BCS and College Football

[HuskersGJ]

http://www.autumnspectacle.com/fans.htm

I was at the game so this brings back some happy memories- but I have to say disagree with the premise it makes.

In short,

The latest BCS rankings, from the Huskers to the top were: 1) Florida State (who played Maryland, today)

2) Tennessee (at Arkansas)

3) Virginia Tech (hosting Miami)

4) Florida (at South Carolina)

5) Kansas State (at Nebraska)

6) Nebraska (hosting Kansas State)

At one point, Nebraska blocked a punt out of the end zone for a safety, and the noise level dropped as the teams came back down the field to set up for the free kick.  The PA man seized the opportunity:
“We have a final in Fayetteville.  Tennessee 24, Arkansas…28”

Nebraska fans were delirious. 

As I drove through the darkness toward Kansas City, I felt a debt of gratitude to the Coed, to the Temporary Fans and, upon reflection, to the framers of the BCS.
And, I had to wonder about those who have said that they want to change college football - want to add games at the end which would diminish the now-or-never intensity of those autumn Saturdays.  Where were they today?  Did they miss it?

I'm curious what folks here think about this as a defense of the BCS/Bowl system.

IMO, the article made it sound like the "temporary fans" syndrome- in which one team roots for another in a far away game in hopes that it will improve their team's post-season chances- only happens in college football. as if it couldn't happen in a league with playoffs...

well... A couple years ago the Green Bay Packers were on the outside looking in. they needed a hapless sorry franchise in the Arizona Cardinals to beat a good Minnesota Vikings team in order to make the playoffs. As NFL fans they knew it was an unlikely scenario, but as Packer fans, all they had was hope.

In the meantime though, the Packers had to win their own game vs Denver. Up by 4 TDs with two minutes remaining in that game, Lambeau Field exploded when it was announced that the Cardinals had scored on the last play of their game to beat Minnesota.

almost the same situation as the NU vs KSU story in the article. a crowd lulled by the blowout unfolding in front of them, suddenly rocked by the score announcement of another game.

Except, the Packers were in the playoffs and had just as good a chance as several other playoff-bound NFL clubs. While the Huskers were still on the outside looking in. Instead of a chance, we were simply left wondering if we might've been able to beat FSU or VTech HAD WE GOTTEN THE CHANCE.

I love College Football and the pagentry and all that makes it special, part of that includes the Bowl games (or at least some of them). but it is possible to keep the Bowl names and locations and fit them into a playoff system.

personally I'd take the finalization of a playoff champion over arguing with whiny Michigan and Penn State fans for years when they could've been shut up years ago ON the field.

 

[huskerstag]

There's no doubt its a flawed system, but I agree with those who say its what we have and so we'll go with it.

There is a complaint that I think will almost certainly be made if a playoff system were implemented, and ironically its pretty much the same complaint we hear now. There's no good way of deciding who to put in the NC game if more than 2 teams are qualified.

Now imagine instead of trying to decide from among 3 unbeaten teams you have to decide from among say 3-4 1 loss teams for the 4th playoff spot, or if you use 8 teams then there could plausibly be 5-6 2 loss teams with a legitimate claim.

The problem with implementing a playoff IMO is that NCAA D1 football is too big for it. Things aren't broken down into nice little conferences and subconferences. In the NFL the teams all play against the other teams they're competing against for a playoff spot, and there are more spots to go around.

I could see each major conference getting a playoff spot, but then again we'd have the "non-playoff" conferences just as we now have the "non-BCS" conferences. You could throw in the at-large bids, but what do you do if say Texas loses to OU and doesn't win the conference, but Boise State or Utah or Bowling Green or whoever goes undefeated.

Again we'd be facing the same situations we've had in years past. Along with that I do feel some of the mystique of major college football would be lost because it would be such a radical departure from what its always been. But who knows, maybe it'll be that much better after its all said and done anyway.