Although a playoff system in college football sounds like a good idea, there are changes that need to be made before a playoff system can be adopted.
There are 119 Division 1A schools in college football that have the potential to become bowl eligible before each season. There are 34 bowls, so 68 teams will get invited to a bowl game. This means that more than half of all teams in Division 1A will play a post season game. Of the 68 teams playing a post season game, 10 teams will play in a BCS bowl game.
If a playoff system is implemented, what will this do to the bowl games? Will each playoff game be a separate bowl game? How will this affect money distribution? Will it eliminate controversy? Or will teams that just missed the playoffs still complain about the system?
The goal is to let the best teams in college football decide on the field who is the best.
If Utah is playoff eligible, can you think of a few teams who are better than Utah that will not be in the playoffs? Between the SEC and Big 12, I am sure there are several teams who would be able to make the argument that they are as good or better than Utah.
Will the ACC and Big East have the upper hand over teams that are not in a BCS Conference? You can make the argument that Boise State is better than any team in the Big East.
Before there can be a playoff system, the NCAA has to create another division. In other words, 119 teams need to be cut down to 60 teams and the other teams will split off into another division.
Also, there is going to have to be some type of schedule requirements that will prevent teams from playing so called “rent a win” teams. Strength of schedule will have to be a factor because it is the only argument that can be made as to why a team gets in over another team.
So do you think a playoff system is a cure-all answer? You also have to keep in mind that we are talking about college students and not pros. I think a four-team playoff could work that would be decided by the current BCS system, but anymore than four teams is just not realistic.
One solution could be to take away a regular season game, but then you are taking away profit from schools.
In reality, does anyone really think a playoff system will work? Seriously, think about the big picture. Tell me if you really think a playoff in College Football system would really work. What will need to be done in order to make a playoff system happen?
Now off the topic, Bleacher Report seems to add ads to articles. Since they are profiting from my work, can you at least visit my blog? It would be greatly appreciated.
7 comments Last one added 7 months ago — Leave a Comment
Adam Montero 7 months ago
Rhetorical, but not convincing, you pose the questions but forget to address the reasons why your questions should be considered. A playoff, yes it is needed, yes it does pose its own problems. You can argue all you want that one team is better than the other, but you will never know who will win if they don't play each other. The beauty of football is that it has many factors to consider to win a football game. Yards don't mean anything if they are not converted to points, a good defense against the run game doesn't win a team that only passes. A great match up of defense and offense doesn't usually take special teams into consideration. Injuries happen, penalties happen, and errors happen. The ultimate decider of 2 teams is not speculation but the final score of the game, and I just don't see how the BCS Bowl system accommodates that reality. Bowls are great to have teams play teams that normally get to play in the season, however they don't tell you who is the best team of the season, a playoff does.
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Lou Vozza 7 months ago
Good article.
It's nice to see someone acting like an adult and addressing the consequences of satisfying their childlike demand for a playoff.
You only scratched the surface of the complications.
Check out my blog for a full vetting.
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Joe Bellis 7 months ago
Why do you make something so simple, so complicated? Win your confernce and you make the playoffs! It doesn't matter if the SEC has the best 10 teams; if you don't win your confernce you have no room to complain! I understand there would have to be some kind of "wildcard" system to round out the field and there would be problems there, but I say win your conference or keep your trap shut!
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Christopher Williams 7 months ago
Joe, it has to be complicated. There are so many teams who can say they are better or just as good as teams in the playoffs. The whole purpose people want a playoff is to try to eliminate some controversy right?
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Joe Bellis 7 months ago
Christopher,
So what? they obviously are't better then the team that won their conference. How can there be controversy? if you're not the best team in your conference, how can you possibly make a claim to the national championship?
In my opinion the purpose of a playoff is not to eliminate whining (that will never happen), it is to have a team earn a championship on the field instead of being givin a championship by the media or a computer!
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keith rimer 7 months ago
i agree with joe... In the current system, you have to win your conference in order to even be considered for the title game. Why should that change for a playoff system? I say, you win, you're in. You're telling me the kids in division II and division III can figure out a playoff system, but the big boys in division I CAN'T??? You play one game of the playoffs in each bowl of the BCS bowl games. Each year you rotate which conferences play which in each round, and you rotate which BCS bowl game gets the championship game. every year, a different BCS bowl game gets the extra games, and it will even out between the bowl games. The bowl games are the real concern.... not the kids or their schedules, or the length of the season... the schools that advance would make more money, the bowl games would make more money, the networks would make more money. Everyone wins!!!! Remember, money is the real issue, not the kids. thats why they don't consider every team and every conference. its the marquis, the advertising. the names of the schools. if you include every conference, all the conferences would have a shot... the only concern is the independents... there are 11 division I conferences, and the independents. gotta solve that
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keith rimer 7 months ago
Afterall, the year Ohio State won their last national championship (I believe 2002), they had played a 14 game schedule...2 games shy of an NFL schedule... Don't tell me they can't paly a few more weeks. Remember... MONEY MONEY MONEY!!!!! That's what matters the BCS and the networks!!!!
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