Big Ten College Football National Playoff Proposal: Why It Does and Doesn't Work

We may be one step closer to a college-football playoff, although there are still several roadblocks in the way of actually getting there. The Big Ten is now pushing for a playoff and has already laid out a proposal.

The conference would like to take the Top 4 teams from the BCS pool and have them participate in playoff games. Home field for the semifinal game will go to the two highest seeds, and the championship site will be picked every year like the Super Bowl. And of course, the winner out of the four teams is declared champion.

The next college-football cycle doesn't take place until 2014, but the conference does expect some type of playoff system to be approved by this year.

This really sounds like a good idea and all, but of course, there is always a negative and positive way of looking at things. It's really not this simple, and there are still tons of things we have to pay attention to before we approve a playoff for college football.

Here is why this system could work or end up backfiring.

Why This Plan Would Work

Anything is better than the BCS format, right? I mean, anytime you actually let the teams decide who ends up participating in the championship, it's much better than letting computers and guys in suits and ties decide.

This plan would work because you're taking the Top 4 teams and letting them battle it out. There is no need for a six-team playoff or even an eight-team playoff. The Top 4 is just right.

It takes the other two teams that may end up making a case for why they should be in the championship game at the end of the year anyway. This would finally provide them with a chance to prove it.

It's also a great thing that the Top 2 seeds would be awarded with a home game. After all, they would have had arguably played the best all season.

Don't put them on a neutral field. They deserve a home game in front of their fans, and this plan would allow that. It would also make the regular season that much more competitive, as every team will be fighting for those No. 1 and No. 2 seeds.

Why This Plan Wouldn't Work

While I do believe this proposal does have a lot of benefits and will make college football even more exciting than it already is, it's not a perfect plan. In fact, no plan will ever be perfect when it comes to college sports. 

There are 120 Division-IA schools; they all play different competition in different conferences. Who's to say that this conference is better, and that team has a more impressive resume?

Sure, you could look at statistics, but isn't an undefeated record the same as an undefeated record? It would be in the NFL or any other sport that has a playoff format.

Also, while I do think four teams is enough to settle these arguments we have every season, what about teams No. 5 and No. 6? You know it's coming.

College basketball had 65 teams in its tournament, and that wasn't enough, so it had to add three more teams. There were even talks of possibly expanding to a ridiculous 128 teams. Where in the world do you draw the line?

And who picks the Top 4 teams? Are we still letting computers and voters decide the polls for these playoff teams?

Won't that just spark up controversy when three of the four teams are from the SEC? Or, will it make everything okay knowing that one team from the Big 12 has a shot to knock off the other three and win the championship?

There is no plan that could possibly be created that will be perfect. You can't satisfy everyone, and there will always be those that aren't happy with the way things are done. That's why this playoff format—or any others that are created—won't work.


Randy Chambers is a B/R featured columnist that covers college football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail].