NCAA FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT: MY PLAN
Sometimes my best ideas come in the middle of the night when I get up to take a leak.
I've been ruminating on the idea of a college football playoff system, a subject which has been bandied about by talking heads and fans for some time. Even President Obama has expressed his interest in having Congress come up with a plan, although the government would probably muck that up, if it had time to deal with such matters. (More on that in the future.)
This morning, while contemplating the Coreolis Effect in my toilet, a workable bowl scenario crystallized and became perfectly clear. Here's how an 8-team playoff system could be constructed:
1. The conference champions from the six major Bowl Championship Conferences would receive automatic berths, as would two at-large teams. This year's lineup would include Alabama (SEC), Texas (Big 12), Ohio State (Big 10), Oregon (Pac 10), Cincinnati (Big East), Georgia Tech (ACC), Tulsa (at-large), and Boise State (at-large). I can already hear Florida fans howling.
2. The pairings would be based on the final BCS rankings. In the first round the highest ranked team, in this case Alabama, would face the 8th ranked team among those eligible. This year that would be Georgia Tech, ranked #9 in the final poll. Texas, at #2, would meet the 7th seed, Ohio State, which finished 8th in the BCS poll. Cincinnati, which finished 3rd, would be matched against #7 Oregon, the 6th seed. TCU's #4 final ranking would pit the Horned Frogs against #6 Boise State, seeded 5th.
3. It takes seven games to play an 8-team tournament. The first four games would be played on or around New Year's Day with the semi-finals played a week later. The championship game would be played the Saturday before the Super Bowl. Now the question would be: where?
4. The Rose, Orange, Sugar and Fiesta Bowls would automatically host the quarterfinal games on the New Year. Because "the granddaddy of them all" will insist on hosting the Pac 10 champion, the Rose Bowl would get Oregon and Cincinnati. Alabama would meet Georgia Tech in the Sugar Bowl. Texas and Ohio State would go to Miami's Orange Bowl; and TCU and Boise State would be in the Fiesta Bowl. (Oh, that's right. They already are.) Florida could go to the Toilet Bowl to play Iowa in a matchup of two teams in the Top 10 left out of the playoffs.
5. That leaves us with a problem. Where should the semi-finals and finals be held? I suggest those sites be determined by bid, just like the NCAA basketball tournament, in which venues are selected on an annual basis. Originally, I felt that two existing bowl sites could be added to the Big Four, based on bids that would be good for six years, with the six "major" bowls hosting quarterfinal and semifinal games on a rotational basis. Unfortunately, that plan would never satisfy the Rose Bowl committee.
The scenario I envision does have some inherent problems:
1. The season would be extended 1-2 extra games, depending on how far a team advances. Solution: Reduce the number of pre-conference games by one to eliminate a patsy from the schedule.
2. Some teams deserving a shot at the tournament would be left out. In this particular scenario, that would be Florida, which held the #1 BCS ranking until the SEC Championship game loss dropped them to #5. There would have to be some provisos for "at-large" teams to qualify. This year Georgia Tech, by virtue of its ACC title, slipped in ahead of Florida. By some standards, Florida could be considered worthy of an at-large bid. (Under the existing BCS formula, Florida, TCU and Boise all qualify.) If Florida were to be invited at large, undefeated Boise State or TCU would be knocked out of the picture. To eliminate the problem, only the top eight teams in the final BCS standings would qualify for the tournament; but I doubt the Super Conferences would go along with that.
3. Some provision for Notre Dame would have to be included in any such plan. As an independent, the Irish have no conference championship for which to contend. Too bad. Let them join the Big 10. Otherwise they can take their NBC-TV dollars and pout in the corner.
4. This proposal would have some negatives for participating schools. It would be costly on the front side for the athletic departments. Championship series revenue would have to be divided to cover those expenses. It would create something of a hardship for fans, with the possibility of traveling to two more games after the traditional bowl season. But would it be that much different than following the basketball teams during March Madness?
5. A formula for dividing the revenue from a BCS football tournament would have to be put in place. University administrators, in protecting their turf, might have trouble coming to a consensus on the issue of money.
And money is what NCAA athletics is really all about. The NCAA Basketball Tournament is one of the most popular sporting events in the universe. It is a cash cow for the NCAA. Why wouldn't a football tournament be the same?
While my plan has a number of sticking points, it could provide a working outline to determine a real college football champion on the field.
If the high mucky-mucks at the NCAA offices can't figure out the details, they can hire me for a reasonable consulting fee.
The Real Don Steele
December 22, 2009
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