The NCAA took a huge step this afternoon by approving a new
4-team college football playoff system, which will eventually replace parts of the
current BCS model in 2014.
The Bowl Championship Series has been in place since 1998 and
matches the No. 1 and No. 2 teams against each other in a postseason bowl game
played during the second week of January. The BCS rankings are comprised of a
coaches, media, and computer poll. Many fans have criticized the current model
because it favors schools from the powerhouse conferences. A team’s strength of
schedule certainly weighs heavily on how the rankings are determined and
chances are if you’re a team from a non-power conference the only way you can
punch a ticket to a major bowl game is by running the tables and going
undefeated.
One loss virtually eliminates any team from the BCS
discussion…
However under this new system a selection committee will
choose the 4 “best” teams to compete against each other in a playoff series.
The committee will consider several factors such as win-loss record, SOS,
head-to-head results, and whether the team is a conference champion.
My initial reaction is that I think this is a good move for
college football because it’s what the vast majority of fans wanted. This
decision will no doubt bring in more viewers and revenue dollars for the NCAA
and all schools involved. However, it’s not a complete model and I think this
will be a topic of discussion for several years down the road. Will those
schools from non-power conferences really see a difference from the current
model? How many members will comprise this selection committee and how can we
be certain they’ll remain unbiased in their decisions? After all only 4 teams
can make the cut so there is great potential for conflicting interests. I truthfully
think that those schools from the non-power conferences will continue to see
the short end of the stick. I don’t see a situation where at least one school
from the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC isn’t represented in this newly formed
playoff system.
This model will help those one-loss (power conference)
schools though. Take Oklahoma State for example, last season the Cowboys went
undefeated for most of the season only to see their win streak snapped against
a lowly 5-4 Iowa State squad. Oklahoma State won its last game of the season to
punch a ticket to the Fiesta Bowl but their loss to ISU knocked them from the
championship discussion. Oklahoma State and Alabama both had one loss heading
into the postseason however the Cowboys were penalized for the fact that were
downed a week after Alabama’s loss to LSU. Shouldn’t these two schools have an
equal shot at playing for the national championship?
We certainly don’t have all the details of the playoff
system available to us yet but I just don’t see how those smaller schools can
benefit in this new model. This will undoubtedly create a lot of excitement
within the college football landscape but I am eager to learn more details.
Stay tuned…
