Here NCAA, I've given you the solution for a playoff system (for free) - koolj23's Blog

koolj23's Blog

Here NCAA, I've given you the solution for a playoff system (for free)

Posted on January 6, 2009 at 10:47 PM.

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First of all, I would like to begin by saying that I have been a staunch opponent of a college football playoff system...until this year. I have been one who praises the nostalgia and tradition of college football seasons past, and I have at least been able to talk myself into every national championship game since the BCS inception in 1998. Everyone wants a clear cut winner, and I have no beef with any declared national championship team of the past ten years. If I can live with it, everyone else should as well.

However, until Barak Obama mentioned something about a college football playoff on national TV, I never thought that much about it. Now, I don�t want to get off on a political tangent (I voted for McCain), but Obama got me thinking...if the president of the United States feels this way, maybe I should at least consider it.

I watched Texas and Oklahoma closely this season, and they are both magnificent teams, and it is a shame that Texas will not have a shot at the championship this year, but what about USC? They were incredible; in my opinion they have the best shot to beat Florida. This particular season, there were four legitimate threats for a national championship, I cannot remember a season in which a playoff made so much sense.

A few weeks ago while I was driving home in the rain, traffic was bad and nothing was playing on the radio, so I started thinking about how the NCAA could create a playoff system that could actually work and not piss everyone off. I know the complaints:

�With more games to play, there are more chances for players to get injured.�
- Oklahoma will be playing in its 14th game during the national championship, so this is not an excuse. If Oklahoma was worried about injuries, then they would play less regular season games, which they are perfectly able to do.

�Fans would have to travel all over the country to see their school during a playoff.�
- So you�re telling me that if Ohio State plays two or three road games in a row during the regular season, their fans just don�t show up?

Without further ado, this is what I came up with in my truck in less than an hour. NCAA officials please take notice.

1. Only eleven game regular seasons. No exceptions.
Also, no one can play FCS teams. I think it is terrible that SEC teams beat up on crappy FCS teams every year.
2. Western Kentucky goes to the Sun Belt. Don�t think there are any arguments here.
3. Army and Navy go to Conference USA or MAC. Notre Dame goes to Big Ten or Big East. I think this could be a huge problem because of traditionalists and Notre Dame�s big private contract with NBC. If there is no way around it, then let them keep their independent status and I�ll continue with that later.
4. Every conference has two divisions and a conference championship.
5. Every team in a conference must play eight conference games, and the conference championship matchup is played by the winner of each respected division UNLESS two teams in the same conference have a better record than the other division winner. For example, Texas and Oklahoma would have played in the Big 12 championship game rather than Oklahoma and Mizzou. If there is a controversy such as Texas Tech who also had the same record as Texas and Oklahoma then the BCS poll figures it out. Sorry Texas Tech, there is nothing I can do here. FURTHERMORE, if Notre Dame, Army, and Navy are allowed to keep independent status then they may play in a particular conference�s championship game. For example, if Notre Dame went 12-0, then they may play in the Big Ten or Big East championship game.
6. Pre-season polls count for nothing.
7. Coaches� poll must be abolished.
8. AP Poll is released week five, and the BCS is released week eight. If we are all too anxious to hear about our team�s rank, then we can turn into Gameday every Saturday morning and listen to their projections.
9. The playoff format begins with eight teams.
10. Two loss teams are automatically eliminated. UNLESS there are seven or fewer teams with one loss or less. Sorry LSU.
11. BCS conference winners get an automatic bid to the playoff unless they have two or more losses.
12. Non-BCS conference winners vie for remaining three slots, but they have to compete with other BCS conference non-champions. For example, this year, Alabama and Texas Tech would compete with Boise and Utah for the remaining three slots.
13. Remaining three slots determined by BCS poll rank.
14. Playoff seeding is determined by BCS poll rank.
15. First round of playoffs take place around Christmas Day.
16. All bowl games still take place and host all of the other teams as usual.
17. Top four seeds in playoffs get home field advantage for first round.
18. Second round rotates between BCS bowls such as Rose, Sugar this year. Fiesta and Orange next year. Also, these games take place around New Year�s Day.
19. National Championship once again rotates between the BCS bowls and takes place a week after New Year�s Day.
20. Presto! An undisputed national champion is named.