Week Thirteen: The Mess That Is The BCS

Today just re-affirmed in my mind how big a mess the BCS really is these days.

With a few minutes left in the Texas Tech - Oklahoma game, I have to turn my head away because it's painful to watch. I guess no further comments are necessary, other than my comment last week about Bob Stoops going for the jugular. I love it - he's got 65points on the board and has a 4th down inside the Tech 5 yard line and he calls a time-out. Take note, Mack. 

I have to admit though, I do like the smack talk that goes with "what could be in the BCS". Imagine - Alabama loses to Auburn, Alabama beats Florida in the SEC championship, Baylor beats Tech and OU finishes the season tied with Texas. Something like that should have OU and Texas number one and number two after the Big 12 championship - so both would head to Miami for the National Championship game.

I can always dream.

You really have to wonder about the BCS these days. The ACC has it's head in the sand, unable to find it's way - again. The PAC-10 is lame this year (again), and frankly, so is the Big 10. The Big East is already powering up for basketball season. The SEC is over-rated ... again.

But there is hope. And it's name is ... the President-Elect?

We've got a good man on the task. Barack Obama wants a playoff system. The President-Elect seems to speak quite well for the football-loving population on this issue. Polls have shown that 9 of 10 fans want a playoff. If he seals this deal, watch his approval ratings soar! 

BCS chief John Swofford has listed four primary objectives of the BCS:

- preserve the drama of the regular season;

- protecting the bowl system;

- keeping football a one semester sport; and

- doing what's best for the student athlete.

What a load of crap.

There's plenty of drama in college football. And look at what happens when you have a playoff like, ummm, March Madness. I think that's a great example of "drama". College basketball has found a way to establish an entertaining and satisfying National Championship playoff system.

While we're on the topic of basketball, it seems like it is a two semester sport - from October, through the Christmas break, through the spring break, well into March or perhaps even April (if you have some good team defense, an inside threat, and a point guard that can penetrate - but I digress). So are the college presidents worried about this? No. These student athletes play through a good portion of two full semesters! What about "doing what's best for the student athlete"?

The protection of the bowl system amounts to "status quo" and "current finances" - though most of the second-tier bowls aren't making any money anyways. A rotating  playoff system with the existing bowls would serve the same purpose. Just look to the north - Canadian college football has it!! So how many people are going to go see Utah play in a bowl game now? But if they were playing for a national championship ... I suspect the numbers would go up ...

Besides, all the schools play at least 2 or 3 "filler" games each season ... so the regular season could easily be set at 8 or 9 games instead of 11 or 12. Then, we can probably establish an agreement on the top 16 teams (without a doubt), with 8 playoff games, 4 quarterfinal games, 2 semifinal games, and one national championship. A total of 15 games. Simple.