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Crackajg
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Finally a college football Final Four?

by Crackajg
created January 07, 2008, last edited June 18, 2008
14
Vote


Well here we are again, another national title game, another cornucopia of arguments on why the BCS sucks so much. Everywhere I look, and on every channel I turn it’s all I hear.

“We need a four team playoff!”

“We need to have a championship game plus one!”

Those were paraphrased, of course. But you know what I haven’t heard, at all? Not anywhere?

“The BCS system is fantastic. The two best teams in the country are definitely playing tonight, no doubt!”

Nope, didn’t hear that. In fact, just reading that out loud sounds absolutely ludicrous. The BCS has become a joke, unfortunately and it astonishes me to no end that they haven’t changed it yet.

On a positive note I did read earlier on ESPN.com that they have began to talk about a Final Four, or at least a championship game plus one. (A la, if LSU wins tonight they would pick either USC or Georgia to play them in the real championship game… which I think is retarded compared to a Final Four).

John Swofford, the incoming BCS chairman said the following:

“A lot of people look at it and say ... maybe it would be better if more than two teams had the opportunity to play for the national championship.”

You think? Finally, someone who understands what the fans want. But seriously, how did it take this long? How awesome would a college football championship Final Four be? Think of how much more exciting the college season would be! As it is now, if a team loses in the regular season, most fans are left thinking, “Off to the Meineke Car Care Bowl we go!”

At least with the playoff system, four teams would have a chance at the title and this would most definitely cut down on the teams whining about not being included, if only because some of them will now be included.

So let’s all hope that this thing is put through. As it stands, only the Big Ten and Pac-10 are opposed to this whole thing, although I don’t know why. But let’s all hope that common sense prevails for once and they give the fans something that should have been put in place years ago.

Original post at: http://sportcrack.net


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The PipDiv-I Stud
718 days ago
Score 5+-
No, no, the plus one would not be a bracket style 4 team tournament at all. Stop dreaming. They would go back to the traditional Bowl match-ups, and then after the big bowl games take the top 2 teams and play a national title game. So this year it would be LSU vs WVU. (won their conference, played toughest opponent in their bowl game and looked most impressive in their bowl win) But really let's look at it right.

W/O the current National Championship game we'll go back to 8 teams to make things easier. So the Bowl games would be:

Rose: USC v OSU Sugar: LSU v Hawaii Orange: VaTech v WVU Fiesta: Oklahoma v Georgia

Then the best two teams from this would play a week later for the national title. So it would be Hawaii if they won v the Rose Bowl winner, or the Rose Bowl winner v take your pick.

The system would not be fundamentally different other than there would not be 2 months of crying from BCS haters and there would be a high level of competition for all the schools that would normally "feel left out". Hawaii and Kansas both tested, one passed, one failed. Last year Boise St would have earned their shot at Florida with little complaints elsewhere. It would not be perfect but it would be nearly untouchable. Only several years within a decade of ending the bowl games with 3+ undefeateds could bring an end to it.

I like this format best because it is truly flexible to nearly all the scenarios, it settles things on the field, does not make any regular season games meaningless, and no can cry foul on being left out. Lets look at the USC/Georgia/Kansas/WVU debate:

Kansas: only 1 loss, beat up on a conference champ, but weak sched

USC: 2 losses, only beat Illinois in Rose

Georgia: 2 losses did not even qualify for own conf title game, beat Hawaii in Sugar

WVU: 2 losses, beat the toughest team of the 4 (oklahoma) in Fiesta, won their conference

None of the four can really claim they deserve a shot over the rest, because only 2 had a real opponent in their bowl game and only 2 won their conference.

Brackets won't happen and should not ever happen.
Permalink | Reply
DNLLegend
717 days ago
Score 0+-
I'm a big fan of a +1 system, but I don't know if 2006-07 would have worked:
  • Rose would have been USC over OSU
  • Fiesta would have been Florida over Michigan

The other three results actually happened --

  • Sugar: Boise St. over Oklahoma
  • Orange: Louisville over Wake Forest
  • Cotton (well, it was actually the Sugar, right?): LSU over ND

It's easy to get rid of LSU from the plus-one mix, and I think Florida gets in easily -- they were #2 going in and they just beat #3 Michigan. But each of the other three teams have an argument:

