Road to the BCS

Demiurge

Follow the $. That's why the BCS still gets it's due. The schools support it so long as they're not getting screwed by it. The financial windfall for the chosen schools is high enough that it's not worth squaking at the end of the day. It's what it's all about for them because these athletes make these schools a mint.

Why do those of you who watch the NFL keep watching it if they regular season games are meaningless? Is it just as much the love of following your team or is it just that the game "matters"?

There's no real reason that a season can't be extended longer than it is.

As far as this year. It didn't matter if it was Florida or Michigan. People were going to be pissed. This is what happens when you have computers picking champions.

To be fair to the BCS is not the joke, but merely the whipping boy. It's the university presidents that have stuck their dongs up in the air and stonewalled any attempt at a playoff system being instituted. Every single year people **** about this because they want definitive winners. Not style points and strength of schedule. If a team like Boise State can beat OSU they should be the national champ.

By and large these are the people who want a playoff system:

Coaches
Players
Fans
Media

There's a few people who don't as referenced by this thread, but lets face the music that we don't hear announcers and people like myself bitching about the current system every year because it's just a fly by night idea. It is what the majority want from what I can tell, and it's not just fans.

At the end of the day there's no way to know if Florida or Michigan was better unless they played one another. So arguing about that is a moot point.

One thing is for sure 2000-2004 national championship games were completely screwed because of NCAA footballs current structure.

What would really make me happy is if a coach refused to play in a bowl game after getting snubbed for the title game. It'll never happen, but that would work if the school wouldn't step in and fire the coach on the spot and take the team anyway.

mldennison

What kills me about the bowls is the wait between the end of the regular season and the bowl games. Ohio State is off for 2 full months in between their Michigan win and the BCS game, do we really think it is going to be the same team on the field? I do love watching the bowl games but they really are for show to me at this point, nothing to take really seriously...

PhantomOG

Demiurge wrote:

Why do those of you who watch the NFL keep watching it if they regular season games are meaningless? Is it just as much the love of following your team or is it just that the game "matters"?

I don't watch the NFL. Period. I watch the NBA playoffs, and NCAA basketball tournament -- almost none of the regular season games as they are pretty much meaningless. And I'd rather watch paint dry than watch a bunch of guys stand around, spit, and scratch themselves (baseball).

But I know that's just me. College football is just about the only sport that I follow relatively closely and I would hate to see it changed so dramatically.

Demiurge

Yeah, but I want to hear from those that do watch it. It's an easy out for you because you don't.

ND13

PhantomOG wrote:

I don't watch the NFL. Period. I watch the NBA playoffs, and NCAA basketball tournament -- almost none of the regular season games as they are pretty much meaningless. And I'd rather watch paint dry than watch a bunch of guys stand around, spit, and scratch themselves (baseball).

But I know that's just me. College football is just about the only sport that I follow relatively closely and I would hate to see it changed so dramatically.

Blasphemer!!!!

zombie boy 2000

Demi... I'm a fan of both and you're right, I follow the Falcons week-in, week-out.

The main difference being the sheer intensity of a major game in college football. The NFL simply cannot approach this. No matter the teams. No matter the playoff implications.

Yeah, I'd take the NFL over just about any other sport, but the college game is on a whole different level. A playoff system is a drastic change that cannot help but effect (I believe adversely) the way we enjoy the regular season.

PolkWannabie

It wasn't about who is #1 ... OSU is clearly well beyond the rest with Michigan a close second ... As stated it was about what I was more interested in watching ... This year "The National Title" game is likely to be as boring as most superbowls are ...

Demiurge

zombie boy 2000 wrote:

Demi... I'm a fan of both and you're right, I follow the Falcons week-in, week-out.

The main difference being the sheer intensity of a major game in college football. The NFL simply cannot approach this. No matter the teams. No matter the playoff implications.

Yeah, I'd take the NFL over just about any other sport, but the college game is on a whole different level. A playoff system is a drastic change that cannot help but effect (I believe adversely) the way we enjoy the regular season.

That's not really a valid excuse, but it's the one the University Presidents all use. They should just come out and say they're making way too much money this way. It would at least be honest.

Also, intensity? Yeah they're playing for more than a paycheck, but I don't know, there's a reason so many #1 college players go bust in the NFL as tenacious as they are as individuals. I think it's that the talent level is much lower and more spread out in the NCAA as opposed to the NFL where it's the best of the best. Why do you see so many lopsided victories? Big programs get the better athletes. It's not always the case since many kids get overlooked out of the box straight from High School -- look at the numbers Hawaii has put up this year. Their QB is silly. Think if he was playing for OSU instead of Troy Smith they wouldn't be calling him for the Heisman?

