X's and O's of a College Football Playoff

I am one of the few who wouldn't mind keeping everything as is - the reason is because of the rush I get throughout the college football regular season when a title contender is challenged and/or upset. Regular season upsets of top teams in college football have no equal in sports. The victor is thrilled. The loser is devastated. The difference is in the latter. Take a college basketball upset. The underdog fans rush the court but the favorite gets over the loss pretty darn quick - because it really doesn't matter until March.

I was watching the Cowboys struggle against the Lions on Sunday. No doubt the game was entertaining but what was on the line? Dallas can lose a game and still have the tiebreaker over Green Bay. Essentially they have mulligan in their back pocket going into every remaining game. Plenty of mulligans were handed out in college football's title race this year but not one of the top college football teams had any clue they would get one before, during or immediately following the game.

A playoff would be a better way to end the season though. I just prefer top teams in do or die situations over a 3 month period than 3 weeks - so I can continue to sleep at night without a playoff. Everyone has an idea of a college football playoff. I have gotten so sick of seeing ones that have no chance of working that I have developed my own. First, you must acknowledge the moving parts and obstacles within college football. There is no Roger Goodell or David Stern in college football. There is the BCS, the have and the have nots, the lawyers ready to represent the have nots and of course.....the Rose Bowl.

Issue 1) The folks in Pasadena are perhaps the first obstacle to reforming the current system. There have been plenty of articles that say one or both of the Pac 10 and/or Big Ten would side with the Rose if say, a plus one was implemented. Let's address the plus one for a moment. Easy enough, the structure is already in place with the stand alone championship game. The problem - it is an occasional solution. It would solve problems in one year and create problems in the next - like 2002 and 2005. The biggest problem I see is that it would create a second payday for schools and their BCS conferences. Boise would not have made a plus one title game last year. Thus, the problem that resulted in a 5th BCS game (for the little guy to get the same money) would resurface.

Back to the Rose. They want their traditional matchup - even in the face of a blockbuster game. We just saw an example of that with the Rose selecting Illnois instead of Georgia to play USC. If they boycott and can take one of their conferences with them - no playoff system is truly legitimate. I have an easy fix for that.

Issue 2) The BCS bowls and their host cities want to sell as many tickets and hotels as possible. There has been concern expressed over asking a fan base to travel to three consecutive neutral sites in a 3 round playoff scenario. I believe the concern is legit. One of the reason so many fans can travel to the current bowls is because 1) schools are on holiday break for students and children of alums and 2) the period between Christmas and New Year's is typically the slowest period for corporate America because employees are using their remaining days off. If I was a bowl official wearing one of those Craig Sager-esque type jackets, I would be concerned with overconfident fans bypassing the bowl game for later rounds. I believe I can fix (help) that problem.

Issue 3) Keep the conferences happy and keep conference championships important. There is no way an 8 team playoff would be just the top 8 teams in the BCS ranking. Under the current situation, the Big 12 would have three teams, the Big East would have none (WV at 9) and Hawaii would be left out. 16 teams is too many and would dilute conference games.

The format - 8 team playoff from the four BCS bowls. The Rose gets the Pac-10 champ v. Big Ten champ, the Fiesta gets Big 12 champ v. TBD, the Sugar gets SEC champ v. TBD and the Orange gets ACC champ v. TBD. Automatic spots also go to Big East champ and the highest ranked non-BCS champ. The final spot is a wildcard spot for the highest ranked team that did not win their conference or Notre Dame if they make the final 8. If one of conference champs is not ranked in the top 12-14, then a spot opens up. The BCS bowls are played Jan 1-2. Semis are played on home fields on the highest ranked winners on the first weekend after 7 days have passed from the opening round. The title game is at a neutral site - just like the Super Bowl.

