Football Bracketology

I never thought I would say that phrase ... "Football Bracketology". Sounds good. A college football national championship - football bracketology - ahhh gives me the warm fuzzies, just like I get when we're looking at the college basketball brackets in March.

A few posts ago, I proposed a structure for a college football national championship. Let's call it "December Delirium" after college basketball's "March Madness". College football, a great thing as it is now, would only improve for the better. Better for the fans, better for the coaches, better for the student-athletes, and better for TV and the sponsors.

So what would December Delirium have looked like for the 2008-2009 season?

Teams would have started play on August 30. Given an 11 week schedule over the course of 12 possible weeks (leaving an option for one open week), they would have been done conference play by November 15, with conference champions being crowned the weekend of November 22. The weekend of November 29 could be taken off for Thanksgiving, which would have the playoffs starting December 6. 

The conference champions would include (with computer rankings) Oklahoma (Big 12; #1), Florida (SEC; #3), Utah (Mountain West; #5), USC (PAC 10; #7), Boise State (WAC; #8), Penn State (Big 10; #9), Cincinnati (Big East; #12), Virginia Tech (ACC; #17), Eastern Carolina (Conference USA; NR), Buffalo (MAC; NR), and Troy (Sun Belt; NR).

"At-large" teams would include the next 5 highest ranked teams: Texas (2), Texas Tech (4), Alabama (6), Texas Christian (10), and Ohio State (11).

Refer to the diagram for the seedings. Each side of the draw has an East region and a West region. This being the case, in the first round, there are four games in the east, and four games in the west.

Now, the fun begins.

First round (December 6):

Oklahoma vs Troy - Sun Bowl in El Paso, TX (West region)

Boise State vs Penn State - Holiday Bowl in San Diego, CA (West region)

Utah vs Cincinnati - Independence Bowl in Shreveport, LA (East region)

Texas Tech vs Virginia Tech - Music City Bowl in Nashville, TN (East region)

Alabama vs Ohio State - Chick Fil-A Bowl in Atlanta, GA (East region)

Florida vs East Carolina - Outback Bowl in Tampa, FL (East region)

USC vs Texas Christian - Insight Bowl in Tempe, AZ (West region)

Texas vs Buffalo - Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, TX (West region)

So here is where we start playing a little fantasy football (at least until the BCS adopts my plan - sometime this side of hell freezing over, I am sure) ...the winners, please ...

Oklahoma, Boise State, Utah, Virginia Tech, Alabama, Florida, USC, and Texas (and I know that I will have upset the Big 10 fans out there, but I just don't think it was that strong this year).

Second round (December 13):

Oklahoma vs Boise State - Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, AZ (West region)

Utah vs Virginia Tech - Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, FL (East region)

Alabama vs Florida - Liberty Bowl in Memphis, TN (East region)

USC vs Texas - Cotton Bowl in Dallas, TX (West region)

Now that is a great list of games. It's funny how that simply takes care of itself when you have a playoff. I would suspect that there aren't any major upsets here ... with Oklahoma, Utah, Florida, and Texas advancing (yes, USC loses).

Semifinal round (January 3)

Oklahoma vs Utah - Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, LA

Florida vs Texas - Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA

This is where we'd really see what these teams are made of ... and I predict the winners would be Utah and Florida (sorry Texas, this just isn't the year and we knew it in Lubbock).

Final (January 10)

Utah vs Florida - Orange Bowl in Miami, FL.

The real game we all wanted to see - the one that the athletes and coaches crave - the one that the fans think is only appropriate. The game that a true playoff would produce.

In the national championship, the University of Utah wins it ... ON THE FIELD.

A novel concept, isn't it?

Maybe I am just asking too much ... President Obama, what do you think?