Seriously? After an entire college football season, this is what we get? A washed up LSU team vs an Ohio State team that just doesn't seem to make the grade? Are these really the two best teams in the nation?
Ohio State, a One-loss team, reached a national championship game by doing nothing more strenuous than turning on the TV. Congratulations. The Buckeyes will go 50 days between their last game and their next. FIFTY DAYS!!!!
The 10-2 Mountaineers were eliminated partly because of an injured thumb.
An 11-2 Oklahoma team beat Missouri for a second time this season -- including Saturday's 21-point win against the No. 1 Tigers on a neutral field -- and got left out of the running (I can't believe I'm actually defending OU, but you have to).
LSU, also 11-2, a team that has had more ups and downs than Lindsey Lohan's career is going to play for the national championship. You think the fact the SEC commissioner Mike Slive, who doubles as the Bowl Championships Series coordinator, has anything to do with them making a championship game appearance?
Poor Mizzou went from No. 1 to a non-BCS bowl (the Cotton) in less than 24 hours. Meanwhile, Kansas, which lost to Missouri late in the season and failed to reach the Big 12 title game, was invited to a BCS bowl, the Orange.
Georgia, which is 10-2, was in the BCS title game discussion despite not winning its division or conference championship. They were ranked ahead of both Ohio State and Tennessee the day before the conference championships on Saturday. Does barely beating TN qualify a top 2 ranking? Meanwhile, GA draws the only undefeated team in a Sugar Bowl game.
USC, playing as well as anyone these days, finished 10-2, also has the same argument.
So let's look at it this way: Here's the season to justify a playoff system. If the Rose Bowl will ever talk, it may happen. Let's look at the line up for the playoff:
FIRST ROUND:
#1 Ohio State vs #8 Kansas
Ohio State would probably win this game. With Kansas choking at the end of the season, and Ohio State being in a slightly tougher conference, OSU comes out ahead.
#2 LSU vs #7 USC
I'm an SEC fan till I die, but LSU would get thumped by USC. USC is playing too good a football right now, and LSU is barely scraping by.
#3 Virginia Tech vs #6 Missouri
Really, who cares? My pick would be Missouri.
#4 Oklahoma vs #5 Georgia
Here's the best game of this round. My hat is tipped to Georgia. They played in a better conference, and they are stoked right now.
Round Two:
Ohio State vs. Georgia
It seems that every time Ohio State plays an SEC team, they end up getting thumped. I feel it wouldn't be any different this go round. Georgia comes out on top of USC.
USC vs. Missouri
I think USC would beat Missouri. USC would come out ahead.
Round Three: REAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:
USC vs. Georgia
In this crazy wacky season, it doesn't matter if you can win your conference or not. Apparently, rankings really don't matter either. This would be a tremendous game. I think SEC speed comes out ahead, and Georgia with their black uniforms come out on top.
What do you guys think?
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5 comments:
I think you could do a playoff if it was limited to the Top 4. 3 rounds is a lot of traveling and it's doubtful that fans could make trips to those exotic locations three weeks in a row (at least that's the argument). With four teams you just have two rounds, which is a little more do-able.
But this argument only works in a season like this one. If you did it in previous years, you'd have undefeated teams playing 1 or 2 loss teams, which doesn't seem fair. As much as I hate to say it (and a year ago, I would've never said this), if you go to a playoff system, you automatically lessen the importance of the college football regular season, which would be awful. One loss now and you're chances of a championship are over (usually). With a playoff system, I'm afraid we'd turn college football into college basketball. Honestly, does anybody even care that college basketball is going on right now? Nobody watches it until March. I'm afraid the same thing would happen if you set up a playoff system in football. Just my opinion.
I'm thinking you're the only one that still reads this...
I agree about the 4 playoff game system. That would probably work a bit better. The only thing I have to say in response to the sanctity of the college football season itself is that every other NCAA sport has a playoff system. I believe it can be tweaked to make it work.
Say there is a great PAC team out there and a great SEC team. They may never have a chance to play each other. A playoff system might help the best teams actually play each other.
I really honestly am not sure there is a fix for the college system. Even though I don't think Hawaii had a tough enough schedule, how can you deny them the fact that they are THE undefeated team this year. Shouldn't they get a chance to prove themselves in a playoff system?
We need college football playoffs!
Many reasons are given by the university presidents why there should not be a playoff season. 1) It would make the season too long. So there solution was to add an additional regular season game so everyone now plays twelve. Unless you play in the conference championship game, then it is 13. Or if you play at Hawaii you can play an additional home game increasing the possible number of games to 14. 2) It would interfere with the academic achievements of the players. If you have ever seen an interview with most of the top college football players it is apparent academics is not one of their priorities. 3) The partnership with the bowls should be maintained. There are 32 bowl games this year and only 1 really matters. A playoff system would not mean the 6-6 and 7-5 teams could not still go and play in the Poulan Weedeater Bowl. The major bowls could even be incorporated into the playoff system. (I would not be in favor of this though.)
There are other reasons given why a playoff system will not work but none of them get to the true reason why a playoff system is not used. The only reason is MONEY. Currently the six BCS conferences control about 85% of all bowl payouts. If a playoff system were established, it would no doubt make more money from TV revenues than the current bowl system. But that money would be controlled by the NCAA and not the conferences and the presidents do not want to lose that control. This is hypocricy at its finest. The presidents say it is all about the "student/athlete" but it is all about the money. I just wish one of them had the guts to tell the truth about it.
So many good comments above, especially about Hawaii -- they are UNDEFEATED, and a 2-loss team is playing for the national championship (and their 2 losses were to unranked teams when they were ranked #1)?
I was able to witness one of the great traditions of college football this past Saturday, the Army-Navy game. For the 108th time, these 2 teams met and played their hearts out for 4 quarters. They weren't playing for the benefit of NFL scouts in the stands -- they weren't playing for a national championship -- they were playing for the pride of their school and their branch of service. In just 6 months, the seniors will graduate and head to training for their service in the military. In about a year, 2 guys who lined up opposite each other for 4 years on the football field may be standing shoulder-to-shoulder on a field of combat somewhere in the world. When you throw Air Force in, you have 3 teams playing for something bigger than any other team. Not for money, not for the hopes of a 1st-round draft pick and lucrative NFL contract, not for a national champioship. They play for the love of the game.
Navy's seniors have one more game, but Army's seniors ended their football careers this past Saturday, and it ended in heartbreak. I was glad that Navy won, but I did feel bad that the score was as lopsided as it was -- Army's 3 points does not reflect the heart and intensity with which they played the game. However, the seniors now move on to much larger responsibilities. May God keep them safe wherever they are deployed and bring all of them home safe.
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