2008 Woodie Awards
Controversial BCS system leaves deserving teams behind in rankings
Benjamin Billman
Issue date: 10/25/07 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 1
If our country took all the money we spend on media coverage, calculation and all other areas related to the BCS system and gave it to me...well, I wouldn't be writing for a school paper to buy tuna.
And it has begun once again this year. The first BCS rankings are out, and already teams (specifically, Urban Meyer and Florida) are complaining about their placement.
These flaws have become especially noticeable this year.
With more upsets than a nursery full of babies without diapers, many teams are wondering why they're still ranked below top-flight programs that can no longer go undefeated.
You could make a case that teams like Arizona State, Hawaii and Kansas all deserve higher rankings than they currently have.
I know it's a tired, beaten subject, but I will continue to bring it up again and again. College football needs to go to a playoff system. I am by no means the only one pushing for this.
Mitch Albom, Rick Reilly and some of the biggest names in sports writing, announcing and coaching push for a new system every year - thus far in futility.
Why?
Last year, I feel the problems with this system were shown more openly than they have been in years.
Simply, the ability of Urban Meyer to talk his team above their place in the rankings shows the problems inherent in the system, final results notwithstanding.
If one takes a look at sports systems that use a playoff system, it becomes evident that there are very few times in history where people argued about the wrong team getting to the championship.
Of course, people complain about their team losing, but whether it be luck, chance or skill, they still have very little to fall back on.
Just the ability for people to validly argue their team was cheated should be reason enough for the powers that be in college football to change the system.
But no. Year after year, they waffle, giving excuses like "A playoff would be too long, our kids need to be in school" or "There isn't enough money in a playoff."
If this is true, then tell me how every other major college sport has a playoff system that seems to work out just fine.
And as far as money, I don't see many successful Division I basketball schools complaining about not having enough money.
Once again, I can already foresee a controversy.
A team is going to be ranked higher or lower than everyone else seems to think they should be and crisis will ensue.
As a result, ratings will drop, schools will lose money and they will accept more sponsorship from companies.
And then, sometime in the near future, the Bowl season will last until the next August. Giving the students exactly one month to go to school out of the year.
You laugh now, but just wait.
And it has begun once again this year. The first BCS rankings are out, and already teams (specifically, Urban Meyer and Florida) are complaining about their placement.
These flaws have become especially noticeable this year.
With more upsets than a nursery full of babies without diapers, many teams are wondering why they're still ranked below top-flight programs that can no longer go undefeated.
You could make a case that teams like Arizona State, Hawaii and Kansas all deserve higher rankings than they currently have.
I know it's a tired, beaten subject, but I will continue to bring it up again and again. College football needs to go to a playoff system. I am by no means the only one pushing for this.
Mitch Albom, Rick Reilly and some of the biggest names in sports writing, announcing and coaching push for a new system every year - thus far in futility.
Why?
Last year, I feel the problems with this system were shown more openly than they have been in years.
Simply, the ability of Urban Meyer to talk his team above their place in the rankings shows the problems inherent in the system, final results notwithstanding.
If one takes a look at sports systems that use a playoff system, it becomes evident that there are very few times in history where people argued about the wrong team getting to the championship.
Of course, people complain about their team losing, but whether it be luck, chance or skill, they still have very little to fall back on.
Just the ability for people to validly argue their team was cheated should be reason enough for the powers that be in college football to change the system.
But no. Year after year, they waffle, giving excuses like "A playoff would be too long, our kids need to be in school" or "There isn't enough money in a playoff."
If this is true, then tell me how every other major college sport has a playoff system that seems to work out just fine.
And as far as money, I don't see many successful Division I basketball schools complaining about not having enough money.
Once again, I can already foresee a controversy.
A team is going to be ranked higher or lower than everyone else seems to think they should be and crisis will ensue.
As a result, ratings will drop, schools will lose money and they will accept more sponsorship from companies.
And then, sometime in the near future, the Bowl season will last until the next August. Giving the students exactly one month to go to school out of the year.
You laugh now, but just wait.