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With our alternative to the BCS offered up, nothing else to do than to let it play out. Food expert/football junkie Dave Faries, take it away …
Given its record in other matters, it’s unlikely Congress can solve the BCS mess and put in place a viable playoff system. And it’s very clear the NCAA can’t work things out. Hell, they’re the ones who changed a nice, easy 1-A/1-AA system to Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision or something.
Which is why we sat down over a dozen or so drinks and slapped together the most equitable playoff system yet proposed (though we haven’t actually researched that statement).
It’s a 20 team bracket that emphasizes conference and divisional champions in the FBS … or is it the other one? This includes champion teams from the smaller 1-A conferences, leaving six at-large bids.
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The at-large bids are bared upon AP ranking, strength of conference, strength of conference and finishing position within the conference (so you can’t select a 3rd place team over a 2nd place). Independents with a top 15 ranking will receive a bid.
Seeding is based on AP ranking and strength of conference. Seeds 13-20 go into “play in” brackets. And all games will be played at neutral bowl sites.
To accomplish this, we scale back the regular season to 11 games and end it in early December at the latest. So unless a champion comes out of the play in bracket, the title winner will play 4 tournament games. By emphasizing conference wins, this system would–hopefully–lead to more meaningful non-conference match ups. The loss wouldn’t hurt as much.
So–while we’re stuck now watching Temple battle 6-6 UCLA in the Safebank Bowl or Minnesota take on Iowa St. in the Insight, our playoff begins with:
In Charlotte, Clemson knocks off Troy, 31-10–pretty much as expected. Clemson advances to take on top seed Alabama.
LSU came from behind to beat Arizona, 35-27. LSU now travels to El Paso to meet 4th seeded Cincinnati
In a shocker, Central Michigan topped Pitt, 21-17. The mighty whoevers face 3rd seed TCU.
And Nebraska’s 17-3 win over East Carolina in Mobile now pits them in a rematch against 2nd seeded Texas.