If this playoff system was implemented this year, it would look like this:

Rose - USC (Pac 10 champ) v. Ohio State (Big Ten champ)
Fiesta - Oklahoma (Big 12 champ) v. West Virginia (Big East champ, selected by Fiesta)
Sugar - LSU (SEC champ) v. Hawaii (highest ranked non-BCS conf champ, selected by Sugar)
Orange - Virginia Tech (ACC champ) v. Georgia (wildcard, highest ranked non-conf champ)

Let's assume the winners were: USC, Oklahoma, LSU and Georgia

By their spot in the final pre-bowl BCS rankings - Oklahoma and LSU would host semi final games. #2 LSU would host #7 USC. #4 Oklahoma would host #5 Georgia. The winners would play - who knows where - for the national title game the following weekend.

The Rose is happy getting their traditional matchup. The conferences are happy because they will continue to get the money as they do now. The NCAA does not control the system and does not get to cut the money pie into 100+ pieces. The conference tie ins and games played on New Year's or the 2nd is good for the traditionalist that loves the old school setup. The fans get their playoff. The travel problem is broken up. The title game would be played in mid January, right as most schools are getting back into session. Seniors and early entries would still have enough time to rehab minor injuries in time for the NFL combine in late Feb. It still gives coaches enough time to capitalize on post-season success on the recruiting trail.

Coming Attractions

It's been a while since I wrote down my thoughts on the last few weeks of college football but they will be forthcoming. The annual BCS firestorm is in full blaze. I think the coaches poll is a joke. (I would like to hear to rationale behind the Bowdens putting Missouri over Oklahoma. Mike Bellotti did the same thing - perhaps he shared a drink with his wife while filling out his ballot.) The Harris poll is even more of a joke. But, I think the BCS got it right again and I will offer more explanation later.

I do not favor a playoff but since I see so many unrealistic ideas, I have come up with my own just for fun - and one that might actually work.

Talk about bittersweet. Ohio State was glad to see at least one of the top 2 go down but not both. The result is having to play LSU in the Superdome. Speaking from experience, it's overwhelming inside and outside the stadium for the opponent.

I think the BCS matchups could be pretty entertaining. First, there is no Notre Dame taking up a spot this year. The Fiesta should be fun if West Virginia recovers mentally from the Pitt loss. I think a lot of people will tune into the Sugar Bowl to see if Hawaii-Georgia can be a repeat of OU-Boise State. Although Missouri deserved it more, I think Kansas will surprise people and be very competitive and possibly beat Virginia Tech. The Rose Bowl - what a shame the folks in Pasadena chose tradition over a monster showdown. Instead of USC-Georgia, we get USC-Illinois. The Zookers are on the way up but they didn't earn this stage yet.

The BCS should work out after all

Now that Ohio State is done (at least for now) it appears from the gurus that study the BCS that if Kansas wins out, the Jayhawks would jump past Oregon into the title game. They might even jump to No. 1 because if they beat Missouri and Oklahoma in back to back weeks, even the doubters will be sold on Kansas. Most of the collective public will cry the controversy surrounding which one loss team deserves a spot in the title game proves the BCS is a sham. The fans of the one loss teams need only to turn their frustration to their own team. It's simple. Don't lose. If you do, then don't gripe about getting left out. What happened to Auburn in 2004 was a tragedy but maybe they could still get a national title if the NCAA finds Bush was taking cash during as early as the 2004 season.

As an Oklahoma fan I am intriguing by the possibility raised by ESPN BCS guru Brad Edwards that the Sooners might be able to jump Oregon if they beat KU for the Big 12 title. A lot of eyes could be on that game. Oregon's schedule really don't have much upside to impress. However, if OU wins out but doesn't pass Oregon, I won't cry about the system because my favorite team should have beaten Colorado and they would be in without question. Same thing for LSU, Oregon, West Virginia.

LSU is back in the top spot. I'm not sure I agree but they can present a strong case. The Tigers' biggest obstacle may be fighting the distractions that are sure to come over the next three weeks as the coaching carousel begins to spin. Michigan and Ohio State finish up their regular season this weekend and many expect Lloyd Carr to announce his retirement soon after. It's thought that Miles in the top guy on Michigan's wish list. The media will have a field day with Miles, Michigan and what impact it could have on the future of Tiger defensive coordinator Bo Pelini. Bo was the interim coach for the Huskers after Solich was dismissed. Many wanted him to stay but Steve Pederson wanted 'his' guy - Bill Callahan. Pederson is gone. Callahan will be shortly. Do the Huskers want Pelini back or do they favor former Husker QB great Turner Gill? Back to Auburn, are fans worried about rumors Tuberville may be the top candidate on the A&M wish list? It could result in a bidding war that would likely reset the bar for top coaches around the country.

