[the ole football fan]

I am in favor of a college football play-offs. I am not a Buckeye fan (in fact, I hate them), but the point of the BCS is not to figure out who is number 2 but who is number 1. A lot of teams worked aweful hard this year to eliminate themselves from number 1 (as well as number 2). Do I believe Michigan is better than Florida? Absoultely and without a doubt. If matched up, the gators would lose to Michigan by twenty, but they are going to lose to OSU by twenty-three. Texas, Michigan, USC, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Louisville, West Virginia, LSU, Auburn, Cal all played themselves out of the championship game. They have no one to blame but themselves. It is simple: you want to be the champion, then beat everyone else; and OSU did that. The only two teams I feel sorry for are Boise State (but let's be serious . . .) and Oklahoma (and I hate them almost as much as the Buckeyes) who should be playing in the championship game (thanks replay official in Oregon who kept my worst nightmare from happening: OSU vs OK in National Title game . . . though the Gators aren't much better.

[EmpireWF]

The playoff system would be beneficial to getting a Championship game which nobody can argue with. The BCS system will never get that right unless there are two undefeated teams from the six power conferences.

[OswaldTheOsprey]

Originally Posted by the ole football fan

I am in favor of a college football play-offs. I am not a Buckeye fan (in fact, I hate them), but the point of the BCS is not to figure out who is number 2 but who is number 1. A lot of teams worked aweful hard this year to eliminate themselves from number 1 (as well as number 2). Do I believe Michigan is better than Florida? Absoultely and without a doubt. If matched up, the gators would lose to Michigan by twenty, but they are going to lose to OSU by twenty-three. Texas, Michigan, USC, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Louisville, West Virginia, LSU, Auburn, Cal all played themselves out of the championship game. They have no one to blame but themselves. It is simple: you want to be the champion, then beat everyone else; and OSU did that. The only two teams I feel sorry for are Boise State (but let's be serious . . .) and Oklahoma (and I hate them almost as much as the Buckeyes) who should be playing in the championship game (thanks replay official in Oregon who kept my worst nightmare from happening: OSU vs OK in National Title game . . . though the Gators aren't much better.

Time will tell if The Ohio State University can defeat Florida.
Remember the old adage about counting chickens before eggs
hatch!

OswaldTheOsprey

[domer747]

I just think a playoff is not only a better way to figure out who is the best team, its a more exciting format as well. If you were to have an eight team playoff, really all you would have to do is add two extra "bowl games" to the existing five now in the system. Here is what you do, let the four BCS games be the first four games of the playoff format. Then create two new bowl games, and the winners will play in the BCS National Championship in one of the four venues on a rotating basis. I just think it is the only way to really get a chance to compare things that you can't compare otherwise. For example, right now we justify how good a team is based on the strength of their conference and the schedule they play. But if you have a playoff, you give a team a chance to prove themself regardless of all that. Would their still be controversy? Yes, there will still be some teams left out, but atleast this way we are giving more teams a chance to prove themselves over a course of three weeks.....

[the ole football fan]

Don't get me wrong, I am for a play-off (probably go to a 16 team play-off). It is just that the BCS isn't designed to find the number 2 but the number 1. This year: Ohio State is #1. In a normal year they would be stuck playing USC in Rose Bowl. At least, they are playing the number 2 team in rankings. Here is the 16 team format we should have: conference winners of PAC-10, Big-10, Big-12, SEC, ACC, Big East and then the next nine at-large teams. Sorry if you are number 17, too bad. If Mountain West, WAC or Conf. USA plays themselves into automatic bid in a few years so be it.

[rmjvol]

Originally Posted by the ole football fan

It is just that the BCS isn't designed to find the number 2 but the number 1. This year: Ohio State is #1.

And what if Florida wins the game? The way I read what you say, your argument would fall apart. Just like if we have an undefeated team from a major conference left out of a title game. Without a playoff, there's controversy about the team(s) that didn't even get a chance.

The current system is worst because we're potentially leaving out the best or 2nd best team from the BCS title game. In a 16 team playoff, the only complaints will be from the 15-20-ish ranked teams. Too bad for them.

I agree that Ohio State should be called the #1 team today. No question in my mind. But if there's controversy in who should be called #2, you've got a title game that's not a true test for that #1 team.

If Florida wins, I think we'll hear a good bit of talk from the Michigan camp.

[the ole football fan]

You mean the Florida team that barely beat South Carolina, Vanderbilt and a bad Fla. State teams? I wouldn't bet on Florida this year. Can we look back to 1996 to see a similar set up? Nebraska 62 Florida 24.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by rmjvol

And what if Florida wins the game? The way I read what you say, your argument would fall apart. Just like if we have an undefeated team from a major conference left out of a title game. Without a playoff, there's controversy about the team(s) that didn't even get a chance.

The current system is worst because we're potentially leaving out the best or 2nd best team from the BCS title game. In a 16 team playoff, the only complaints will be from the 15-20-ish ranked teams. Too bad for them.

I agree that Ohio State should be called the #1 team today. No question in my mind. But if there's controversy in who should be called #2, you've got a title game that's not a true test for that #1 team.

