Alabama vs. LSU: Defensive Battle Should Lead to Louder Cries for Playoff System

In the two most anticipated college football games of the season there were a total of 10 field goals and one touchdown. While that certainly further proves the cliché about defense winning championships, it's not good for the sport as a whole.

Fans love watching two high-powered offenses matching touchdowns. That's why the Rose Bowl and Fiesta Bowl were instant classics. A playoff system would go a long way in ensuring more matchups like that and less field goal fests like the BCS National Championship game.

The only people who walk away from a game like last night's craving more are those who support the winning team. Otherwise there was really nothing to get excited about throughout the game, especially since it was a one-sided game.

Both teams have elite defenses, everybody can agree about that. After watching the rematch, however, the subpar offenses had just as much to do with the boredom than anything else.

It's hard to gauge exactly how powerful the defenses are since they didn't have to play the likes of Oklahoma State or Stanford. When the Tigers did play Oregon, they were forced to win 40-27, which sounds a heck of a lot more fun than the Jeremy Shelley show.

There have been a lot of different ideas put forth for a playoff, but the best way to do it would be keep it simple. Take the top eight teams in the final BCS standings, regardless of conference, and put them into a bracket-style tournament.

It's not a perfect plan because certain teams will still feel like they got a raw deal. That said, there's no way to make everybody happy so it all comes down to doing what's best for college football.

Forcing the national champion to prove they deserve that title by surviving three games against top-notch opponents does exactly that. During that three-game run, they'll likely encounter an offensive powerhouse and a defensive stalwart, which will show if they can beat every type of team.

Would Alabama and LSU still have met in the national title game? Probably, but at least the first two playoff games could have provided a little bit more excitement leading up to the final clash.

The playoff would also help eliminate the lull between important games. With all due respect to the Idaho Potato and Belk Bowls, those games don't exactly get fans riled up to watch a college football game.

Even though those second-tier bowls could still go on, the weekend will be highlighted by the playoffs. The results may very well turn out to be the same but at least there wouldn't be a shadow of a doubt as to which team is actually deserving of the trophy.

Every fan should be in favor of a definitive result and a playoff system is the only way to accomplish it.