Playoff Problem: Facts and Figures

Next, the Playoff Problem regales us with the following facts and figures.

It’s successful.
True. But not the whole story. It’s successful in the sense that BCS #1 plays BCS #2 in the last game of the post season. Where it fails is accurately ascertaining who deserves to be #1 and #2.

College football is more popular than ever.
I’ll trust their viewing statistics are accurate. However, they don’t substantiate the claim that it’s “because of the BCS.” Even if it were, would that mean football would become less popular or unpopular with the institution of a playoff? Consider: polls indicate the vast majority of college football fans favor a playoff.

Fans and players love bowls.
True, I guess. I think fans and players just love football, but why quibble? Also, a play-off does not ipso-facto eliminate bowls.

It’s fair.
No. No it’s not. I’ll admit to being an apologist for BCS conference bias and would be sorely unhappy should Boise State or TCU being in the championship game, but I will never pretend the system is fair. It’s biased toward Big Name schools and what they consider to be good match ups. Remember a few years ago when Michigan was in contention for going to the NC, but since Ohio State was #1 and those two schools had played in the regular season, Florida went instead? Sure, it was the right decision, but it wasn’t “fair.” They claim, “every team has an opportunity to earn a spot in a BCS game,” but that’s true in the sense that any kid can grow up to be president. It’s possible, but circumstances work against some teams to make it extremely unlikely.

And so they have been foiled yet again. In fact, I tire of shooting fish in a barrel. Tomorrow will be our last installment.