  • USC beat previously undefeated OSU and won the Pac-10.
  • Louisville won their bowl and the Big East, and had one loss to a good Rutgers team
  • Boise State speaks for itself, but won a squeaker in OT
Permalink
CrackajgDraft Pick
717 days ago
Score 0+-
Makes sense. I would definitely be for this as well. Maybe they could do a national vote for the fans and take that into account. Good points, though. I'm down for anything as long as it's different from the current system.
Permalink | Reply
JuTMSY4Legend
717 days ago
Score 1+-
64 team playoff is the only answer...
Permalink | Reply
DNLLegend
717 days ago
Score 2+-
I really want to see that Northwestern/Duke matchup.
Permalink
JuTMSY4Legend
717 days ago
Score 1+-
i said 64...not 128 ; - )
Permalink
JuTMSY4Legend
717 days ago
Score 1+-
thenn Notre dame could be in too
Permalink
JuTMSY4Legend
717 days ago
Score 2+-
Any significant playoff (8 teams or more) would instantly make the undefeated champion disappear...to run the table in what would probably be a 14 game season would be very hard this side of 3 or 4 cupcake (App state...heh) games...
Permalink | Reply
ASwaffAll-American
717 days ago
Score 0+-
I'm confused by the people who think that USC should have been playing in the national championship. Are we really supposed to believe that they earned it when they lost to Stanford and UCLA? Are we really supposed to believe that USC is better just because they beat Illinois's brains in? That was not a good team that they crushed, and they shouldn't have been in a BCS game. A playoff system would be cool, but I believe we got the two best teams, or at the very least, the two most deserving teams. I don't believe people should keep looking to tweak the system to accommodate teams that didn't earn it. We play the regular season for reason.
Permalink | Reply
CrackajgDraft Pick
717 days ago
Score 0+-
University of Georgia president just suggested an 8 team playoff. http://sport...y?id=3186232
Permalink | Reply
CheezerAll-Star
717 days ago
Score 0+-
Why do we have to have an undisputed national champion anyway? It's college. In theory, these "student-athletes" should be worried about exams this time of year.
Permalink | Reply
JuTMSY4Legend
717 days ago
Score 1+-
exams are over...
Permalink
CheezerAll-Star
717 days ago
Score 1+-
If your going to have a playoff, it will take several weeks. That's a lot of time for the "students" to be traveling. I don't know the exam schedule of a normal university (I assume Christmas) as my school had 10 week semesters, not the more common 15 weeks.
Permalink
CheezerAll-Star
717 days ago
Score 1+-
your->you're dammit!
Permalink
JuTMSY4Legend
717 days ago
Score 0+-
14 weeks for me (technically less if you think about thanksgiving break)...

Honestly, I hold down a 20-30 hour a week job (to pay rent/expenses), plus I've been doing research and dicking around on a certain sports website...plus I work more during finals week (its christmas afterall!)

asking those guys to keep a normal sports schedule (a few hours a day plus working out) plus study (instead of class) doesn't seem odd to me...

I mean realisitically, during finals week you have no class (heh!), but you're supposed to be studying...and since they're already used to practicing during the week, what's the difference?

in essence (to me) its no different than working a job (you even get paid)...

and as far as the traveling...if you don't think they schedule classes differently in the fall as well as finals (and some leniency from professors) you're kidding yourself...
Permalink
JuTMSY4Legend
717 days ago
Score 0+-
plus my friends usually finished exams at Penn State (A normal state school) in the 3rd week of december...and then didn't return until jan 14...
Permalink
The PipDiv-I Stud
717 days ago
Score 0+-
How is a final four better? Who gets in?

OSU Oklahoma WVU VaTech USC Hawaii all won conferences. Do Kansas, or Georgia get in despite not even winning a division?

How is 8 better? Again who gets in? And who gets a shot they do not deserve? Do we want a 3 loss Illinois playing for the title? NO!
Permalink | Reply
BigPPupMajor Leaguer
717 days ago
Score 0+-
This is the problem with opening up a playoff pool, where do you make the cut off. Every year you head teams bitching because they didnt make the pool of 65 in bball and people want to expand that.
Permalink
The Ironman Jeff GarciaJV Squad
717 days ago
Score 2+-
So, how much money did you lose in that Illinois/Ohio State game? :)
Permalink
BigPPupMajor Leaguer
717 days ago
Score 1+-
I didnt lose a penny, I always bet against OState
Permalink
DRE-LOAAA-er
717 days ago
Score 2+-
A 4 team bracket style tourney would be a step up from this cesspool of a system. But there still needs to be a full-fledged playoff tourney. It's the best way to go.
Permalink | Reply
CrackajgDraft Pick
717 days ago
Score 0+-
Well put and agreed.
Permalink
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Categories: Opinions | Opinions by User Crackajg | January 7, 2008 | January 2008 | College Football Opinions Opinions | Opinions by Crackajg Opinions | BCS Opinions Opinions

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