It's all about where you play, and the division you play in. The NCAA really would need to be dismantled for this to work, and I don't think it would be such a bad thing, but meh...I agree college football has the best regular season, but at the end of the year people are scratching their heads every season wondering what the hell is going on.

zombie boy 2000

You're right... it is all about the money. But I happen to agree quite passionately with the University presidents, even if it is nothing more than a red herring for them.

I really have no agenda here, and actually (as I stated previously), a team such as the Louisville Cardinals would benefit immensely from a playoff system. It just doesn't seem right. I might consider a four-team playoff to protect the system from having to crown a paper champion.

Remember... we love our cinderellas and underdogs in basketball, but football is all about domination and supremacy. Nature of the sport.

Demiurge

zombie boy 2000 wrote:

You're right... it is all about the money. But I happen to agree quite passionately with the University presidents, even if it is nothing more than a red herring for them.

I really have no agenda here, and actually (as I stated previously), a team such as the Louisville Cardinals would benefit immensely from a playoff system. It just doesn't seem right. I might consider a four-team playoff to protect the system from having to crown a paper champion.

Remember... we love our cinderellas and underdogs in basketball, but football is all about domination and supremacy. Nature of the sport.

I know you don't have any agenda here. I don't either, other than to say I am sick of this mock championship every year with no clear winner. We love winners. I'd really like to see OSU play the deserving opponent rather than the one the computers picked. Yes, OSU was picked #1 by the computers as well, but it works out anyways since it's clear by all of us that they are. There wasn't a big controversy this year there, but there's a huge one in who should face them.

March Madness is one of my favorite times of year in sports. Granted it's different, but I still see no reason why the football end of it can't have something similar.

tommyboy

zombie boy 2000 wrote:

Remember... we love our cinderellas and underdogs in basketball, but football is all about domination and supremacy. Nature of the sport.

I'm sorry Jason, but this makes no sense. You want to know why football is about domination and supremacy, well maybe cause there is no chance for underdogs in the first place. Thats whats fun with watching college BB or any other playoff sport, a team you would have never expected to win does. And do you want to know why they won, well maybe cause they had a chance to.

Duke is USUALLY number 1(or at least in top 20) every year, do you see them win the championship every year... no


I feel like we are talking about politics here...;)

zombie boy 2000

Risking sounding a bit cliche here, but the entire season is a championship game of sorts. Unlike any other sport, the challenge to become number one is intrinsically tied into every facet of the game beginning with week one (actually, the previous year if you're looking to set yourself up for the next season).

From the polls to the conference debates to the 5-star matchups, being number one in college football is so much more than simply winning the championship. I know that may not make much sense, but if you can follow me here -- you might see where I'm coming from.

Take the exact opposite for example -- baseball post wild-card and division realignment. Not only is the longest season in sports now utterly meaningless, but the very format of the games is completely changed for the first round. Teams that have found success throughout the season on the strength of a quality 4 or 5 man rotation, are now castrated by a best of five series that only requires 2 strong arms.

I despise this because I used to love baseball and what seemed like a harmless move to lure the casual fan completely disenchanted legion of die-hard baseball fans. Seriously.

I'd hate to see the same thing happen with college football.

ND13

PolkWannabie wrote:

It wasn't about who is #1 ... OSU is clearly well beyond the rest with Michigan a close second ... As stated it was about what I was more interested in watching ... This year "The National Title" game is likely to be as boring as most superbowls are ...

I seem to remember that USC was supposed to be head and shoulders above EVERYBODY last season, too. How did that turn out??

I'm not a gambling man, but I'll put up a decent set of speaker cables that says it won't be a boring game...not at least as you're putting it.

zombie boy 2000

Tommy My Boy --

Personal taste is all. I love to see the underdogs do well in basketball. In football, not so much. You toss around a championship enough times with too many teams getting a taste, and it becomes used, abused and busted. No one wants to date that girl.

Basketball is all about coming together and making that run when everything is on the line. I respect that and enjoy it immensely. The beauty of football to me is about punching an opponent in the mouth, taking no prisoners, and utterly destroying the competition. The ironic thing here is the fact that advocates of a playoff generally believe they're lobbying to crown a true champion. I think instituting a playoff would have just the opposite result.

The Cardinals have worked hard and played harder for over a decade now to get where they are. They're right at the door. And I love 'em for it. You can't build a program over night, but once you're there -- it's not about a single "dream season". It's so much bigger than that. Ask the Irish. Ask USC. Ask Auburn. Ask Florida. Ask Texas.

PolkWannabie

ND13 wrote:

I seem to remember that USC was supposed to be head and shoulders above EVERYBODY last season, too.

Maybe in your book ... But it doesn't matter ... As stated before, what I'm interested in is seeing a good game ... From my perspective that leaves Florida out of it as even if they win they still won't be #1.

