Thursday, December 13, 2007

Killing Time...Killing the System: The "Plus-One"

How it Would Work: Using the in place "Double Hosting Model", the number of BCS bowls would be reduced from five to four. The BCS National Championship would take place between the #1 and #2 teams AFTER the bowls which would take place January 1. Assumedly for the conference commissioners, university presidents, and bowls to go along, traditional conference tie-ins to bowls would have to be preserved.

How it Would Play Out This Year:
Sugar: LSU vs. West Virginia
Rose: Ohio State vs. USC
Orange: Virginia Tech vs. Missouri
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. Georgia

Why it Would Work: Well it would certainly solve THIS YEAR'S problem (two teams we don't know are any more proven than four others) and for that reason it seems to be the next step for the BCS especially with the current commissioner of the BCS behind it. Each team in the National Championship Game would have a win against a top ten team to legitimize it.

Why it Wouldn't Work: For a scenario like this year's where it would provide a solution, there are more scenarios in which the "Plus One" would delay the controversy or create one itself. In seasons where only one team was undefeated, they would have to win two games to prove a point they may have already proven through the course of the regular season. A more valid point would be that if three teams with rightful claim to a national champion won three separate bowl games, no controversy would be settled at all. The worst case scenario would be if by result of this system we got exactly the situation 2007 presented, a conglomerate of one and two loss teams that would be ranked based more on the timing of their loss than the quality of their season.

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.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Killing Time, Killing the System: The Current BCS

So we have some time between the Heisman Trophy presentation and the highly anticipated San Diego Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl (by the time it kicks off, if you're like me you're just happy to see college football on). So in that time rather than putting forward a computer simulated playoff. I'll take a look at every possible system that could determine a National Champion in college football and weigh its pros and cons. I'm probably wasting the same amount of energy but its mid-December and quite frankly, there's nothing else to do. So let's start with the current Bowl Championship Series

How it Works: A combination of poll and computer rankings called the "BCS Rankings" sort out the #1 and #2 teams in the country to play in the "BCS National Championship", after that four bowls (Fiesta, Orange, Sugar, and Rose) select from conference champions not in the BCS National Championship and four at-large teams of the bowls choosing. Bowls are autonomous to select what teams they want as long as each conference champion is represented.

How it plays out this year:
BCS National Championship: LSU vs. Ohio State
Fiesta: West Virginia vs. Oklahoma
Rose: USC vs. Illinois
Orange: Kansas vs. Virginia Tech
Sugar: Hawaii vs. Georgia

Why it Works: In the end, the winner of the BCS National Championship is either the consensus best team in the country all season long or just beat the consensus best team in the country all season long while other major bowls go on to keep their identity or tradition.

Why it Doesn't Work: Its arbitrary but that point's been beaten to death. The new system has diluted somewhat New Year's Day as just two of the BCS games are played on what is supposed to be college football's showcase day. While Howard's Rock, Script Ohio, and The Third Saturday in October are great traditions in college football, the conference tie-ins to bowls is draconian and detrimental to the games themselves. For example, the Rose Bowl selected three loss Illinois over two loss teams Georgia and Missouri to uphold a tradition only the Tournament of Roses committee cares about any more and for that the Rose Bowl is worst off and leaves this system to be mocked even more.

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Tim Tebow wins the Heisman Trophy: Five Thoughts

1. Congratulations to Jesus Christ on his 23rd Heisman Trophy

2. Most important lesson here: Don't have an abortion, for you may have a future Heisman Trophy winner in your womb.

3. No truth to the rumor that Jon Kitna called Tim Tebow afterwards and called him a kook.

4. Would you believe, enormous boobie girl nowhere to be found? Again if anybody's seen her at ONE Gator game, let me know.

5. What card show do I get my picture of Chris Weinke, Eric Crouch, and Jason White standing next to each other signed at? What's that you say? ANY card show? How much? Really? Free? The heck you say!

I'dliketothankmylordandsaviorjesuschrist, I'dliketothankGatorNation,IlovebeingaGator