BCS Championship Game: Mike Slive Expects Discussion on Plus-1 Format

With both the LSU Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide having the SEC dominating the BCS title game, the desire to implement a playoff system has seen increased opinions on the matter. According to ESPN, SEC commissioner Mike Slive has began to voice his opinion on the matter, saying that college football should adapt the Plus-1 Format.

The idea behind this playoff structure would create a four-team playoff, adding an additional post-season after the usual bowl games. The only thing that would be different is the idea of a BCS title game.

While many fans would rejoice from the idea of a potential playoff structure, it still seems extremely unlikely that bowl games would be eliminated all together. The whole bowl season is a money making machine, and if they were to depart from those sponsors, schools and stadiums would be losing out on a whole lot of money.

According to Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated, this what would be the best playoff format:

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"If conference leaders are smart, they'll design a plan that allows for the two semifinal games to be played on the home fields of the No. 1- and No. 2-seeded teams. If they wanted to appease the must-win-your-league crowd, they could require that a team must win its conference to host a semifinal. Home-site semifinals would eliminate concerns about fan bases traveling twice -- a non-starter -- and would help reinforce the importance of the regular season. Teams would go into the final week fighting for a home game in a sport where home-field advantage means a lot."

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With Slive voicing his opinion on the matter, many would seem dumbfounded as he represents a conference that has two teams in the biggest game of them all. It just represents what many want. An actual fight to be the best.

Many would likely agree with this after last night's Orange Bowl game, where the West Virginia Mountaineers annihilated the Clemson Tigers, 70-33. The game was a complete embarrassment for the ACC, and many will argue that the system just isn't right for what the fans deserve.

Outcomes like that just can't continue to be acceptable. The BCS is clearly flawed, and the it appears to be time to make a major overhaul in the format. It isn't clear how the Plus-1 format would deal with at-large bowl bids, but at least it seems to be a departure from the BCS system.

A postseason playoff will give the fans a more exciting way to claim who should be the best team in the country. While both Alabama and LSU do deserve to be in this game, many will argue that it is just unfair to choose who has the chance to win the title.

The playoff format will allow teams to prove that they are the best. Isn't that how we do it in every other sport anyways? It is only FBS division of college football that goes by this format. The NBA, MLB, NHL, NFL, NCAAB and many more go by a playoff bracket. Even the FCS division does a playoff for their post season.

It remains to be seen how the rest of the commissioners and those who have the power to make a change will feel, but with Slive coming forward, the chance for a playoff is become much more likely.