25 Reasons NFL Playoffs Are Better Than College Bowl Season

The BCS bowl season is upon us and the NFL playoffs are barely a month away. This is the best time of year for football fans, so naturally we'll start a debate.

To summon the avatar of Quentin Tarantino, like the old days of rock n' roll, you were either a Beatles fan or an Elvis fan. You could like both, but at some point you had to make a decision. That's the way it is with football fans as well.

You can like both the college game and the pro game, but there comes a point at which you have to decide if you're going to watch the Saints take on the Rams, or if you're going to watch the Ajax Day-Glow Bowl featuring Eastern Nebraska Tech versus The Fighting Frogs Of Southern Idaho Junior College.

I favor the NFL playoffs and here are 25 reasons why the NFL playoffs are better than bowl season.

25. Meineke Car Care Bowl

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AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 18: The Auburn Tigers enter the field to face the Clemson Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Is there any college football game played in December that doesn't get a sponsor attached to it with the word "bowl" at the end of the title?

Every game between Dec. 15 and Jan. 10 gets the word "bowl" put on it even if it's two regional teams trying to drum up some extra money for their programs.

These games are meaningless and I challenge anyone who isn't a fan of the winning team to tell me who won this game three years ago.

24. One Loss Doesn't Kill Championship Chances

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COLUMBUS, OH - NOVEMBER 27: Jordan Hall #7 of the Ohio State Buckeyes returns a kickoff against the Michigan Wolverines at Ohio Stadium on November 27, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

While the college bowl system can make the week-to-week games more exciting than otherwise, once most teams lose one game, that's it for a championship bid.

If a team loses that one game late in the season, it hurts even more than if they lose the first game of the season.

It's too subjective and that's why it's inferior.

23. You Can Have Great Rematches

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - DECEMBER 12: Maurice Jones-Drew #32 of the Jacksonville Jaguars breaks the tackle of Travis Goethel #50 of the Oakland Raiders during the game at EverBank Field on December 12, 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Ge

Very rarely would a scenario allow two college teams to rematch in an actual BCS bowl game. In the NFL, it's not uncommon for two teams from the same division to meet up in the playoffs again, allowing for a third matchup.

Rematches have all kinds of added drama, and the Bowl system does its best to not have rematches.

22. No One Remembers Minor Bowl Winners

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SAN DIEGO, CA - DECEMBER 23: Players celebrate Safety Stephen Hodges interception to seal the TCU Horned Frogs' 17-16 win over Boise State Broncos during the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium on December 23, 2008 in San Di

Do you know who won the Poinsettia Bowl? Do you care?

Even NFL Wild Card games are huge, and some of them have made Bleacher Report's top 50 games of all-time.

I doubt the Poinsettia Bowl makes a top 50 bowl games list.

21. Every NFL Playoff Game Is Appointment Viewing

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NEW ORLEANS, LA - DECEMBER 12: Drew Brees #9 hands the ball off to Reggie Bush #25 of the New Orleans Saints during the game against the St. Louis Rams at the Louisiana Superdome on December 12, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints defeated the Ram

With bowl games, you pick and choose which ones are worth your time.

With NFL games, you re-arrange your schedule so you don't miss a minute.

20. There's No Break Between Season And Playoffs

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CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 12: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots passes against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 12, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Patriots beat the Bears 36-7. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

Four teams in the NFL get a bye week for the Wild Card round, but that's it.

Every team in the NCAA gets at least three weeks off. The national championship game is likely a six-week break.

So the most important game in the college football season takes place after the players haven't taken a live snap in more than a month.

Great system. How many years does it produce a really good game?

19. BCS Games Are About Sponsors, Not The Teams

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 04: A fan holds up a sign before the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl between the Boise State Broncos and the TCU Horned Frogs at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on January 4, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Every bowl game has a sponsor and the more the game goes on, the more you realize it's all a marketing gimmick and the game is secondary. If it's not the championship game, you're watching a three-hour ad for the sponsor.

While the NFL is saturated with ads, the game is about the teams and there's no getting around that point.

18. NFL Playoffs Take Place In Cold Weather

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CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 12: Jay Culter #6 of the Chicago Bears drops back to pass as the Bears take on the New England Patriots at Soldier Field on December 12, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Patriots defeated the Bears 36-7. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Gett

Do you see snow in Southern California or Florida on New Year's Day?

No, you don't. But you do see snow in places like Chicago, Pittsburgh, New England, New York City, and Philadelphia.

That's where real football is played in the winter.

