Playoff System????? (Long)

SpeedsterX · #1 10-17-2006, 03:32 AM

I'm a member of a few Sports Forums and MANY members are proponents of a playoff system for College Football. I ALWAYS have been. Below is a published letter from the South Bend Tribune that I wrote 13 years ago because of the problems with the "Bowl Coalition" (now the BCS) at the time. This year will end up no different when the final "Champion" is announced in January with a few teams screaming that they should have a share or a shot at the Grand Prize! I guess some things will never change.

South Bend Tribune
Sports Forum
January 8, 1995

"It seems that Notre Dame sure has a lot of people's pants in a bunch because they were chosen to play in the Fiesta Bowl. Many people think that the bowls were made up for teams that have a "better than average season" to have a last "big game" because they "deserved" and "earned" it.

No, I'm sorry people. That would be called a Playoff System. The Bowl Coalition (now the BCS) is a BUSINESS. Yes, football fans, the big "B" in bowls stands for BUSINESS! If you've been naive enough before to actually think the the big honchos in the bowl coalition sit up in their big offices and say, "Oh, Podunk University had a great season, why don't we invite those boys to our million dollar payout bowl game! WHAT? Noone would watch Podunk University play? So what, those boys deserved it!"

Wake up people!! They want to sell advertising and tickets and make lots of MONEY! If you really want a system that pits the teams against each other because of their season record, then keep yelling for a Playoff System.

But it seems ironic that the same people who are whining about Notre Dame going to the Fiesta Bowl are the same people who don't want a Playoff System. To those people I say, "Make up your mind!" Either you have a money-minded bowl coalition that looks for big-name colleges such as Notre Dame, no matter what their season record, to attract viewers for their advertisers. OR, you install a Playoff System that will only play the teams with that season's best records, which this year Notre Dame would not be included in.

Of course with the Playoff System, Notre Dame would probably have even more National Championships including, more than likely, last year (1993) when it beat Florida State.

There are alot of excuses for not having a Playoff System in college football, but since every other college sport has one, none of the excuses hold water. There is one reason and one reason only and that's MONEY! And now that Notre Dame, with it's not-so-stellar season, played in a major bowl game, everyone is starting to realize that. If you really want to see football "just for the kids' sake" or "just for the love of football," then look to high schools. Oh, right, forget that, you won't like high school football. You see, THEY have a Playoff System.

What do you think???????????

87lowrider · #2 10-17-2006, 03:45 AM

Ok call me stupid here,not much of a college buff but I always thought Bowl games were Playoffs

SpeedsterX · #3 10-17-2006, 04:05 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: 87lowrider

Ok call me stupid here,not much of a college buff but I always thought Bowl games were Playoffs

No Jim,,,

They have never been playoffs. Right now a computer, certain people (Harris Poll) and fellow coaches finally say who the National Champion is. It's been a mess for years!!!

firestarter · #4 10-17-2006, 01:00 PM

I blame the NCAA for the Division 1-A football mess. Why is football the only NCAA sport that does not have an NCAA sancationed playoff for the national championship? there is only one reason $$$$$$$!!! There are som many alternatives to the current BCS system that could keep the Bowl system in tack and also support a playoff. For example we will use the latest BCS rankings OSU, USC, UM & Auburn. OSU v Auburn, USC v UM and the winners would play for the national championship. All the other Bowl games are played as they always are and you could rotate the national championship around to the major bowls like the current system does. This only extends the season by one week and one game. A small price to pay for a ture national championship. My $.02

HDHornet · #5 10-17-2006, 02:39 PM

This is why I believe A play-off system is needed. You could have two teams at the end of the bowl games with the same records and not have one single common opponent durring the season. Plus a team can have one off game durring the season and blow out everyone else (good teams included) and not have a shot at the championship because there are two undefeated teams that played a weaker schedule in the championship bowl game. I may be wrong but dosn't division 2 qnd 3 have a playoff system?

Barebackjack · #6 10-17-2006, 08:26 PM

You hit the nail on the head- MONEY. Look at the corporate sponsorships of bowls and how much money all the schools in a particular conference get when they share bowl revenue and you can see why no one wants to give all this up for a play off.