Demiurge

I would have loved to have seen Arkansas beat Flordia on Saturday -- boy would that have been LOL funny.

ND13

PolkWannabie wrote:

Maybe in your book ... But it doesn't matter ... As stated before, what I'm interested in is seeing a good game ... From my perspective that leaves Florida out of it as even if they win they still won't be #1.

MY BOOK???? It was just about everybody's book.

And how do you figure if Florida beats OSU, they're not #1?? That makes no sense at all. Then who would be??

ND13

Demiurge wrote:

I would have loved to have seen Arkansas beat Flordia on Saturday -- boy would that have been LOL funny.

Yeah, but with all the politics involved, you can bet, the Hogs wouldn't have gotten the benefit that Fla got. I promise.

PhantomOG

PolkWannabie wrote:

OSU is clearly well beyond the rest

PolkWannabie wrote:

From my perspective that leaves Florida out of it as even if they win they still won't be #1

So, Ohio state is clearly well beyond the rest, and yet if Florida beats them they are not #1

Ok... you don't have a Michigan agenda do you? :rolleyes:

PolkWannabie

Nope ... Given where I live, I might have had a Rutgers agenda but that would have really been castles in the air ... ...

With one point wins over a couple of teams though UF just doesn't seem to make the grade for me ...

As others have suggested, I'd personally like to see a playoff system ... The bowl games are spread out enough now that this is conceivable for 8 teams with very little change ... Quarters - Christmas Weekend, Semi's - New Years Weekend ... Finals - The weekend after

PhantomOG

I just fail to see how, given the current system, you can give that much credit to the Big Ten. Sure, OSU and Mich. are both great teams. But to say that they are BOTH better than EVERY other non-Big Ten team is just too much for me. OSU went undefeated, they deserve a place in the championship game. Michigan had its shot and lost. A rematch just doesn't make sense to me.

PolkWannabie

I only said that from my perspective it would be a more interesting game to watch ... Actually I hope I'm wrong as I'll be watching it regardless of who's playing ...

ND13

We'll continue this debate till they come up with an 8-10 team playoff format for the top rated teams, with a prerequisite that they at least have to win their conf division or conf outright.

You have the top 8 conferences, plus 2 at large, so the Rutgers and Boise States can't whine that life's unfair, because they play in inferior conferences.

They could let the top 2 ranked teams have a first round bye and then it could all be over between mid Dec and mid Jan.

I'm not saying to drop all the other bowl games, either, just have a playoff for the elite 8-10.

zombie boy 2000

ND13 wrote:

You have the top 8 conferences, plus 2 at large, so the Rutgers and Boise States can't whine that life's unfair, because they play in inferior conferences.

Last I checked, Rutgers played in a BCS conference:p

PolkWannabie

ND13 wrote:

You have the top 8 conferences, plus 2 at large, so the Rutgers and Boise States can't whine that life's unfair, because they play in inferior conferences.

If you are gonna take 10 then you might as well take 16 as either way it's an extra week ... Forget the conferences ... The top ranked 16 will do ...

PhantomOG

What's funny is that alot of the times the teams that whine the loudest about their bowl game are the ones that end up getting thumped by "unworthy" opponents.

zombie boy 2000

^^^^^^
Amen!!!!!!!!!!!!

Demiurge

PhantomOG wrote:

What's funny is that alot of the times the teams that whine the loudest about their bowl game are the ones that end up getting thumped by "unworthy" opponents.

You do know if it was actually set-up fairly all people could whine about was the refs or some player choking. The current system brings this bitching on itself, and the sad part is everyone bitching has legitimate points the majority of the time. Very rarely have things worked out 'correctly'. We like wins, not style points, and strength of schedule. That's all **** at the end of the day because there's no real world standard that it can be applied to that makes any definitve sense to anyone other than a computer.

You're kind of proving my point about a smaller program being able to compete against a team like Ohio State. Under the current system they never could get the chance to do so. That's right?

zombie boy 2000

And that's my point Demi...
Smaller programs cannot compete with their bigger bretheren. They can in basketball. They can in hockey. They can in baseball, foosball, bocce ball, and lawn darts. Just not in football. It takes years (sometimes decades) to bring a program to prominence. The Cards have spent nearly ten years just to enter the debate -- albeit on the **** end of it.

A playoff system could quite possibly destroy this infrastructure which is unique to the game of college football by rewarding the hottest team and not necessarily the best team.

PhantomOG

zombie boy 2000 wrote:

A playoff system could quite possibly destroy this infrastructure which is unique to the game of college football by rewarding the hottest team and not necessarily the best team.

I don't think people seem to care about what currrently makes college football great, they only care about instituting an NFL junior league.