How it Would Work: Automatic bids for the champions of EVERY conference (ACC, Big Ten, Big XII, Big East, Pac Ten, SEC, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, WAC, Sun Belt) and five at-large teams would play in a 16 team tournament just like you see in Division I Football Championship Subdivision and Basketball. Games would be held at the venue of the higher seed until the Championship Game at a site of a former BCS bowl.
How it Would Play Out this Year:
16. Florida Atlantic at 1. Ohio State
15. Central Michigan at 2. LSU
14. UCF at 3. Virginia Tech
13. Brigham Young at 4. Oklahoma
12. Florida at 5. Georgia
11. Arizona State at. 6. Missouri
10. Hawai'i at 7. USC
9. West Virginia at 8. Kansas
Why it Would Work: It's December-January Madness Baby! The polls and computers would only provide a basis for at-large selection. Bowl Presidents would go homeless. Dream matchups would start in the Quarterfinals and we could all have fun speculating on that FAU-Ohio State spread. In seriousness the inclusion of the small conferences is something I really wish could be worked into any system as while it would provide for some laughers in the formative years, it could extend a parity in college football to all 119 teams and who knows we could get some REAL upsets. This is the exact formula Division I-AA has been using for years and by the way, the best team has won that tournament three years in a row (Appy State).
Why it Wouldn't Work: Some of the games, those taking place in the North could look like last Sunday in the NFL. It would be tough to fit four games in a time frame that doesn't interfere with either finals of the first semester or the beginning of the second. The players probably don't feel like playing four extra games to win a National Championship and yes, games between high seeds wouldn't be as important when you have FIVE at-large entries into the tournament. Its nice to hope the bowls could go away but they do provide a good revenue stream to the universities and to hope to see them dissolve is unrealistic where as the Plus-One and much further on down the road the 8-Team model from yesterday I could see happening in my lifetime.
With all that said, lets enjoy what we have now as it starts Thursday for if nothing else it is still college football in 32 ultimate stages with pride on the line and pageantry on display...
Showing posts with label Killing Time...Killing the System. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Killing Time...Killing the System. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Killing Time...Killing the System: An 8 Team Playoff
How it Would Work: This is the playoff system desired by most fans of the sport and probably the only one that could ever happen at the Division I-A level. Six of the eight teams would be the champions of the six BCS conferences. Two at-large teams would be the two highest rated teams remaining from the BCS standings. Quarterfinals would take place on New Year's Day at the four BCS bowl sites. Semifinals would take place at two of the four BCS bowl sites and the National Championship would take place at a third BCS bowl site.
Why it Would Work: The conferences would be satisfied that they each have equal access to the National Championship. The bowl sites would be satisfied with added revenue and television coverage coming to their stadiums. The regular season would be ENHANCED because while yes rare regular season 1vs2 matchups may not have the same stakes, matchups between elite conference teams in the BCS conferences and especially the conference championships would have higher stakes. Everyone stands to benefit here except...
Why it Wouldn't Work: ...the travelling fan. The logistics of fans being able to travel to possibly two more bowl destinations is the only legitimate drawback to this plan. Schools could only do so much to get their fans to these games at an affordable price. It would be difficult even for large fanbases like Ohio State and Oklahoma, nonetheless any private school. It also seems unfair that an undefeated team would have to win three more games beyond the 12 it had already played but I hope this season has proven that college football seasons are like snowflakes, no two are comparable.
Why it Would Work: The conferences would be satisfied that they each have equal access to the National Championship. The bowl sites would be satisfied with added revenue and television coverage coming to their stadiums. The regular season would be ENHANCED because while yes rare regular season 1vs2 matchups may not have the same stakes, matchups between elite conference teams in the BCS conferences and especially the conference championships would have higher stakes. Everyone stands to benefit here except...
Why it Wouldn't Work: ...the travelling fan. The logistics of fans being able to travel to possibly two more bowl destinations is the only legitimate drawback to this plan. Schools could only do so much to get their fans to these games at an affordable price. It would be difficult even for large fanbases like Ohio State and Oklahoma, nonetheless any private school. It also seems unfair that an undefeated team would have to win three more games beyond the 12 it had already played but I hope this season has proven that college football seasons are like snowflakes, no two are comparable.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Killing Time... Killing the System: A Seeded "Plus One"
How it Would Work: To better ensure clarity in a Plus One format two of the bowls would feature the Number 1 and Number 4 teams in the BCS Standings and one of the bowls would feature the Number 2 and Number 3 teams in BCS Standings.
How it Would Play Out This Year:
Rose: Ohio State vs. Oklahoma
Orange: LSU vs. Virginia Tech
Fiesta: USC vs. West Virginia
Sugar: Georgia vs. Missouri
Why it Would Work: Its a playoff, in case you couldn't figure that out, disguised as the BCS. Only when media would call the four seeded teams the "Final Four" would anyone even figure out what is going on. The bowl season wouldn't have to be extended, each bowl would still be a big game, just two would determine the entries into the BCS National Championship.
Why it Wouldn't Work: Because its a playoff, therefore at least the Pac Ten and the Rose Bowl would be steadfast against it. A "Plus One" is much more realistic when you don't threaten the conference-bowl relationships, because even though fans don't care, the universities do. The Rose Bowl would much rather be a place for the Big Ten and Pac Ten champions to play than a national semifinal. Of course if the system were to truly blow up and six teams in six conferences ran the table, this format wouldn't help that very much at all.
How it Would Play Out This Year:
Rose: Ohio State vs. Oklahoma
Orange: LSU vs. Virginia Tech
Fiesta: USC vs. West Virginia
Sugar: Georgia vs. Missouri
Why it Would Work: Its a playoff, in case you couldn't figure that out, disguised as the BCS. Only when media would call the four seeded teams the "Final Four" would anyone even figure out what is going on. The bowl season wouldn't have to be extended, each bowl would still be a big game, just two would determine the entries into the BCS National Championship.
Why it Wouldn't Work: Because its a playoff, therefore at least the Pac Ten and the Rose Bowl would be steadfast against it. A "Plus One" is much more realistic when you don't threaten the conference-bowl relationships, because even though fans don't care, the universities do. The Rose Bowl would much rather be a place for the Big Ten and Pac Ten champions to play than a national semifinal. Of course if the system were to truly blow up and six teams in six conferences ran the table, this format wouldn't help that very much at all.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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