Those who know me, know that I have NEVER advocated a playoff system for NCAA Football. I hate the BCS, as it professes to be a panacea for what fans perceived to be a failed Bowl system. I would rather have the old bowl system than the BCS, and also a playoff system than the BCS. The BCS has failed, year in and year out, and the rule makers try to change the rules to overcome a problem from that year, only to have another problem creep up the following year. Personally, I believe the entire season is a playoff, and the old bowl system created the best thing in sports: the argument. I love talking to Nebraska fans about how the speed of the Michigan linebackers would have dismantled Scott Frost and the option, not to mention “the kick” against Missouri that kept their season alive and the Tom Osbourne sympathy votes to create a split championship.
This year is different. As every year is different. I think there are five teams with a legitimate claim to face off against Florida for the National Championship.
Oklahoma: Will get the shot, won the toughest conference this season.
Texas: Some would say were robbed of the opportunity to play for the Big 12 Championship.
Alabama: Already had their shot at Florida, but having your only loss against the best team in the country is a good argument.
Penn State: Were one bad week from being undefeated in an improved Big Ten season. Florida had one bad week too, remember?
USC: Another dominant team with one bad week in their results.
With all this in mind, there is a way to keep the best of both worlds. I am not the first to come up with this idea, but this is how I’d like to see it:
Take the 11 conference champs.
Then take 5 at-large teams.
Done.
Now, the rankings are from my ranking system (see below), but there will always be the arguments for who should have and should not have made it in. Just like the Basketball tourney. But the first round is played at the higher-ranked team’s home field, then you move out to the bowl venues. Second round the week before New Years, national semis New Years Day, and the National Championship on January 8.
This solves my problem with dumping the Bowl system altogether, solves the problem of including everyone who “deserves” a shot, and even gives the smaller conferences a chance at the title, which is what everybody wants right?
| Team | W-L | Rating | Conf | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | 12-1 | 97.4 | SEC |
| 2 | Texas | 11-1 | 96.5 | B12 |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 12-1 | 96.4 | B12 |
| 4 | Southern Cal | 11-1 | 96.1 | P10 |
| 5 | Alabama | 12-1 | 95.1 | SEC |
| 6 | Penn State | 11-1 | 94.9 | B10 |
| 7 | Ohio State | 10-2 | 93.6 | B10 |
| 8 | Boise St | 12-0 | 92.6 | WAC |
| 9 | Utah | 12-0 | 91.6 | MW |
| 10 | TCU | 10-2 | 91.1 | MW |
| 11 | Texas Tech | 11-1 | 89.8 | B12 |
| 12 | Iowa | 8-4 | 86.5 | B10 |
| 13 | Ball St | 12-1 | 84.4 | MAC |
| 14 | Missouri | 9-4 | 83.7 | B12 |
| 15 | Oklahoma St | 9-3 | 83.4 | B12 |
| 16 | Cincinnati | 11-2 | 82.8 | BigE |
| 17 | Pittsburgh | 9-3 | 82.6 | BigE |
| 18 | Mississippi | 8-4 | 81.7 | SEC |
| 19 | Oregon | 9-3 | 81.5 | P10 |
| 20 | California | 8-4 | 80.8 | P10 |
| 21 | Georgia | 9-3 | 80.0 | SEC |
| 22 | Florida St | 8-4 | 79.4 | ACC |
| 23 | Michigan St | 9-3 | 78.8 | B10 |
| 24 | Brigham Young | 10-2 | 77.3 | MW |
| 25 | Oregon St | 8-4 | 77.0 | P10 |
