BCS Earns Its Initials

I love the bowl system. It’s utterly unique to college football, allows fans to watch almost a solid month of good games, and is traditional. And I love the fact that every game matters.

But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t favor a play-off system. With play-offs we would still get a lot of games, and of an even higher quality. With the bonus of less whining from teams who have gotten shut out from a chance at the big trophy. Our national championship game might even get recognized by the NCAA (fun fact: according to them, FBS football does not crown a champion at the end of the season).

Sure, I would miss that ‘every week a season’ feeling, but a play-off could fix football in two ways. First, it would help teams that have an unevenly distributed strength of schedule by removing the kiss of death late losses. And it would even out the strength of schedule dilemma. A team that makes it to the play-offs by scheduling cupcakes will be at a disadvantage in terms of being prepared for actual competition. That’s a trade-off I can live with.

The only thing we would miss, ostensibly, would be the tradition. But who’s going to cry over the loss of the MPC Computer Bowl (other than the MPC Corporation)? Rose Bowl, yes. Sugar Bowl, yes. GMAC Bowl? Not so much. Incorporate the established bowls into the playoffs, and it’s all groovy.

Of course that won’t happen. Bowls were created way back in the ‘20’s specifically to bring tourists into town. They were founded for economic reasons and will persist because of that. Frustrating, but thus is the way of the world.

Instead of admitting that and moving on, the BCS commissioners put forth absolutely asinine and flimsy defenses of their perverted system. Newly appointed executive director Bill Hancock is the latest blatant flouter of common sense.

He said: A lot of the frustration with the BCS is because people don't understand it.
I say: You mean because you change the formula behind hidden doors in a manner so offensive one of the sports’ most respected polls has refused to let you continue using it? Also, how is having a system so complicated even the majority of die hard fans can’t explain it a point in its favor? I love statistics, but I shouldn’t have to have a degree in it to figure out who plays the best football. That should be settled on the field.

He said: The fact is a playoff would be as contentious or more contentious than what we have now.
I say: How? How could it possibly be more contentious that what we have now? “As contentious” I can almost give him, because there will always be someone just at the cut-off that will feel left out. But anyone who has paid the slightest bit of attention since 1998 will know it is impossible to design a more contentious system. Even randomly drawing names from a hat would be less contentious than the BCS.

He said: A playoff is just not right for college football.
I say: Ok, I also use “college football” as shorthand for Division IA/FBS college football. However, I am not representing an actual athletic institution that is required to understand and note the distinction. Every other level of college football, including Division I-AA, uses a playoff system. Or are they just doing things “wrong”?

He said: If you compare [the BCS] to the NFL or an NCAA tournament bracket, it's frustrating. But if you look at it through the prism of preserving the bowl system, fitting the academic calendar, you'll come to the position that this is the best way to do it.
I say: I appreciate he appreciates our frustration. I do not appreciate the lies he uses to defend the practice. Previously he’s admitted to having seen more than 1,000 proposals for a play-off system. I’d bet dollars to doughnuts a few of them use the bowls. Playoffs and the bowls are like science and religion: they don’t have to be adversaries, but can rather be used in tandem to make both better. Also, I refer him back to the point that every other level of college ball, and even other IA sports, have a playoff system. They also have the same academic calendar.

Can I give you some advice, Mr. Hancock? Man up, admit y’all love the money. After all, the unbridled pursuit of financial gain is the American way, and only apple pie and baseball are more American than football.