BCS headed for disaster?

I'm one of the few that don't mind the flaws of the BCS. The reason - in my view - is that the system creates the most dramatic regular season in sports. Actually, it's the only dramatic regular season left in sports. Every other sport is a post-season sport and the participants don't deny it. I'm also of the view that if you (or your team) loses, you really don't have a lot to complain about come BCS Selection Sunday.

However, the potential disaster scenario out there right now is Kansas. I'm sold KU is good but still wanting to see more given their schedule to date. However, if the Jayhawks close out the season with wins over Missouri in K.C. and Oklahoma in San Antonio in front of a partial Sooner crowd, they should jump both LSU and Oregon. There should be no argument IF Kansas wins out. LSU lost to Kentucky. At that time it wasn't that bad but then the Cats lost to Mississippi State by 17, in Lexington. Oregon lost to Cal which went on to lose their next three (including Oregon State and UCLA). That's UCLA - Notre Dame's only win. The Tigers and Ducks are good, they might tear through a would be playoff but what makes college football so unique is those losses stick for the rest of the season.

The saying is you need to be good and lucky to win a national championship. After watching LSU the last four games, I would say they have been more lucky than good. I haven't heard many media types bringing up that LSU's vaunted defense has allowed an average of 31 points a game in the last four. Right now, my top five would be Ohio State, Oregon, Oklahoma, Kansas and LSU just edging out Missouri. Kansas might be a pretender but we will find out soon enough. West Virginia is too erratic on offense and still doesn't have a defense worthy of being considered a contender.

The Pilot

Nothing like waiting until the midpoint of the season to start a blog about college football. I have reached the point of no return though. I post too much on message boards. I might as well start a blog and post my thoughts as they pop into my head. At least for a while, consider this a college football blog on training wheels. I will have plenty of content, but over time I will add features that make worth more than just a visit or two and include pics from venues across the country as sent in by readers/fans.

First off, I am generally anti-playoff but this season of chaos is causing me to soften my stance. My playoff idea will appear in later posts but it does not consist an NFL style cookie cutter solution I see posted by so many fans. It considers the current dynamics of college football (like the current BCS bowls), attempts to solve potential problems (like the stubborness of the Rose Bowl), throws a bone to the non-BCS guy and keeps the TV money out of the hands of the NCAA.

Quick thoughts on last week - impressed with Ohio State's performance in a tough environment at Penn State. I still think the Buckeyes can fall at Michigan but not ready to call that upset just yet. What a difference a few minutes make for ratings and the Heisman Trophy race. BC was about to fall to VT and then showed a lot of character by making that late comeback. In my opinion, they are where they should be until they get knocked off.

LSU may be the most talented team in the country but I still think they are going to lose another game and it may come this weekend at Alabama. The prediction of another loss is not due to talent but rather distractions. The Tigers are dealing with another Perrilloux incident and as the season winds down, the Les Miles to Michigan machine will start to rev up. Any chance Oregon is still celebrating the USC victory and gets surprised by Arizona State and the coach of the year so far Dennis Erickson? It helps to be at Autzen where the press box is not a friend to columnists or opposing teams. A lot of uproar over the Colleen Bellotti tirade against columnist John Canzano. It would be great if there was actual footage of the incident. Perhaps they could bring in Gordon Riese to review it.

Speaking of Oregon and Gordon Riese......Oklahoma might be the second most talented team in the country but they are so inconsistent. They got a much needed bye week to refocus and I have a feeling Stoops & Co. will have a beatdown for the soon to be departed Coach Fran for his off season comments about the only question marks for the Sooners being the QB and their player 'jobs.' The Sooners seem to need a lot of help despite having wins over Texas and Missouri. But if they didn't lose to Colorado, they would be the unanimous No. 1 in the polls and at least 1 or 2 in the BCS. Vegas still has them 3rd at 3/1 odds to win the title.

That's all for now.