And don't tell me about the Super Bowl's restrictions on warm weather cities. That's one game out of the entire tournament and, given the carnival that surrounds a Super Bowl, no one wants a Super Bowl in Minnesota in January or February.

17. NFL Playoffs Don't Feature Matchups Between 6-6 Teams

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GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 05: Quarterback Sam Bradford #8 of the St. Louis Rams scrambles to pass the football during the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on December 5, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. The Rams defeate

The NFC West is still in the playoff mix? OK, bad point, moving on.

16. The NFL Seeding Procedure Does Not Come From Opinion

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PITTSBURGH - DECEMBER 12: Hines Ward #86 of the Pittsburgh Steelers catches a pass in front of Johnathan Wade #26 of the Cincinnati Bengals during the game on December 12, 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty

While the NFL may want to tweak how it seeds the teams for the playoffs, especially given how the NFC West is going to host a playoff game this year, it's still far superior to a system that relies 75 percent on opinion.

Schedules matter in the BCS, but only to a point. Then the various polls take over, and they've tried to convince everyone since the beginning that their system is awesome.

It's not.

15. The NFL Playoff System Doesn't Fool Itself

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ALBUQUERQUE, NM - NOVEMBER 27: Andre Dean #30 of the TCU Horned Frogs carries the ball against the University of New Mexico Lobos in the 3rd quarter on November 27, 2010 at University Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico. TCU won 66-17. Also pictured is TCU

The BCS system is in a constant state of self-denial about which teams belong where, which team "deserves" to be in the Top 10, or to be in the national championship game.

They try and pretend it's not all about money, but it is.

The NFL knows it's all about money, which is why the playoffs are better. More wins means more money for the players. A Super Bowl apperance is the best PR a team can get.

How much does the Sugar Bowl really do for a college team in the current system? It used to be a much more important game.

14. Automatically Matching Up No. 1 & No. 2 Is Cheating

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ATLANTA - AUGUST 19: Wide receiver Harry Douglas #83 of the Atlanta Falcons is tackled by safety Patrick Chung #25 of the New England Patriots during the preseason game at the Georgia Dome on August 19, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/

Everyone wants to see the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams play each other in a championship in every sport.

But in every other sport, those top two teams get there through a schedule with little doubt remaining at the end of the year, and then there's a playoff system to go through.

Yes, sometimes bad teams start playing good at the right time, but sometimes it turns out that the No. 4 team going into the postseason actually is better than the No. 2 team.

Without a tournament, the championship game feels a little fixed.

13. NFL Playoffs Take Place Over Several Weeks

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ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 12: Quarterback Michael Vick #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles drops back to pass against Anthony Spencer #93 of the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium on December 12, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The college bowls pretty much play out over New Year's Day and then the national championship happens later.

But none of those New Year's Day bowl games have any connection to the national championship game.

In the NFL, you have three weeks of playoffs, all building off off each other, followed by a two-week buildup to the Super Bowl.

It's built-in drama that keeps people talking for a month. The bowls are over and done before you know it.

12. Every NFL Playoff Game Is Special

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NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 09: Peyton Manning #18 of the Indianapolis Colts gives instructions to his team during the NFL game against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field on December 9, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

While college football fans will argue every game during the regular season is a playoff game, it's anti-climatic once the season ends.

Many NFL teams face playoff situations from about mid-season on, so that argument from the college fans is kind of a weak one.

What is for sure is that once the NFL playoffs start, it's win or go home.

11. Late-Season Losses In The NFL Count The Same

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DETROIT, MI - DECEMBER 12: Matt Flynn #10 of the Green Bay Packers throws a fourth quarter pass while playing the Detroit Lions on December 12, 2010 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

If a team like the Ohio State Buckeyes loses a game early in the season, they still have an outside shot at the national championship game depending on how the rest of the season plays out and providing they don't lose any more games.

But if Ohio State loses to Michigan or the week before Michigan and that's their only loss of the year, the Buckeyes are done.

In the NFL, if Green Bay finishes 9-7, its ability to make the playoffs is based off of consistent criteria and it doesn't matter if the Packers lost seven in a row or a game here and there.

10. A Tournament Has Upsets, A Poll Does Not

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CHARLOTTE, NC - JANUARY 10: Jake Delhomme #17 of the Carolina Panthers reacts at the end of the fourth quarter during the game against the Arizona Cardinals during the NFC Divisional Playoff Game on January 10, 2009 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlott

Remember when the Carolina Panthers were legitimate Super Bowl contenders and Jake Delhomme was going to get Carolina to the championship?

