College Football Fact or Fiction: Playoff System Merits and Five Other Topics

The college football world finishes almost every season with a controversial call on who should be the national champion.

This year, is no different. Before the opening whistle even blows on the national championship game Thursday night, the debate has begun.

Utah finished the season 13-0 with a win in the Sugar Bowl over SEC powerhouse, Alabama.

USC, on the other end of the country, completely dominated what was supposed to be a tough contest in Penn State.

And last night, the Texas Longhorns took down Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.

Just say Oklahoma does go on to win the game Thursday.

Then you will have at least three other teams: Texas (who beat Oklahoma), Utah (with an undefeated season and big victory over the SEC) and USC (who dominated everyone they played, except Oregon State).

So I decided to write a column about some issues in college football and determine if they are indeed: Fact or Fiction.

1. A plus-one option is the best idea for college football: Since the creation of the BCS system, it has long been debated that a plus-one formula should be used to crown a national champion. The way most people argued it should happen is that after the four BCS games were finished, an extra game should be added to determine a national champion.

Decision: Fiction. A plus-one option is not the answer to college football’s problem. Take this year for example, who in the world would you put in that plus-one game? You have four games, four winners and only one extra game? There is no way this system would work to determine a national champion, you would still have a debate over which of the teams deserved to be there.

2. A playoff system is the best idea for college football: Those that aren’t in favor of the plus-one option have long debated for a playoff consisting of at least eight teams. Most say it could be set up similar to the BCS games, with the six conference champions getting automatic bids and two at-large bids being left open.

Decision: Fact. Those against the playoff system argue it will "take away from the regular season." While I agree college football has one of the most exciting seasons, I don’t see how having a playoff diminishes the excitement. The teams would still have to fight hard to win their conference to get into the playoffs.

3. Bowl games are about the team match-ups, not the money: This season especially, it became a hot-topic to say the bowl games were only about money. Many people cited bowls such as the Gator, as a prime example. The bowl committee chose a sub-par Clemson (7-5) over Florida State (8-4).

Decision: Fact. Bowls did what they had to this year to put fans in the stadiums. It may have come as a surprise—or disappointment—to many teams that went to what they considered "sub-par" bowl games, but the bottom line is with the economy in the shape it’s in, they had no choice but to select close teams that would bring fans.

4. There are too many bowls: The NCAA had 119 FBS teams competing in 2008. The bowl season featured 34 bowls, putting 68 (or more than half) of those teams into a bowl game. Several people got aggravated and complained about the number of bowls, saying it was "too easy" to get to a bowl game and streaks of consecutive bowl games meant nothing when more than half went every year.

Decision: Fiction. OK, so you know who wasn’t complaining about too many bowl games? Those teams that were playing in their first bowl in 26-years had no complaints. Also, while some of the larger BCS schools were whining about their "sub-par" bowl game, smaller conferences like the MWC, MAC, and WAC showed up at their games proud of their teams and ready to cheer them on.

5. Joe Paterno should retire: The 82-year-old has been roaming the sidelines—and most recently the press boxes—of Penn State for more than 40 seasons. Many people were in shock when the school recently announced a three-year extension on JoePa’s contract. Those same people said he was "too old" or he "didn’t belong on the sidelines." Well they got their wish…he’s in the press box now!

Decision: Fiction. No reason to get rid of JoePa until he stops producing quality recruiting classes and winning seasons. Sure, he had a few years where he struggled, but who wouldn’t in 40-plus seasons. Paterno has given his life to the school and Penn State appears in no hurry to kick his cane out from under him anytime soon.

Extra Point: A non-BCS team will win the national championship one day: With the likes of Utah and Boise State in the mix, it has been said a non-BCS team could possibly take home the national championship one day. Utah finished the 2008 season 13-0, with a huge win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, but will it ever be enough?

Decision: Fiction. This was an easy one, and anyone who disagrees with me is crazy. In the current system, a non-BCS team will NEVER will the national championship. This year is the prime example of a team that did everything—and I mean everything—they could do to try and reach the national championship game. Utah was the only team in the league undefeated, but still got no love from the voters or the computers in the final BCS standings.

Could Utah have beaten Florida or Oklahoma? Nobody will ever know, but they did take down 'BAMA.

B-Blog

This article also appears on my sports blog: Sports101.