Alabama vs LSU: Ratings Dip Further Proves Playoff Is Needed

The National Championship between the Alabama Crimson Tide and LSU Tigers was everything everyone thought it would be.

Plus a touchdown.

The defenses dominated the game, but Alabama prevailed due to a bunch of field goals. It was a good, solid football game with a lot of talented players, but it was something we all saw two months earlier.

And it was something that the majority of the population didn't want to watch again, even though it was the National Championship. 

And the ratings further proved that point.

Monday night's game drew a 13.8 overnight rating, which is lowest in the BCS' 14-year history. It was down 14 percent from last year's game and down 24 percent from 2010's championship between Alabama and Texas.

You have to remember, though, that these circumstances were pretty much about as bad as can be.

Like I mentioned, Alabama and LSU had already played each other. The first game was anything but exciting. Many people were boycotting the game. Both schools are from average-sized states. The reasons to not watch this game seemingly went on and on.

And it showed. 

Regardless of the unlucky circumstances, these historically low ratings just further highlight that some type of playoff system is needed. In fact, if there was a playoff system, there would be no chance to run into these types of unlucky circumstances.

Alabama and LSU is a matchup you don't necessarily want, but make it a semifinal and no one will care as much. 

This was the first time it has happened, but college football can't afford to let rematches occur in the National Championship, and there's way to control that if we continue to abide by the BCS rules. 

If there was, say, a four-team playoff, then we could have worked around this.

LSU-Alabama would, like I said, have been a semifinal, and while that would have received very low ratings, a National Championship of Alabama and Oklahoma State would have completely made up for that. 

Forget about who deserves a shot at the title and who doesn't. Forget about teams who are overrated and underrated by those silly computers. Forget the thousands of reasons why the BCS is hated.

In the end, ratings would see a huge spike if a playoff system is put in place. Go ahead and add yet another reason to the "Pro-Playoff" list.