Earlier today, our old boss Jeff published a story at Fox Sports Ohio that takes on conference realignment. Jeff believes that this is the best chance we have at getting a real playoff system installed at the top level of college football.
Fans from schools like Auburn, Utah, Boise State, TCU, and Cincinnati have long argued that their teams were shut out of a chance to compete for the National Championship. Their debate has been played out in the media, and rightfully so. But by the time the BCS National Championship Game kicks off, those schools are an afterthought, patted on the head and ordered to go back and sit at the kids’ table.
Conference realignment might be the first shot that finally kills the BCS in favor of a playoff system, if it is proposed the right way.
The whole article is a must-read, so please go check it out. Here’s a brief summary;
- The Big Ten, SEC and Pac-10 should grow to as many as 16 teams each by the time realignment is complete.
- Those three leagues have conference championship games, and those winners play in a January 4-team bracket.
- The four best remaining schools (not playing in a conference title game) play in an early-December 4-team bracket, to be played while the SEC, B10 and Pac-10 are determining their champions. Winner gets the 4th slot in January.
- All the major and minor bowls can still take their desired schools to play. The only four schools off limits are the four teams in the January brackets.
Frankly, it’s brilliant. We’d have the four teams for the January bracket determined by the 10th of December, so there would be no serious confict with scheduling bowl teams.
Jeff also points out that in 2009, the teams involved in the two-tiered bracket system would have been Texas, Ohio State, Alabama, Cincinnati, TCU, Boise State, and Georgia Tech. All the teams that had a LEGITIMATE claim to a National Championship shot are listed in that group. It covers all the bases, therefore.
The three losing teams from the December bracket (for arguments’ sake, TCU, Cinci and Ga Tech) would all be eliminated early enough to accept invites to the major (BCS) bowls they played in anyway. And the top four get a January game, maybe two.
A clear champion would be determined. No more Auburns from 2004. No more Utahs. No more Boise States.
Whaddya think?
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