A Sensical Playoff System For The Non-Sensical Bowl Championship Series

Any writer who follows college football closely enough has some kind of playoff system devised. It may be a four-team system, an eight-team system or something more extravagant.

Count me as one of the few who favors a more extravagant playoff setup.

Two years ago, I wrote my first version of a college football playoff. It was an eight-team, single-elimination bracket played outside of the now five-game Bowl Championship Series games.

After reading around the Internet late last season, I amended the system to what it is today: a 12-team, single-elimination tournament that uses the BCS standings as a seeding mechanism instead of the determining factor for which teams play for the national title.

The champions of the six BCS conferences receive automatic bids regardless of their place in the final BCS standings. After that, any non-BCS conference team which finishes in the top 12 of the final BCS standings also receives an automatic bid.

The remaining spots are filled in order of final BCS standing until the 12-team field is set, with no conference limits. If one conference were to lock up four spots, so be it.

First-round games would be played at the home field of the higher seeds. Quarterfinal games would be played at a neutral site (for example, hosting a Florida-Oklahoma game in Memphis) while the semi-finals and national title game would be played in existing BCS bowls which rotate every year.

Here's what the 2007 field would have looked like:

1. Ohio State (Big 10 champion)

2. LSU (SEC champion)

3. Virginia Tech (ACC champion)

4. Oklahoma (Big XII champion)

5. USC (Pac-10 champion)

6. West Virginia (Big East champion)

7. Georgia (at-large)

8. Missouri (at-large)

9. Kansas (at-large)

10. Hawaii (automatic non-BCS bid)

11. Arizona State (at-large)

12. Florida (at-large)

The 2008 field would look something like this:

1. Oklahoma (Big XII champion)

2. Florida (SEC champion)

3. USC (Pac-10 champion)

4. Penn State (Big 10 champion)

5. Cincinnati (Big East champion)

6. Virginia Tech (ACC champion)

7. Texas (at-large)

8. Alabama (at-large)

9. Utah (automatic non-BCS bid)

10. Texas Tech (at-large)

11. Boise State (automatic non-BCS bid)

12. TCU (automatic non-BCS bid)

The top four teams in the seedings would receive first-round byes, leaving the remaining eight to be paired off to fill out the national title tournament.

There still may be nearly three weeks until the first BCS bowl game gets underway, but that won't stop me from crowning a national champion right here.

First round

(8) Alabama over (9) Utah

Bama's defense ranks in the top 10 in the nation in multiple categories while the Utes put up average numbers against average opponents. Utah's speed makes this one closer than expected but the Tide rolls on to a date with Oklahoma.

(12) TCU over (5) Cincinnati

Despite the discrepancy in the seedings, the Horned Frogs sit ahead of the Bearcats in every major poll. The combined record of the two teams to beat TCU? 24-1. The Horned Frogs' defense also ranks third in the nation in total yards allowed per game.

(7) Texas over (10) Texas Tech

Can Texas Tech beat the Longhorns again? Yes. But the Red Raiders needed a late score at home, and with this game being played in Austin, the advantage goes to the 'Horns.

(11) Boise State over (6) Virginia Tech

The Hokies were undefeated at Lane Stadium this year, but they didn't play anyone like Boise State. The Broncos walked out of Autzen Stadium winners against Oregon and that is no small feat. Trouble awaits the Broncos in the next round, though.

Quarterfinals

(1) Oklahoma over (8) Alabama - played in Little Rock, Ark.

Despite the rave reviews the Sooners offense has received, the defense may get the Sooners in a bit of trouble down the line.

Luckily Alabama's strength is its defense, which isn't strong enough to stop Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford and the top-ranked scoring offense.

(4) Penn State over (12) TCU - played in Nashville, Tenn.

Penn State is underrated on both offense and defense. TCU may be underrated as well, but the Nittany Lions have blown past strong teams all year. A clash of the titans now awaits as Penn State and Oklahoma play for a spot in the national title game.

(7) Texas over (2) Florida - played in New Orleans

The biggest thing Texas will need to overcome is their pass defense. The Gators, however, rank No. 117 in passing offense in the country. Texas ranks fifth against the run, which will be enough to contain Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin to advance to the national semifinals.

(3) USC over (11) Boise State - played in San Francisco

Simply put, this one boils down to the strength of USC's defense. The Trojans have NFL-caliber players on the defensive side of the ball, a challenge too tall for Boise State to overcome. The Trojans move one step closer to yet another shot at the national championship.

Semifinals

(1) Oklahoma over (4) Penn State

If the Nittany Lions could pass the ball more effectively and protect the quarterback better, they'd steal one from the nation's top team. Oklahoma pressures the quarterback very well, something Penn State has struggled with at times this year.

The Sooners wouldn't light up the scoreboard against Penn State, but they would walk away with the victory and a trip to Miami.

(3) USC over (7) Texas

Different opponent, same story for USC. The Trojans' defense is great, but the difference is Texas' inability to stop the best offenses in the country.

Missouri hung 31 on the Longhorns, Oklahoma dropped 35 on them, and Texas Tech scored a cool 39. Colt McCoy and Co. are good, but not good enough to beat USC in a shootout.

National Championship

(1) Oklahoma v. (3) USC

Bob Stoops' reputation for falling short in big-time games would be erased with a victory over the Trojans. Pete Carroll's legacy as arguably the best college football coach of all-time could take another step toward realization with another national title.

Oklahoma's defense isn't as statistically strong as Texas', but its offense is better. On a normal bowl season's rest, the Trojans should win. But with a normal season's schedule implemented for the new playoff system, track meets with Boise State and Texas catch up to USC in the end.

Oklahoma 38, USC 34.

It seems with each passing year, more collegiate coaches say a playoff system is needed. But I'm not holding my breath. It may be decades before the BCS committee finally caves and implements a system to allow the crowing of an undisputed national college football champion.