If Florida wins, I think we'll hear a good bit of talk from the Michigan camp.

instead of a grueling 16 game playoff which the NCAA will not do...why not have the 2 and 3 team meet for the right to play the 1st place team that gets a bye for one game due to thier ranking?

[cjg11582]

If we are resorting to a playoff, which I am completely in favor of, then sixteen teams is necessary. Because if you limit the entry field to four or eight, then you effectively eliminate every mid-major from contention (mid majors are effectively why we have a fifth BCS game this season). The most logical plan to circumvent all of the pending baby steps would be to include all eleven conference champions and five at large bids (which in this case would go to LSU, Michigan, Wisconsin, Auburn and probably Notre Dame).

Does that mean I think the winner of the Sun Belt conference has a shot of running the table and knocking off the likes of Michigan, USC, etc? No, but its a formality, and a pivotal one at that. Any team who goes undefeated in Division 1-A deserves a shot at the national title. And if the scenario should play out in which a TCU, Boise St., Utah or Toledo goes undefeated, then the pieces have to be in place for them to have a chance at the crown.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by cjg11582

If we are resorting to a playoff, which I am completely in favor of, then sixteen teams is necessary. Because if you limit the entry field to four or eight, then you effectively eliminate every mid-major from contention (mid majors are effectively why we have a fifth BCS game this season). The most logical plan to circumvent all of the pending baby steps would be to include all eleven conference champions and five at large bids (which in this case would go to LSU, Michigan, Wisconsin, Auburn and probably Notre Dame).

Does that mean I think the winner of the Sun Belt conference has a shot of running the table and knocking off the likes of Michigan, USC, etc? No, but its a formality, and a pivotal one at that. Any team who goes undefeated in Division 1-A deserves a shot at the national title. And if the scenario should play out in which a TCU, Boise St., Utah or Toledo goes undefeated, then the pieces have to be in place for them to have a chance at the crown.

Won't fly...its all about TV revenue....and who wants to see some of these lower tier teams?...the TV execs won't be won over...

[the ole football fan]

I agree with the dark knight. No one will pay big bucks to see Wyoming versus Toledo. If TCU, Toledo, or any other "mid-Major" is good enough to be ranked in the top ten then they do deserve to be in a play off but not guaranteed just because they win their conference. Only the major conference winners should receive automatic bids.

[domer747]

I agree that you can't leave out the mid major teams, but I wouldn't go as far as to include all eleven champs, thats really unfair to some good teams that would get left out. I think you still leave in a clause, saying, if a mid-major team finishes in say the top 15 or even top 20, they get a spot, but to include all mid majors, that is over the top. No offense, but if I'm Auburn or West Virginia, I have a major gripe against a Sun Belt team getting in over me and my Major Conference schedule.....

[cjg11582]

I definitely agree with your assertion that this is not appealing to TV executives. But if you recall a few years ago when congress was going to interject and declare the BCS unconstitutional for constantly slighting the smaller Universities, the same measures could be taken if schools are continually short-changed for conference affiliation. And at that point TV executives are still going to be chomping at the bit to sign a college football playoff, few things are guaranteed to usher in higher ratings.

If you limited a playoff field to eight teams, Boise State would not get a bid this season, or if you limited it to four Utah wouldn't have in 2004 (Sure, they made the BCS, but there not getting a bid over USC, Oklahoma, Auburn, Texas or Cal), and keep in mind it is a playoff, we wouldn't be relegated to watching Wyoming vs. Toledo, it would be more along the lines of USC vs. Wyoming and OSU vs. Toledo for one round, then in the elite eight we would ideally be met with much more intriguing matchups.

I would welcome the idea of the mid-majors having to meet a certain ratings standard (Top ten, twelve or whatever arbitrary number the figureheads would come up with), but pollsters, based on regional biases and conference loyalties, would take that into consideration and try to unofficially blacklist them.

Teams like Auburn and West Virginia already eliminated themselves over the course of the regular season. Of course they are better than whoever won the Sunbelt, but if they deserved a playoff spot they wouldn't have lost to Arkansas at home by 17 and Georgia by 22, or in WVU's case: South Florida.

Please try not to take this out of context, this is more of a practical solution than a likely or desirable alternative. The aforementioned comments from Gotham, Ole Fan and Domer all come with a lot of validity. But what is holding back many mid-majors is a lack of credibility, and that is impossible to attain if you are constantly barred from the premiere post-season bids. The basic idea is to guarantee every conference, and by extension, every team, is represented.

[chsbletz]

One argument against a playoff system that almost no one seems to raise is the increased likelihood of critical injuries. For example, if Troy Smith were seriously injured, Ohio State would be pretty well dead in the water. Ditto for John David Booty (USC), Darren McFadden (Arkansas), and Chad Henne (Michigan), as well as countless others. After a twelve-game regular season, with no off weeks for many teams, I think a one-game championship is appropriate.

[OswaldTheOsprey]

I understand the arguments against the playoff system.
Many of them, especially in re injuries, are very valid.

That said, without a playoff there will always be the
room for argument. Witness Florida vs. Michigan this
year.

The St. Louis Cardinals reached and won the World
Series. This is indisputable due to a playoff system.

Perhaps mlb and college football are apples and
oranges, but that is the way I see it.

OswaldTheOsprey