Annual BCS Rant

[pegwinn]

Cross posted from the blog linked at my signature.

I love Football. IF you are reading from outside the USA I am talking about American Football of course. But, I hate the NCAA division I bubbas. I mean, when are these bozos going to figure out that they need a structured playoff leading to a national title? It's a joke, it's a farce. It's the one election in America that needs to be scrapped.

The pros have two seasons. The regular season where you vie for a playoff berth, and then the playoffs that lead to the Superbowl. Here in Texas, each High School team belongs to a district based on school size. Districts lead to Regions which go to Areas and then to a state championship. It is structured so that there isn't any ambiguity.

Today, my daughters HS (the undisputed district champion) faced another district champ for the regional title. We lost unfortunately. But, we don't have to wait till Monday to have a bloody election among the coaches and (of all things) sports writers to pick one.

I find it amazing that the NCAA still cannot get the picture and improve it's program. This year the top five ranked teams were upset at a rate of at least one a week. I am watching OU whip up on Mizzou right now. Mizzou is ranked number 1, yet OU is favored to win the Big12. But, a national title? The commentators are arguing now over who might get a BCS berth.

Just say no, to elections and software.

Demand a playoff system.

Your country needs you, right now.

[5stringJeff]

I agree. My NCAA playoff system would be thus:

16 teams. All 11 conference champions are in, plus 5 at-large teams based on polls. Single elimination tournament. The 15 largest bowls host the tournament games, with the biggest bowls rotating the championship game as they do now. The remaining 17 bowls do what they do now: invite good teams that miss the tournament to play in a one-time postseason matchup.

Bowls win. Teams win. The fans win.

[pegwinn]

I could do that.

I do have an inherent distrust of polls. I actually like the BCS software because it is unbiased. Data in, data out.

[5stringJeff]

I could do that.

I do have an inherent distrust of polls. I actually like the BCS software because it is unbiased. Data in, data out.

Well, perhaps instead of based on polls, based on the BCS computer rankings.

[pegwinn]

Well, perhaps instead of based on polls, based on the BCS computer rankings.

See how easy we fixed it? You'd think the NCAA would get the picture by now.

[5stringJeff]

See how easy we fixed it? You'd think the NCAA would get the picture by now.

Except we're two smart guys, and they're apparently a bunch of dumbasses.

[remie]

I couldnt agree with you more. My thought would be at least eight teams, feeling like the best five teams would somehow be in the mix. The last three I am sure would have a lot of discussion but I think the last teams in would be up for discussion no matter how many teams you let in. I am not altogether for letting all the conference champs in automatically because one conference may have three teams that are better than the champ of another. I am for letting the BCS computer rank them and let the chips fall where they may.

Any playoff format would be better than the system they have now.

[pegwinn]

I couldnt agree with you more. My thought would be at least eight teams, feeling like the best five teams would somehow be in the mix. The last three I am sure would have a lot of discussion but I think the last teams in would be up for discussion no matter how many teams you let in. I am not altogether for letting all the conference champs in automatically because one conference may have three teams that are better than the champ of another. I am for letting the BCS computer rank them and let the chips fall where they may.

Any playoff format would be better than the system they have now.

Can I get an Amen? Yea Brother welcome to the smart guys NCAA advisory committee......

As to conferences, well, the NFC is statistically more likely to win than the AFC. I hear what your saying. But, I feel strongly that the title of "Big 12 or SEC or PAC 10 Champion" has to mean something. But, we agree, the current system sux.

Pass the plate and let's make a beer run.

[SpidermanTUba]

I agree. My NCAA playoff system would be thus:

16 teams. All 11 conference champions are in, plus 5 at-large teams based on polls. Single elimination tournament. The 15 largest bowls host the tournament games, with the biggest bowls rotating the championship game as they do now. The remaining 17 bowls do what they do now: invite good teams that miss the tournament to play in a one-time postseason matchup.

Bowls win. Teams win. The fans win.

Yeah, that would be great on the teams, to play 4 games at neutral fields in a row.


Plus not all 11 conference champions deserve to be in the playoffs. You honestly think the Sun Belt Champion should be given the honor of being decimated by the #1 seed every season? No way. You would want at most the top 8 conference champions. Better yet, the top 4, and then the top 12 remaining teams.


Requiring a team to merely win its conference championship to get into the playoffs means that out of conference games do not matter for that team, since out of conference games do not matter for conference championships. This would drastically decrease the value of out of conference games for mid major teams which stand no chance of making it to your 5 wild card spots, as well as somewhat decrease their value for the top notch teams. For instance, if you've already clinched your division and are playing an out of conference game to end the season, you might just go ahead and play your second string so that your first string can rest up for the conference championship game.




A better way, which preserves the 4 BCS bowls, is to allow only the best conferences automatic seeds. By 'best', I mean conferences that produce Championships. I figure 4 conferences should get automatic bids, and since the last 4 conferences to have a team win the championship are the SEC, Big12, Pac10, and Big10, those 4 conferences should get automatic bids. If a team from another conference - say, the ACC, wins the next BCS championship, then the Big10 would drop off the list and the ACC would be added.

So you would take these 4 automatic bids, plus 4 at large bids which are the 4 highest ranked teams not already in it, limit 2 per conference. This year, it would have been LSU, Oklahoma, USC, OSU with automatic bids, and Virginia Tech, Georgia, Missouri, and West Virginia. Why not Hawaii, you ask? Because fuck Hawaii, that's why, they played the easiest schedule of any team anywhere, they played to IAA teams with losing records for crying out loud. You get no credit for playing a schedule like that and West VIrginia, Missouri, and all the other teams in the list would wipe the floor with them. Same goes for Kansas.

Then you preserve tie-ins as much as possible. Since most years, the Big10 and Pac10 both would either have an automatic bid or an at large, the Rose Bowl could be preserved. This year, it would have been

Rose
USC v OSU

Fiesta
Oklahoma v Georgia

Orange
Virginia Tech v West Virginia

Sugar
LSU v Missouri


The following round would be called the National Semi Final East and National Semi Final West, hosting the winners of the Sugar and Orange, and the Rose and Fiesta, respectively. The host bowl/city could rotate through the ones for the first round, or perhaps other cities could be used.
Then all that's left is the NC.

I'd predict USC v Georgia for the National Semi Final West this year,
and
LSU v West Virginia for the East game.

and LSU v Georgia would have been the final national championship game.