Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Killing Time...Killing the System: A Seeded BCS

How it Would Work: Just as the #1 and #2 teams in the BCS Standings would go to the BCS National Championship Game, teams 3-10 would go to bowls pre-slotted to take them according to a rotation with the first bowl at the double-hosting city taking the matchup between BCS teams #9 and #10, regardless of conference affiliation.

How it Would Play Out This Year:
BCS National Championship: #1 Ohio State vs. #2 LSU
Orange: #3 Virginia Tech vs. #4 Oklahoma
Rose: #5 Georgia vs. #6 Missouri
Fiesta: #7 USC vs. #8 Kansas
Sugar: #9 West Virginia vs. #10 Hawai'i

Why it Would Work: The entire system would be centered on merit and the best teams would seemingly go to the best bowls. Factors like conference tie-ins, television ratings, fanbase traveling reputation would take their rightful secondary role in determining bowl placement to the quality of the actual football team and its season. The likelihood can be assumed to be increased that all five games would be competitive and in a year in which three teams have rightful stake to the championship, the third team could prove worthy by beating the next best team in the country and have a remote chance at a shared championship.

Why it Wouldn't Work: First off the wheels that run the system (the conferences and the bowls) would never go for it. They'd make sure each BCS conference is represented and while that happens in this year's scenario it wouldn't be a guarantee. Also there would be no assist for non-BCS teams like Hawaii and Boise State last year to make it to a BCS Bowl as Boise got in on an amendment that allowed it to be represented for a top 12 ranking and how could I be for anything that would've interfered with what happened last January 1. There is a principle that the bowls should be allowed to invite the teams they choose, otherwise what incentive do they have to be involved with a BCS. One would have to be nervous for the ratings for that 9 vs. 10 matchup also.

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