In every major sport, there are playoffs. In every college equivalent, there are playoffs – that is of course, except Division 1A football.
We have March Madness in basketball, a College World Series in baseball, and playoffs in every other sport but football. And after last weekend, that reality has assured that a cloud of doubt will be hanging over whichever team takes home this year’s national title.
There are five undefeated teams remaining at the Div. 1A level after last weekend’s games. Alabama will play Texas in the Citi National Championship Game – one of them will finally suffer a loss and the other will remain perfect. The Fiesta Bowl will also feature two undefeated teams, with TCU playing Boise State. And finally, Cincinnati pits it’s flawless record up against Florida in the Sugar Bowl.
In the end, there’s a possibility we’ll come out of the BCS with three teams, all undefeated, and all with a legitimate claim that they deserve national title recognition.
Now, I understand the constant debate over strength of schedule and the challenges faced by teams who play in the more powerful conferences. But the system in place seems far too archaic and flawed, with computers and coaches and everyone else having a say in who plays for the championship.
In every other sport, the champion is the last team standing, the only team left at the end, and the only team to win the last game of its season. That’s how it was for the Yankees last month and that’s how it was for the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII. They capped their seasons off with a victory and rightfully earned their championship claim. All the doubters had to put-up and shut-up.
With the current BCS system, all the “what-if’s” remain. I want to see the national champion decided on the field, where the game is played – when that happens all the what-if’s go away, the endless talk stops and we all move on. All the second-rate teams get dismissed, and there is no doubt who deserves the title.
It’s time for college football to adopt a playoff system. This year, there might be a general consensus on the eight best teams, and with a playoff system, you’ll always end up with that ninth team whining that they belong – but to me, that is much better than dealing with the insufferable debate between multiple undefeated teams, all with legitimate claims on the national title.
Filed in: College Football.
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Only NASCAR has a dumber way to determine a champion.
I think the debate over whether or not to implement a playoff system is probably more entertaining than many of the playoff games would be.