Maybe I'm Just Too Smart

I’d like to apologize in advance for being such a cliché, but here is my case, check that my presentation, as to why an eight team playoff would be better for the NCAA than the current BCS format. With a stroke of genius, I have concocted what I believe to be is an original idea (at least I’ve never seen it before) for solving the BCS versus playoff dilemma.

To describe my plan in a word: compromise. I really think this combines a usefulness for the BCS formula, the tradition of the bowl games, and the fairness and the excitement of a playoff system.

Without further adieu, here is an outline as to how my playoff system would break down:

- 8 teams

- 6 BCS conference champions plus two at large selections for the top 2 remaining schools.

- The Notre Dame and small conference exemptions get bumped up from no. 14 in the BCS to no. 8

- New Years Day and either the day before or the day after (depending on the day of the week) will each feature 2 quarterfinals. Each quarterfinal would be the bowl game as currently constituted. Thus, the winner of each current quarterfinal would be the respective bowl’s champion and receive the bowl’s trophy, the stats would go into each respective bowl game’s record books, and each bowl can keep the tradition of playing on or around New Years Day. Each bowl would also be allowed to take a conference champion that it has a historical affiliation with, as long as said champion is a top 4 team and isn’t playing another top 4 team. Thus, the games don’t necessarily have to pair up 1-8, 2-7 etc., but cannot pair two top 4 teams.

- Two semifinals would be played the following week at either the traditional bowl sites, or (to make it more interesting) in other Super Bowl like cities/stadiums.

- The National Championship would be played a week after the semifinals at one of the bowl sites, and would rotate, just as it does now. The only difference here is that it would be played a week later than it is currently.

While not perfect (and nothing ever will be), this system is more fair, strays very little from tradition (I’m looking at you, Rose Bowl), adds two more high caliber college football games to the bowl season schedule (meaning more $$$), and offers a more tested champion. Also, it places a greater emphasis on conference play, and allows for one bad game in early September to be excusable. And finally, and most importantly, we’d never have an Auburn situation again - no undefeated big conference champion would ever miss out on a chance to play for the title again because a bunch of SIDs and computers didn’t allow them to. Aside from one or two (and sometimes zero) at large spots, opinions would be left out, other than for seeding purposes. Its simple - you win your conference - you’re 180 minutes from a national title.

Let’s take a look at how this system would shake out for 2008:

I’m going to predict Florida, Oklahoma, Boston College and USC all win their conferences this weekend, Utah would be ranked in the top 8 making them an automatic berth, and Texas would get selected in front of Alabama for the sole at-large spot. Cincinnati and Penn State have already clinched.

The seedings, using the BCS (so it’s still relevant) with those 8 teams would look like this:
1. Florida
2. Oklahoma
3. Texas
4. USC
5. Penn State
6. Utah
7. Cincinnati
8. Boston College

Then the bowl selections. Remember the bowls have the option to select one team from their historical affiliation, so there is no order with the top 4 picks. The remaining four picks would go in order just like they do currently (this year: Rose - Fiesta - Sugar - Orange):

Sugar Bowl:
Would take top seeded Florida, and then select seventh seeded Cincinnati.

Fiesta Bowl:
Would take second seeded Oklahoma, then would take sixth seeded Utah.

Rose Bowl:
Would take fourth seeded USC, then would take fifth seeded Penn State (and preserve traditional game)

Orange Bowl:
Would take third seeded Texas, then select eighth seeded Boston College.

The quarterfinal winners would be bracketed into a semi-final before the teams are even announced (just like basketball). I’ll randomly select the Sugar to meet the Fiesta and the Rose to meet the Orange. Also, I’d love to see these games be played in other cities that feature either warm weather or a dome, unless that is also just too big of a hang-up for the bowl committees. I’ll say Tampa and Detroit get the semi-finals.

Tampa semifinal:
Florida over Oklahoma

Detroit semifinal:
Texas over USC

Wow. Who wouldn’t want to see two more games like that?!

Then the championship game would be played in Dolphin Stadium in Miami, just like it is set up currently.

National Championship (Miami, Florida)
Texas vs. Florida

Granted, I picked the favored team every time - which makes this look a little less exciting that it actually probably would be. An upset would really throw a monkey wrench into things. What if Cincinnati won it all? Or Utah? Sure some people would probably bitch and moan about how a team like Cincy or BC would make the regular season look unimportant, but these were probably the same people that were out buying George Mason hats a few years back when that team had its magical run to the Final Four. The regular season would still mean a ton, yet one loss because of an injury or bad weather or what not would not necessarily preclude a team from winning it all.

Again, maybe someone has laid this out before and I just never saw it. I didn’t steal it. But if you want to, steal the idea from me. Especially if you’re an athletic director at a major university. I’m a college football fan, I want more games, I want more big match-ups, most of all I want more than one bowl game to actually mean something. I want the upsets, I want to see the dominant teams to prove themselves. I don’t want to see Ohio State coast through the Big Ten and then get tested for the first time in the National Championship Game. I don’t want to see a proven Auburn team not have a chance. I want a playoff. I want this playoff. How about you?