[EmpireWF]

No matter what side of the fence you're on, on this subject, it's controversial. Most everyone wants to see the Bowls shifted to the back of the lot and welcome a playoff system. However, the argument over such a system would be it takes away from the regular season. If a team is set for the playoffs, would they bench their star RB for the final game or two? Also, a playoff would certainly go into Final exams and likely close to the following semester at the end of January. Remember, these are students.

Still, people want to see the National Championship be settled on the field. So this year, at least two or three Championship-caliber teams will be left in the dust. However, here's what it might look like if there were a Playoff system in place.

Under my idealistic playoff system, the 6 conference winners of the BCS Conferences would get spots. Then the next two teams will be chosen from at-large teams. That's 8 teams who get a chance at the National Title. Here's how it would look right now.


1. Ohio State/Michigan (Big 10 Conf. Winner)
8. Boise State (At Large)

3. Florida/Arkansas (SEC Conf. Winner)
6. Notre Dame (At Large)
----
4. Rutgers/West Virginia (Big East Conf. Winner)
5. Texas or Nebraska (Big 12 Conf. Winner)

2. USC/California (Pac 10 Conf. Winner)
7. Wake Forest (ACC Conf. Winner)


Thoughts on this playoff? Thoughts on a playoff in college football in general?

[Lefty Noob]

The issue is, where do you draw the lines with the conference champs? Why the Big East and not the WAC, Mountain West, MAC or Conference USA? Is Boise State THAT much more deserving than BYU is right now? No matter what system people come up with, there are going to be flaws. Personally, I like the Bowl System as it is -- its not flawed, its the BCS that's flawed. I still think the answer lies in doing away with preseason rankings and judging teams on their own merits after 3 or 4 games.

[EmpireWF]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

The issue is, where do you draw the lines with the conference champs? Why the Big East and not the WAC, Mountain West, MAC or Conference USA? Is Boise State THAT much more deserving than BYU is right now? No matter what system people come up with, there are going to be flaws. Personally, I like the Bowl System as it is -- its not flawed, its the BCS that's flawed. I still think the answer lies in doing away with preseason rankings and judging teams on their own merits after 3 or 4 games.

The six conference champs would each come from the six BCS Conferences (Big East, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-10, SEC). With the At-Large, I just choose the top two teams in the BCS rankings who aren't in either of those conferences.

[Lefty Noob]

Originally Posted by EmpireWF

The six conference champs would each come from the six BCS Conferences (Big East, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-10, SEC). With the At-Large, I just choose the top two teams in the BCS rankings who aren't in either of those conferences.

Yeah, but that creates problems all its own. Where's the loser of OSU-Michigan in the equation? If your only loss on the season is to the consensus, unbeaten #1 team, don't you deserve a spot in an 8-team playoff? This is what I'm saying; no matter where you draw the line, some teams will be left out, and the controversy will still be there.

[buildrich]

From the end of November until the beginning of January, a 5-week championship tournament could easily be scheduled. Divisions 1-A, 2, and 3 seem to get it done each year with no major outcry over scholastic detriment.
With a 32-team championship series, there could be continued 31 of the existing bowl sites. Trim the seedings to 24 teams and you could have the top 8 teams get a bye week in a 5-week series with the bottom 16 playing in the first week. This second setup would leave only 23 games, still plenty of bowl game money. Rotating the championship game among the top 7 moneymaking bowl games would insure fairness; the other 6 would get the Elite 8 and Final 4 games.

[Lefty Noob]

Originally Posted by buildrich

From the end of November until the beginning of January, a 5-week championship tournament could easily be scheduled. Divisions 1-A, 2, and 3 seem to get it done each year with no major outcry over scholastic detriment.

Exactly. All the hand-wringing the NCAA likes to do over the academic impossibility of doing an FBS playoff... there's already several models of how to make it work right now in college football. It's kind of pathetic that they expect fans to buy this excuse when clearly it just isn't true.

[buildrich]

Typo: I meant 1-AA.
Forgot to mention that surely a 24 or 32-team field would eliminate all the complaints that a valid contender for #1 got overlooked.