Then Delhomme collapsed and that didn't happen.

So what if a certain team is ranked No. 1? Without a tournament, it's kind of a cheat.

9. The Regular Season Is Not A Tournament

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BATON ROUGE, LA - NOVEMBER 20: Patrick Peterson #7 of the Louisiana State University Tigers nearly intercepts a pass in the final seconds against Markeith Summers #16 and Korvic Neat #28 of the Ole Miss Rebels as time expired at Tiger Stadium on November

Revisiting the "every game is important" debate about the college football season, let's get one thing clear: A regular season is not a tournament!

However you get yourself to sleep better at night is fine, but understand that a regular season is a regular season. It determines the leaders that should then go on to a postseason tournament to determine a champion.

The ranking system is not a postseason. It's a ranking system.

8. Some NFL Teams Actually Play Defense

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PITTSBURGH - OCTOBER 03: Troy Polamalu #43 of the Pittsburgh Steelers follows the play during the game against the Baltimore Ravens on October 3, 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Let's be real, most college football teams get to bowl games because they have overpowering offenses. In some cases they just outscore the other opponents and rely on a few defensive guys to keep games from becoming shootouts.

In the NFL, offenses get you to the playoffs, but defenses win championships.

7. For NFL Players, It's Business; For College Players, It's A Vacation

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PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 07: (2nd from R) Running back Mark Ingram #22 and the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrate with the BCS Championship trophy after winning the Citi BCS National Championship game over the Texas Longhorns at the Rose Bowl on January 7, 201

The NFL playoffs are serious business. A player is being paid to do a job.

In college, the bowls are a reward for a good season. There's really nothing at stake in 99 percent of the bowl games.

There's the national championship, but other than that, it's just a trip to a warm weather climate.

6. The Super Bowl Is A Goal, Not A Feature

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NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 09: Harry Connick Jr. leads a float out onto the field which carried the Vince Lombardi Super Bowl Trophy which was won last year by the New Orleans Saints prior to the Saints playing against the Minnesota Vikings at Louisiana Sup

The national championship game is awarded to two teams based mainly on opinions.

The Super Bowl is a game you get to by beating every other team in your conference.

Advantage: Super Bowl.

5. There Actually Are Fans In The Stands

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GREEN BAY, WI - NOVEMBER 07: Brandon Jackson #32 of the Green Bay Packers celebrates a touchdown with fans against the Dallas Cowboys at Lambeau Field on November 7, 2010 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Cowboys 45-7. (Photo by Jonathan

When you go through the NFL playoffs, you have home crowds that are dressed up and cheering madly for their teams.

College bowl games all are at neutral sites full of spectators that may or may not be into the game.

Even the Super Bowl, which is played at a neutral site, has more passionate fans in the stands than those that show up for the Holiday Bowl.

4. All NFL Playoff Games Are Played In A Stadium

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SAN FRANCISCO - DECEMBER 26: A general view of the USC Trojans against the Boston College Eagles during the 2009 Emerald Bowl at AT&T Park on December 26, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

I'm talking about you, Emerald Bowl.

Football should be played in a football stadium, not a baseball park. That's why they build football stadiums and why multi-use stadiums fell out of favor in recent years.

3. Real Sudden Death Overtime

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ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 12: Kicker David Buehler #18 of the Dallas Cowboys kicks a field goal against the Philadelphia Eagles at Cowboys Stadium on December 12, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

While the overtime rules have been modified slightly for the postseason to make sure each team gets the ball at least once when a kick is involved, the basic premise of scoring first and winning the game still stands.

If a team scores a touchdown first, the game is over. The other team does not get an opportunity to tie it up again.

Wild Card Weekend Is Better Than Random Pre-Christmas Sponsor Bowl

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NEW ORLEANS - DECEMBER 20: Dwight Dasher #9 of the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders runs for a touchdown past Justin Wilson #8 of the Southern Miss Golden Eagles during the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome on December 20, 2009 in New

I'm talking to you Beef 'O' Brady Bowl.

You make me sad.

1. The NFL Champion Is Not Determined By A Computer In Any Way

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - FEBRUARY 6: Quarterback Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots holds up the Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX at Alltel Stadium on February 6, 2005 in Jacksonville, Florida. The Patriots def

Yes, two teams must play a game to determine a winner, but the BCS national championship game is determined with the help of a computer based on polls conducted by people who have their own biases and agendas.

The Super Bowl champion is determined by teams that won their divisions and that had the best records outside of division winners, competing in a winner-take-all tournament to determine a champion.

Advantage: NFL