College Football Playoff....revisited...part 1

I talked about a college football playoff recently on this site. In fact you can read the original here if you want. But for the most part everything said there will be here as well.

Let me start by saying I like the tradition of the bowl games and watching games on New Year's day and whatnot. But in recent years that tradition has faded as more and more games are played on day's before or after New Year's Day. This year there are only 5 games on New Year's Day. I believe that is the lowest total ever (other than years where Jan 1 falls on a Sunday and the NFL plays). All of the games, including the big ones, are played on other days. Hell the national title game is on January 8!! A WHOLE WEEK after the traditional college football bowl game day.

Basically what I am saying is that the tradition is almost gone and it is time for a change.

So let's create a college football playoff.

But first let's look at the main reasons to not have a playoff.

1. Tradition

I mentioned this before and I think it is agreed upon by everyone. There is no way to crown a TRUE national champion if the teams are decided by votes instead of on the field results. The bowl games are a lot of fun and so many teams get in. So keep most of them. Really there are too many games (34) already so just eliminate a few and move the teams up a game. Or make the playoff as part of the bowl games. Give the semi-finals and championship game to the bowl sites and give them a bowl name like Orange bowl. That would keep aspects of the tradition alive.

2. Money

The BCS conferences claim that the money they make from the bowl games is so great that they can't afford to change. I understand part of that. The money these football teams bring in finances almost all of the other sports at colleges and universities across the country. But we all know they wouldn't lose any money. If they think the BCS brings in big money from TV contracts and advertising just wait until they have a playoff over the Christmas and New Year's seasons. Then they will have so much money they won't know what to do with it all.

3. Interfering with Players Studies

Unbelievably the University Presidents make this argument to the public. That the players can't play any more games because it is a strain on their studies and first and foremost they are students. GIVE ME A BREAK! I understand they are students but what about the basketball players and hockey players that play a longer season and during finals? What about the FCS, division 2, and division 3 football players (that are ALL TRUE student athletes) who play in tournaments that finish the week before Christmas?

There is NO reason why the football season can't be expanded to accommodate a playoff for 8-16 teams.

4. Regular Season Importance

This is the classic argument amongst talking heads on TV. Mike Greenberg is a huge proponent of this. The theory goes that the regular season will not be as important because each game doesn't mean as much. Really? You don't think Boston College vs Va Tech wouldn't have been huge since only 1 of those teams is going to get a playoff bid? Hmmm.....interesting.

Sure there are games that won't have the same importance. Michigan vs Ohio State a couple years ago wouldn't have mattered AS MUCH. It still would have been for the Big Ten title and for seeding in the playoff but both teams would have gotten into a playoff. Alabama vs Florida on Saturday wouldn't have been AS important but it still would have been meaningful. Would either of those games have drawn the interest they did if there was a playoff.....no probably not.

But you know what you would have.....maybe as many as a DOZEN HUGE IMPORTANT GAMES as part of the playoffs instead. Personally I would rather watch teams play a few straight weeks against good opponents and see who comes out on top.

Not only that but try telling Texas that every game matters. They BEAT Oklahoma on a neutral field and now have to watch the Sooners play for the title. And Penn State lost by 1 POINT ON THE ROAD and they didn't even get MENTIONED for the title. USC lost ON THE ROAD and they only got mentioned in passing for the title game. Florida loses at HOME to a lower ranked team than Texas or USC and they are AUTOMATICALLY the BEST TEAM?? I am not saying that overall they didn't get it right. I am just saying that the regular season right now is bullshit. If you win early you are better off than losing late....why?

The regular season is messed up right now. The only way to FIX the regular season is with a playoff.


If you have another argument.....give it to me in the comments below. I will argue with anyone about this.

Part 2....looking at the popular playoff ideas....will come tomorrow.