Its easy if you try.
No polls to discuss.
No one left standing to cry.
Imagine all the fans happy cheering today.
Playoffs? PLAYOFFS?!
One of my first posts on this blog was about the BCS.
See, I went to a school where we found out who had the best football team on the field. The University of Montana Grizzlies play in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision as opposed to that vile fiend your team likely plays in know as the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision. You know, the one that gets to play in all those bowl games.
I can understand your love for these bowl games. I mean, who doesn’t get a little amped up to watch the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl or the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl or especially the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl?
But all I see is dirty, corrupt, inglorious money.
Don’t tell me your version of college football is about who’s best or the student athletes or (gag) tradition. Its not. Its about the money.
And not money for the schools. Or even the football programs. But money for the fat cats who run this vile wretch you (clearly must) love, the BCS.
But I’m Getting Off Topic
Imagine–if you can–imagine a playoff.
In the Football Championship Subdivision we have a 20 team playoff. It used to be a 4 team, and then an 8 team and then, just recently a 16 team playoff. And it works really simply.
The 10 conference champions all get automatic bids. It doesn’t matter if you are in a good conference or a bad one. If you beat everyone in your conference you’re in. Its that simple.
Then, there are 10 at large bids. These go to the other good teams who didn’t win their division. Not much politics, just the next best 10 teams.
Thanksgiving weekend is usually when the bottom 8 teams play each other. Then, after that we have a 4 week 16 team tournament.
Its glorious.
No really, imagine…
I’ve heard rumors there’s actually a few who want a playoff in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Some call for a 4 team, some an 8.
Yawn.
Lets imagine a 20 team playoff like the Football Championship Subdivision.
That would give us 11 automatic bids.
Atlantic Coast Conference: 15th ranked Clemson
Big East Conference: 23rd ranked West Virginia
Big Ten Conference: 10th ranked Wisconsin
Big 12 Conference: 3rd ranked Oklahoma State
Pacific 12 Conference: 5th ranked Oregon
South East Conference: 1st ranked LSU
Conference USA: 21st ranked Southern Miss
Mid-America Conference: unranked Northern Illinois
Mountain West Conference: 18th ranked TCU
Sun Belt Conference: unranked Arkansas State
Western Athletic Conference: unranked Louisiana Tech
Now, before you bemoan the fact that 5 of these 11 teams aren’t even in the top 20, shut up. You want to keep the BCS? Bottom line, you win your conference you have the right to see if you can win a national championship.
Having EVERY conference champion go also has benefit of having conferences THAT MAKE %$#&@!& SENSE! People have little reason to move conferences other than geography. What a novel idea.
Imagine… The at-large Bids
Now we have 9 at large bids to fill. And we simply take the 9 best teams available. Period.
#2 Alabama
#4 Stanford
#6 Arkansas
#7 Boise State
#8 Kansas State
#9 South Carolina
#11 Virginia Tech
#12 Baylor
#13 Michigan (which without BCS politics probably would be Oklahoma… but…)
Now, I ask you BCS lover, who in the nation has a legitimate right for a chance to play for a national title that isn’t listed above?
Who? Seriously, I’m asking. Who?
Now comes the fun part! Playoffs!
Its the playoffs. We have 5 weekends of GREAT college football. 19 total match ups. And most importantly, 1 National Champion.
Admittedly, this would be way cooler as a graphic. If you want to do that for this cause, let me know.
Nov 26th: The Thanksgiving Weekend Bottom 8
Game 1: Northern Illinois at Michigan in the big house. Since we need a winner, we take Michigan at home.
Game 2: Arkansas State at Clemson. Clemson wins.
Game 3: Louisiana Tech at TCU. TCU wins.
Game 4: West Virginia at Southern Miss in the weekends only ranked matchup. West Virginia wins.
Dec 2nd & 3rd: The Big BCS FU
Friday, December 2nd
Game 1: #9 South Carolina at #8 Kansas State. South Carolina wins.
Game 2: #13 Michigan at #4 Stanford. Stanford wins.
Game 3: #11 Virginia Tech at #6 Arkansas. Arkansas wins.
Game 4: #18 TCU at #2 Alabama. Alabama wins.
Saturday, December 3rd
Game 5: #10 Wisconsin at #7 Boise State University. BSU wins.
Game 6: #15 Clemson at #3 Oklahoma State. Oklahoma State wins.
Game 7: #12 Baylor at #5 Oregon. Oregon wins.
Game 8: #23 West Virginia at #1 LSU. LSU wins.
Just take a moment and let these two days of glory sink in. Friday would be declared a national holiday. It would be glorious.
Dec 10th: Upset weekend
Of course, one thing you should know about any playoff. Its rarely the highest ranked teams that go all the way.
Game 1: #9 South Carolina at #1 LSU. Of course, LSU is very good and wins. 😉
Game 2: #5 Oregon at #4 Stanford. Stanford wins.
Game 3: #7 Boise State at #2 Alabama. Boise State wins.
Game 4: #6 Arkansas at #3 Oklahoma State. Oklahoma State wins.
Honestly, what game here DON’T you want to watch? Oh, you love the BCS match ups? Great, have fun.
Dec 17th: The Final Four
Game 1: #4 Stanford at #1 LSU. LSU wins.
Game 2: #7 Boise State at #3 Oklahoma State. Oklahoma State wins.
Dec 24th: Christmas Eve.
Come on people. Its Christmas Eve. How about we let these student athletes enjoy time with their families?
Dec 31st: New Years Eve National Championship Game!
Now, I might actually stay up on New Years Eve!! Lets do this thing!
#3 Oklahoma State takes on #1 LSU in Texas Stadium for the national championship. In triple overtime, just before mid-night in whatever time zone I happen to be in #3 Oklahoma State stuns #1 LSU to win the first legitimate national title in NCAA football history!!
Congratulations Cowboys! You’re national champions!
This is all great except for Boise St beating Alabama. Roll Tide!
The funny thing is I thought of you specifically when I made that pick!!! Haha. I was also trying to find some sort of randomizer because I figured I’d get all sorts of comments on the picks. (Although there would have been many more if I’d have BSU lose in the first round!!)
Either way, don’t you wish you could see ‘Bama vs BSU?