NCAA football playoff?

[dlbpharmd]

I don't know if this has been discussed before, but I'm a big believer that the NCAA should adopt a playoff system in Division I football. And I felt this way BEFORE Tennessee got snubbed by the Outback Bowl. I believe that that is the only truly fair way to select a champion. I also believe that it could be easily accomplished without doing away with the traditional bowls. I would take the AP top 16 teams (the sweet sixteen) and over the course of 4 weeks, let them play each other til only one team is left standing. The inital 8 games would be the minor bowl games, like the New Orleans Bowl, etc. You can't tell me that this wouldn't create alot more interest and generate alot more revenue for these rinky dink bowls. The National Championship game would rotate b/w the big 4 bowls, like it does now with the BCS.

Any thoughts or opposing viewpoints?

[Brinn]

The argument that the NCAA would make is that it extends the season beyond what is allowable under current NCAA rules. With that said, I agree with you although I wouldn't even mind seeing the top 4 in a playoff. Hell, the other divisions have a playoff, why can't 1A?

[Roland of Gilead]

I would split the difference and make it the top eight teams. This would ensure that the real best teams were represented. Sure, the ninth ranked team would say they got screwed, but so would the seventeenth or the 33rd, or whatever.

With eight teams, it would only extend the season three weeks. 8 plays 1, 7 plays 2, etc. the first week, the second week the winners again play, top seed left against bottom seed left, etc. Third week, the two remaining teams battle it out for the national championship.

At least we wouldn't have the current situation, with three teams each with one loss, screaming they're the best, they just had one bad game . . . but only two of them get to duke it out, and the third has to sit by and cry.

Also the top eight system would allow some team which perhaps started the season badly, like Kansas State, to still have a chance at getting back to the top.

Letting computers determine the outcome of the season sucks.

[Brinn]

Amen!

[dANdeLION]

Letting computers determine the outcome of the season sucks.

I agree. Letting officials determine it is even worse. As long as they're going to officiate like they did in last year's championship game, playoffs won't matter.

[Roland of Gilead]

I'm not totally sold on the challenge system in the NFL, but some sort of replay in college would have defintely altered some outcomes in recent years.

[californiababy]

I agree that a NCAA Football Playoff system is needed. However, nothing will happen until all of the "powers that be" are satisfied with any new system. First, the purists that like the old bowl system must be made happy. Second, all of the big bowl games must be meaningful (and profitable since big money controls NCAA football ). And third the BCS must somehow be used to keep everyone involved with the current setup happy. Therefore,
Go back to the old bowl match up system where conference tie ins (and hence conference champions) determine where one plays. Big ten vs. Pac Ten in Rose Bowl, SEC champ vs. at large in Sugar, etc.
There would be six automatic bids going to the champs of the six big conferences (five if one wants to diminish the Big East). The other two slots would go to those teams which did not win their conference but disearve a shot (e.g. Oklahoma and gasp Ohio state ) However, instead of taking just two, I suggest using the BCS to select the best four (Which would probably include Oklahoma, Ohio State, Tennessee and Georgia) and have a wild card type playoff to determine which two of the four could get the last two bids at an at large entry to the eight team playoff.
To review and clarify this years NCAA playoff would start like this
Rose Bowl USC vs. Michigan
Fiesta Kansas vs. an at large play in winner
Sugar LSU vs. an at large play in winner
Orange ACC (Florida St.) vs. Big East (Miami)

Ten teams would qualify. Except for the wild card games to select the at large teams, the existing bowl structure would be used as the opening round of the playoffs for the eight surviving teams. Conference play would be meaningful again.

After this the winners would play each other in some rotating dome home field system (locations to be determined well in advance).

PS. Since Michigan will beat USC they would naturally go on to win the next two playoff games and rightfully be crowned the national champions.
Lastly the California baby will be able to whine about the beautiful weather on New Years Day whenever Michigan plays there.

[dlbpharmd]

bump

[Damelon]

IAA has a 16 team playoff. I see no reason, other than it would shorten a game off the schedule, that IA couldn't do the same. The "tradition" of the bowls, would soon be forgotten by the excitement that a playoff would generate.

The BCS has already wrecked alot of the tradition that the bowl system supposedly represents anyway.