BCS Head Warns Playoff Could Threaten Bowl Games

BCS Coordinator John Swofford told a Congressional subcommittee on Friday that a playoff system would threaten the existence of some bowl games.

He said, in a prepared statement, that "it will be very difficult for any bowl, including the current BCS bowls, which are among the oldest and most established in the game’s history, to survive.”

Really? Such bowls like the St. Petersburg Bowl and the Emerald Bowl would just disappear? That must be the tragedy of the century.

Last year, there were 34 bowls played including the BCS championship. That means 68 teams played a postseason game. That’s more than the NCAA’s basketball tournament, and it seems to go on an equal amount of time.

Swofford has said that a playoff would hurt revenue from eliminated bowl games. Oh, my gosh! You mean I wouldn’t get the $300,000 from playing in the papajohns.com Bowl?

Well, now that I’ve gotten that sarcasm out of my system, here’s a couple of plans to get a playoff and still keep the bowls hanging around:

1. Eliminate some of these dang bowls! Last year’s Motor City Bowl pitted the Central Michigan Chippewas against the Florida Atlantic Owls. Show of hands: who knew of either of these teams before I just now mentioned them?

I mean, I know some of these bowls bring money to the local economy, but come on, some of these bowls are just reaching for participants.

2. Put other teams into those bowls instead of the top teams. If an eight-team playoff takes all of the conference winners, there’s still pretty good teams in second place.

Look at the Big 12 last year–Oklahoma finished second behind Texas, yet they still made it to the national championship. If they made a playoff, why not put Texas on there?

Crazy idea, I know, but it would keep the bowls around and the colleges would still get the money they obviously so desperately need.

So, Coordinator Swofford, instead of being so vehement against the idea of a playoff, maybe you should consider a playoff. 

Your wallets may benefit from it.