Broadside Sports

Chris DeMarco, Staff Writer

Would a playoff system result in Bowl Championship Series busters Boise State and Utah advancing to the National Championship Game? It might. Over the last four years, undefeated Boise State and Utah teams have shocked heavily favored Oklahoma and Alabama, respectively. In both of those seasons, both Boise State and Utah were the only undefeated teams left standing, but yet did not have the opportunity to play for a national championship.

A playoff system would be an interesting concept for college football. The current BCS system just does not cut it. Lackluster teams not in the top 10 have no business playing in the BCS games. Conferences should not have automatic bids into the BCS games either. There is no reason a lackluster team from the ACC or the Big East should be any way involved in the BCS. In previous years, we have seen multiple teams playing in the BCS games that were ranked outside the top 10 in 2008 with 19th-ranked Virginia Tech and 12th-ranked Cincinnati, and 2007 with 14th-ranked Wake Forest.

Only the top-rated teams should be eligible for the BCS. It would not be that hard to have a playoff in college football containing the top eight teams, or if you want to really make it interesting: top 16.

Just think a playoff that included teams like Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, USC, Penn State, Utah, and Texas Tech going up against each other? But all college football wants to do is make it harder for themselves. A playoff system makes the most sense while the current BCS system is always controversial and always criticized.

It is so bad that even President Obama wants to propose legislation enforcing a playoff system. I can see the major concern with a playoff system being that it might take the student-athletes away from class and their winter vacation. Honestly, I guarantee every student-athlete would gladly give up their break to play for a National Championship. It would be just like March Madness, but less games. They do it for college basketball, so why not for football?

It is not like they would lose a whole lot of advertising. They can easily keep the other bowl games for the other qualifying teams. Plus, viewership would likely increase since it is a playoff system to crown a legitimate national champion. A playoff system would also give the so-called “mid-majors” a legit shot at winning a title, since it is almost impossible for a team outside of the big six conferences to ever make it in the BCS formula.

Give them a shot to prove themselves worthy or unworthy. It is worth a shot, but the heads of the major conferences do not want to see that happen. God forbid if another Boise State or Utah defeats a national powerhouse again. We see this type of discrimination against mid majors, like George Mason University, during the selection process for March Madness. The big conference heads do not want to see mid-major conferences like the CAA sending at large bids to the Big Dance. The same mentality is used when it comes to the disappointment known as the BCS.

The only way the little guys will be able to prove that they belong is if the president of the NCAA allows a more efficient system to determine the national champion, but until then, the little guy will be overlooked and disappointed.