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About 2,500 years ago the Greeks invented a system to help identify their champions. It was a simple concept, they had the athletes compete against each other, with the winner advancing to face the other winners, and the process would continue until a single undisputed champion emerges. This invention was revolutionary because it gave all competitors an opportunity to play, and it eventually determined only one champion. The Greeks realized a long time ago that a sport needs to have a single undisputed champion. It was good for the athletes, it was good for the fans, and it was good for the organizers. Since then every sport, game, and competition, have utilized this invention to determine their champion, except for one sport, Division 1 NCAA Football.
NCAA Football has never had a playoff to determine their champion, instead they have placed their fates in the hands of the press, coaches, and computers. The NCAAs refusal to create a playoff system has made them the most reviled institution in sports. As college football continue to grow in popularity, it's lack of a playoff system has become more unbearable for its fans. Unfortunately the fans are under the mercy of old white men in sports coats who hold on to their antiquated traditions.
The essence of a playoff is both democratic and capitalistic, and thus very American. While the current NCAA Bowl Championship Series is something out of a Marxist guide book. So why do these NCAA decision makers continue their refusal to implement a playoff format? It just doesn't make sense.
The Final BCS Standings were announced this afternoon, with Ohio State and LSU facing off in the BCS Championship game on Jan. 7th in New Orleans. Despite the fact that there were five other two-loss (Virginia Tech, USC, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Missouri) teams battling for that second BCS selection, LSU was selected for basically surviving the SEC as the conference champions, and the virtue of their two losses coming in overtime.
The rest of the BCS selections looks like a mess. Missouri who was #1 this past week, and had lost twice to Oklahoma was not selected for a BCS Bowl game, instead they will be facing Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl. The Rose Bowl, which seems to be obsessed with the idea of Pac 10 and Big 10 matchup in Pasadena, chose a three loss Illinois team. Who would your rather watch USC play in the Rose Bowl, Illinois or Missouri? The Tigers would've made a more competitive and compelling opponent for the Trojans, but the Rose Bowl Selection Committee (whoever they are) wanted a Big-10 Team. Hawaii, who is undefeated but hasn't faced any teams of significance, will go to the Sugar Bowl and face the red hot Georgia Bulldogs.
I could care less about the rest of the games, because they mean absolutely nothing, unless you are an alumni of that school or a compulsive gambler. Are you really going to watch that Papajohns.com Bowl Game? Or what about that compelling Florida Atlantic vs. Memphis match-up? I will be having my own NCAA playoffs in my XBox, and this is what my brackets look like:
#1 - Ohio State vs. #16 - Tennessee
#2 - LSU vs. #15 - Clemson
#3 - Virginia Tech vs. #14 - Boston College
#4 - Oklahoma vs. #13 - Illinois
#5 - Georgia vs. #12 - Florida
#6 - Missouri vs. #11 - Arizona State
#7 - USC vs. #10 - Hawaii
#8 - Kansas vs. #9 - West Virginia.
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This is ridiculous. I'm still trying to come to terms that people voted Ohio State as the #1 team in the nation. Once the coaches ballots get disclosed, I will post it and each coach's address and I say we start a riot buddyhead.com style.
And the fact that Missouri was bounced out is absolutely ridiculous.
I don't know the order of the selections, but if Kansas was already in, then the Rose Bowl wouldn't be allowed to pick Missouri because you can only have two teams from each conference except under the direst of circumstances. And we couldn't play Georgia because the Sugar Bowl had the right to claim them first by losing LSU to the National Championship game.
I'm still upset about the USC-Illinois match-up though. It pains me to root against my graduate school, but you're a Trojan for life. Next time, I'm picking a college that doesn't have a football team.
So wait, did I get this straight? Did USC only rise one poll position as a benefit of the losses of the top 2 teams? Confused...
The Rose Bowl Selection Committee could have exercised an option to pick up another BCS Team, because they lost Ohio State to the BCS. They could've selected Missouri, Kansas, Florida, but opted for a Big 10 Team. Illinois is the only team with 3 losses in the BCS.