College Football Already Has a Playoff—And No, It's Not the Regular Season

Of the 23 conference championship games during the BCS era, how many teams have lost yet still played in the Bowl Championship Series? One—Oklahoma 2003.

Of the 24 at-large selections during these past 10 years of the BCS, how many teams have lost their last game and still played in a BCS Bowl? Eight.

What is the message here? Those Championship games are a gamble. Where other teams can trip into the BCS, teams that play in conference championship games play veritable BCS "playoff" games. Is this good?

The money certainly says it is—and money is the root of everything good. Conference championship games usually pull in a good deal of money (the ACC is still trying to hit its stride). It also crowns a champion on the field. What we need is more of the same!

The champions of the Pac-10, Big Ten, and Big East seem to fall into no man's land. A championship game for these conferences would in nearly all cases be superfluous, and any 13th game for these teams might be deemed an unfair tax on a team that already conquered a "division" of 10 or so teams.

However, it is those at-large spots which CAN be subjected to a playoff. Currently, teams in the top 14 are selected by a variety of rules. Substantial room is left in these rules for polls and bowls to have the final say on which teams are selected. No. 8 Kansas chosen instead of No. 6 Missouri? No. 13 Illinois chosen ahead of No. 11 Arizona State?

There may be a method to that madness, and it is often called "tradition." However, if the BCS truly believes that the regular season is a playoff, then have these teams compete head to head. Championship Saturday already has BCS qualifying games (conference championships)—why not add two more?

Watching two teams play for a BCS bid will bring in money. Heck, having two teams in the top 15 always seems to generate some revenue during the holiday season. The NCAA limits teams to 14 games, so this 13th regular season game still allows for that 14th bowl season game.

The proposal is simple. The bulk of teams finish their schedule before Championship Saturday. The top non-BCS conference champion (Notre Dame included as such) gets an automatic bid. The top four teams (one per conference) not competing in or already securing a BCS conference championship are matched in two BCS playoff games. The fourth and final bid is given after Championship Saturday to the best remaining team.

There are, of course, caveats to any rule. If no non-BCS team finishes the regular season in the top 14, then the top at-large team gets that automatic bid, and at-larges two through five (one per conference) compete in the playoff.

If the highest-ranked loser of the conference championship game is in the top eight, it shall receive the fourth bid automatically. The max number of teams per conference is dropped, although any count greater than two would happen because the teams earned it, not because bowls want more money.

The prompt for this proposal is the desire to keep the bowl system entirely unchanged while also implementing the fan-desired playoff. The bowl season is really only one game and doesn't need to change.

The BCS has made strides the last four years in two major ways: The formula is more contoured to the human and computer polls, and the four major bowls have been freed from having to substitute traditional participants with National Championship teams.

The BCS is in a greatly improved state. Nonetheless, a number of fans are clamoring for a playoff. This proposal merges the idea of a playoff in the regular season with a playoff for postseason rewards.

The best of both worlds? A temporary fix? I say a great way to expand playoff-style regular season games beyond the top two spots.

Just for fun 2007 BCS bids

Ohio State: Big Ten (automatic bid)
USC: Pac-10 (automatic bid)
West Virginia: Big East (automatic bid)
Hawaii: non-BCS (automatic bid)

LSU vs. Tennessee (SEC bid)
Virginia Tech vs. BC (ACC bid)
Oklahoma vs. Missouri (Big 12 bid)
Georgia vs. Illinois (BCS play-in)
Kansas vs. Arizona State (BCS play-in)

The fourth bid is given to the best team without one, or the best championship game loser in the BCS top eight.