'm not buying it.
How would you not be getting your money in the playoff system? You'd still have games to nationally showcase. In fact, you could have just as many games as before.
I support a six-team playoff, just like the NFL has set up now. The number one and two seeds have first-round byes, while the three and six seeds play each other and the four and five seeds meet. Assuming there aren't upsets, the four seed then plays the one seed, while the three seed advances to play the two seed. Staying on course, the one and two seeds would then meet for the championship. There you go. You can now use your five BCS bowls as the venues, i.e. the Rose Bowl for the three-six matchup and the Fiesta Bowl for the four-five game, so on and so forth.
If I'm making too much sense, please stop me.
For those who say a playoff would take away from the importance of the regular season, it's not a viable argument. Of course the regular season would matter. There would only be six spots in the postseason out of 119 teams! Teams like Miami, Florida St., Oregon St., Ohio St. and West Virginia wouldn't have a shot with multiple losses. On top of that, the six-team system rewards the top two seeds with a bye, which I think is a crucial element, and is the reason I don't favor an eight-team playoff. Using Texas Tech as an example, it's not a reward to say, "Hey Texas Tech, great season. You went undefeated and played outstanding football. Now as a reward, do you remember that tough Texas team you beat earlier this year? Well you get to play them again, and this time it's on a neutral field. Congratulations!" Giving the top two teams byes would sweeten the deal and would make the regular season more important as teams battle to stay undefeated so they can get that bye.
The system we have now is flawed. While it gives us some great matchups at the end of the year, those games are ultimately meaningless. The only game that matters is the national championship and every year there is some gripe about who made it and who didn't. A playoff would easily fix the problem, keep the same amount of BCS bowl games, using them as playoff venues, and wouldn't extend the season if that month off after the end of the regular season was trimmed down.
Seeing as how we are in a season of change, during an election year of change, this country is also ready for a college football change. Go to the playoff system, the time is now.
