I know I’m not the only one who hates this current college football system, if you can even call it that. All team sports have a playoff or tournament format except at the football collegiate level. Doesn’t it feel like every team makes it to a bowl game? Well Notre Dame posting a 6-6 record could not possibly have right? Wrong, they did and the only reason as to why is because they are Notre Dame. I forgot that mediocrity gets rewarded as well in this ridiculous BCS system. Paris Hilton could come up with a better formula for what teams play each other in these Bowl Games.{Though she probably doesn’t know what formula means} Sponsors continually have their own bowl games weeks after the conclusion of the regular season. There were 32 bowl games last year and have now expanded to 34. Great that’s all we need more bowl games. Companies range from Papajohns.com, Meineke Car Care, Outback, Roady’s Humanitarian, and the just recently added magicJack bowl game. I’m still waiting for Ashton Kutcher to jump out of a bush and scream “you got Punk’d, no more bowl games.” But he hasn’t yet and it doesn’t look like he will for a long time or at least until there is enough protest. Maybe are next president Barack Obama will help since he is also not a fan of the current BCS.
The worst part about BCS Bowl Games is that every year people debate over which two teams should be playing in the National Championship Game. It should never be a question left up to a bunch of sports writers and computers to decide. Did you know there are the BCS Standings, AP Top 25, and USA Today Poll which all cannot agree on a consensus number one team in the nation? The conclusion of this season, and every other season, has us scratching our heads with more questions than answers. Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech all finished 11-1. A triangle emerged with all of them losing to one another, yet Oklahoma was considered the best of the three. They somehow got the opportunity to play Missouri for the Big 12 title. And with a win, get the chance to play against Florida even though Texas defeated Oklahoma.
For those who argue that this system makes the regular season that much more important, the answer is NO! Just look at Texas they won every game except for a last second thriller to Texas Tech on the road. This system is ludicrous when you also realize there are still two undefeated teams in Utah and Boise State with a bunch of excellent one loss teams that will not be playing in the championship game. Are you telling me that USC, Alabama, Penn State, Texas, Texas Tech, and the many other talented teams on any given day could not beat Oklahoma or Florida? You seem to get rewarded for running up the score like Oklahoma did with the computer rankings, yet we tend to forget about the aspect of football called sportsmanship.
Those who believe Boise State upsetting Oklahoma was an awesome bowl game, it was; however, it should have meant even more. Boise State might have been the best team in college football in 2007, but we will never know. In fact, we will never know the best college football team on a yearly basis and I find that sad. Imagine if the NFL was like the BCS system. The Steelers under Ben Roethlisberger would have never won the Super bowl, and the greatest Super bowl of our lifetime would have never occurred. After all, the Giants were a wildcard and had no right playing the undefeated Patriots. {at least that’s what the computers would have said in the BCS}
The idea that every year multiple teams can make a case claiming they deserve a shot in the national championship game makes the winner seem less justified. The only way to solve this problem is simple: have a POST-SEASON! Nobody disputes a champion after they won the World Series, Super bowl, NBA Finals or March Madness. Critics of the BCS talk about a one plus format or playoffs between the best eight teams in college football at the end of the regular season, but I do not think that is enough.
The most fair and exciting way to conclude a regular season is to have the same tournament college basketball has, known as March Madness. A creative title such as December Dizziness or how about December Dreams could be given to the eventual winner of the tournament. Instead of having bowl games with close to 64 teams playing in them, have a tournament that would incorporate the most deserving 64 teams. Instead of having a regular season that ends in the first week in December with a month hiatus in between bowl games; a tournament could be installed. The regular season would be cut to only eleven weeks with teams having one bye week. Schools would play a total of five home and five away games making up their regular season. Then just like with college basketball, winners of each regular season conference would end up in the tournament while the rest would be at large bids. That way the regular season really does mean something. Whether you are a dominant university fighting for a top seed or a mid major school hoping to survive and reach the tournament. The season would end at the same time it does now while creating more thrilling games as the season reaches its conclusion. An actual winner would be crowned without any debate over who the best team truly was.
Can we please have a Brittney Spears like transformation to the BCS? I think it is finally time to change old traditions that are not effective anymore. I am tired of watching meaningless bowl games that have no real significance. I suggest not watching any bowl games unless you like witnessing games a month after the season. We are part of the problem as sponsors thrive on our revenue by going to these games. I refuse to watch a complete bowl game. The only reason I’ll watch parts of a game is to see players that will be drafted in the NFL. If college football went to a 64 team, knockout style tournament, universities would eventually make its profits back while satisfying the hearts of fans across the country.
