BCS Distress: Making a Case for College Football Playoffs

The 2010 college postseason is shaping up to be one for the ages. There are three unbeaten teams, six have posted one lost records and there’s enough offense in the top 15 to make the '07 Patriots look obsolete. But sadly, just like it’s been every year for the last half century, there won’t be a whole lot of people glued to their television sets during Alabama and Michigan State’s overtime duel, or TCU’s domination of Wisconsin in what should be a very one-sided Rose Bowl.

That’s because only two teams will be playing for a chance to be called champions.

The traditionalists that operate the BCS just can’t bring themselves to defy the founding fathers and craft together a playoff scheme. Oh sure, they got rid of that deplorable voting system that made watching college football about as interesting as pairs figure skating, but that’s no reason for them to be celebrating.

The new system just stinks a little less.

But it gave us something to pine for in the long years to come. If the clowns running NCAA Division 1A could realize that a championship game between two of the best teams is a popular thing among fans, then maybe they could come to the conclusion that a 20-team playoff system could be the best thing since boneless chicken wings. 

Aside from being a ratings dream machine, it’s scary to think what a playoff system could do for the sport. Imagine it, people at the office taking time off to check their latest brackets, college dorm rooms shaking louder every weekend with each subsequent victory, and drunken fraternity students running through the streets without their clothes on.

Alright, the last one was from Old School, but you get the picture.

Scraping the BCS would also allow some of the game’s biggest rivals a chance to meet in the postseason for the first time.  A playoff match-up between Cal and Stanford would make the Big Game feel like a high school championship — for junior varsity.  And just think, if a hundred thousand fans could turn out in freezing temperatures to watch Michigan and Michigan State battle it out in a hockey game, a refrigerator bowl in the first week of the New Year could be the biggest winter showdown since  Stalingrad.  

The guardians of the current system have said that a playoff would reduce interest in regular season games and deprive fans of seeing the two best teams in the nation square off in a championship, or so they tell us.

For one thing, the criteria the BCS uses for selecting the two “best teams” is a flawed one based on computer rankings and polls.

Aside from statistics, there are a number of intangibles a computer can’t factor in such as resilience, experience, who the biggest playmakers are (David Tyree anyone?), and the mysterious force known as karma. 

If everything were left up to computers, the Giants wouldn’t have had a shot at the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, and the Cardinals wouldn’t have shredded the Tigers in the '06 World Series.  

The best teams are the ones that can withstand the test of a grueling postseason grind, where every game, every quarter becomes as important as the final obstacle. The path to greatness is cemented through a gauntlet that can either make or break a championship contender. The two teams left standing are the ones fans want to see engaged in a final showdown.

Ironically, it’s the exact reason why the BCS generated such widespread interest in 2005, as it pitted the two undisputed juggernauts in a classic clash of the titans. The seemingly unstoppable USC war brass which had pillaged its way to 33 straight victories, faced a tremendous challenge in the Texas Longhorns, the only other unbeaten team in Division 1-A.  The result was Vince Young following in the footsteps of the Greeks and torching the Trojans with one of the most dominating performances in college football history.

Millions of fans across the country exalted the same way they do after the conclusion of a Super Bowl. They were celebrating the gratification that usually comes when a champion has been discovered. A true champion that is, one which holds the distinction without any controversy or skepticism.  

It’s something fans would like to see every year.

Yes, under the new system, Cinderella teams would enter the fray and might even trounce one of the top ranked schools.  But isn’t that what makes sports interesting, even sexy? The idea that one team can beat another even if the odds are against it? The mere thought of San Jose State upsetting Oklahoma in the second or third round is enough to give even the most casual observer an orgasm.

It would also make the postseason a big deal for schools not named Florida, USC, Penn State, or Alabama. For most teams, (especially those in the weaker conferences) losing one game usually means the end of any championship aspirations. The new BCS system would basically transform the college football season into a 100-team race that would increase competition and set off a tidal wave of playoff euphoria before winter break.

To be sure, teams with the best records should be awarded home field advantage and easier first round opponents the same way NFL teams are. This would maintain the significance of regular season games that supporters of the bowl system are afraid of losing.

The champions of all 11 conferences would automatically receive playoff invitations, and the remaining bids would likely be decided by the BCS rankings.

So when will the big suits in charge finally pull the plug on the BCS charade? You’ll hear a lot of them say that the current system is fine the way it is, which is just an excuse to keep their wallets bulkier during this time of the year. A 16-20 team tournament simply doesn’t generate as much revenue as 35 bowl games.

The solution would be to keep the bowl system around for the teams that didn’t qualify for a championship run. The smaller fan base that prefers the BCS shouldn’t have a problem since the bowl games and the playoffs wouldn’t directly influence each other.

It’s something we’ve only dreamed about up to now, a January tournament four times more appealing than March Madness.  I can see the potential headlines : “Cardinals soar past Ducks in second round shocker!,  Boise State and Oklahoma St. pass Wilt in a 100-point marathon!” Each game would be a national news story, capturing the interest of millions and bringing the country closer to its first college Super Bowl.

I suppose that a system that has 35 winners at the end of the year is a good one. But to have one winner stand above the rest? That’s one of the reasons why we watch sports.