We presented you with a scenario that involves conference champions (well, some of them, anyway) yesterday. Of course, we know there's "no perfect solution," as the BCS sycophants repeatedly tell us
So I go back to the solution I proposed in December 2007, the arrogantly titled Boiled Sports Championship Series.
To recap, I simply proposed that since everyone thinks the rankings are so critical and, as currently constituted, make the regular season so incredible, that's fine -- we'll keep the rankings. The top six in the BCS go into the playoff -- the rest of the schools out there continue to be invited to play in the meaningless bowls they currently play in. Yes, it'll still be fun for a 6-6 team that eeked in (like we all hoped the Boilers would have). No, it won't diminish these bowls.
We'll also provide first-round byes for the number 1 and 2 teams in the playoff -- thus further ensuring that the regular season means every bit as much as it currently does. So here's what you have... the top six in the BCS are as follows:
1. Alabama
2. Texas
3. Cincinnati
4. TCU
5. Florida
6. Boise State
Yes, Oregon, Ohio State and G-Tech and Iowa miss out. So what? They miss out in the current system, too, and I don't think you can make much of an argument that any of those programs deserve to be in the discussion. They all had their shots at a special season and they all found ways to botch it. The Top 6 did not.
As I said, 'bama and Texas get byes into the semi-finals.
Cinci (3) plays Boise (6) in the Sugar Bowl the weekend of 12/26.
TCU (4) plays Florida (5) in the Fiesta Bowl the weekend of 12/26.
Let's just say for argument that Boise beats Cinci and TCU beats Florida.
The weekend of 1/2/10, Alabama (1) plays (6) Boise State in the Orange Bowl while Texas (2) plays TCU (4) in the Rose Bowl.
And then the following weekend, 1/9/10 (right around when the current national title game is played), the finals occur between the winners of those two semi-final games.
Can you honestly tell me this wouldn't be a better scenario than what we currently have? Is it perfectly fair? Of course not. But who said the goal had to be perfection? I think this would be damn close to "perfection" based on the excitement it would generate.
I tend to agree that 16 teams are far too many. I don't care if BYU (14 in BCS) or West Virginia (16) think they could hang -- it doesn't matter. They aren't close to the top. Nobody would cry about injustice if three-loss teams don't make it.
Yes, I realize this doesn't factor in conference championships -- who cares? Why should that matter? Unless we realign all of college football with 6 or 8 major conferences, there's no way to level the playing field. There are going to be strong conferences and there are going to be weak conferences. So let's just use the rankings system to determine the seeding and then let those guys play it out.
Just take a look at the BCS rankings! This scenario pits the six teams that are clearly the most deserving. Five unbeatens and 1-loss Florida. Everyone after 6 has major flaws on the resume.
Point is, no matter what scenario you like, almost anything is better than the current setup. For those who care about parades and tradition -- why can't those peripheral traditions continue? You rotate who hosts the semi-finals and national title game every year and each bowl remains happy. You're adding 1-2 games to the season for these teams, at most.
It's fun to dream, isn't it? Because that's what this all is -- dreaming.