How should the National Championship be decided?

[BAMARICH]

Bottom line is that because of the bowl setup/revenue system, there will never be a playoff system in our lifetime... even though it ideally would work. Due to that fact, I am forced to believe that the BCS is far better than anything that has been used in the past... just imagine how the bowl setups this year would have been using the old system.

With that said, I do believe there should be some things that would help make the BCS more fair... and more objective with its matchups. Here they are:

(1) Use more accurate polling; coaches' poll is a joke in my book; use as many independent polls as possible; require pollsters to watch as many as possible.

(2) Require an even playing field for all conferences; every conference has the conference championship; every team going to a BSC must come from within a conference (no independents... sorry Notre Dame); make out of conference opponents be the most important deciding factor.

(3) Mandate that no BSC teams are non-conference champions; place a great premium on winning in conference... even if another team has a better record.

(4) Create the best matchups possible; after pitting #1 against #2, put #3 vs. #4, etc.; prioritize the bowls so that different matchups are rotated on an annual basis.

 

[PalmBayBama]

This would be my scenario for this year, Conference champs, The major BCS teams which have a conference champ game would get a free ride into the four BCS bowls, Notre Dame filling up a wild card spot.

Of course this is just my opinion

I'm not sure that I see how anybody could be in favor of a system that this year gave a bye to Louisville over Ohio State. Except, of course, Louisville fans.

 

[Catfish]

I agree - a +1 game would be a great first step, but I would prefer an 8 team playoff - so long as no conference or team has an automatic entry into that playoff. Look at the ACC this year to see why. It is time to end these special "deals" with conferences and ND...

The top 8 teams should get in - but how to choose those 8 teams? A panel?

Ideally, I would be fine with using the current BCS points system to determine the top 8 teams for a true playoff. You would probably include a team or two that doesn't have a legitimate shot, but I don't think you'd miss any teams that did. Barring a "Hoosiers"-type series of upsets (3 straight wins by a big underdog), I don't think any team from outside the top 8 would have any chance of winning. Anything can happen on a given Saturday, but a 9th rated team beating say LSU, Michigan and Ohio State in consecutive weeks would be almost statistcally impossible.

I think a "plus 1" system is more realistic, though. At least for the near future.

 

[BaldBama]

I'm saying playoff, but I have reservations.

IMO, a 3 loss team has no right to play for the NC, even if they win their conference.

If a 3 loss team can make the play-offs and then run the table, they do have a right to play for a NC. However, I don't think a 3 loss team would make it thru the playoffs anyway, so it is a moot point. Or as Joey says "... it's a Moo point"

 

[BaldBama]

This would be my scenario for this year, Conference champs, The major BCS teams which have a conference champ game would get a free ride into the four BCS bowls, Notre Dame filling up a wild card spot.

Of course this is just my opinion

No good....only one SEC team. I want an all SEC NC.

 

[CrimsonChuck]

How about Roshambo? It would be better than the system we have now.:biggrin2:

Seriously, I think that smokies has it right with a 12 team playoff. However, there are too many lower conference teams. The only one that should be there is Boise St. I would have the champions of the top 6 conferences and the 6 best remaining at large teams. I would also have all the games at the higher seeded teams home stadium, except for the neutral site championship game.

Here is how mine would go:

12 Wake @ 5 USC
11 Notre Dame @ 6 Louisville
10 Oklahoma @ 7 Wisconsin
9 Auburn @ 8 Boise St

USC-Wake winner @ 4 LSU
Notre Dame-Louisville winner @ 3 Michigan
Oklahoma-Wisconsin winner @ 2 Florida
Auburn-Boise St. Winner @ 1 Ohio St

USC/Wake/LSU vs. Auburn/Boise St./Ohio St
Notre Dame/Louisville/Michigan vs. Oklahoma/Wisconsin/Florida

Championship game

 

[Tide64]

I think that they should seed the top 8 into the current BCS bowl games - Sugar, Rose, Orange, and Fiesta. Then the next week, 2 of these host the second round games, with the championship a week later at one of the other two. This maintains the current bowls, adds only one week to the current setup, and allows three bowls to host two games on a rotating basis. And this way, the other bowls mean something again.

Or, they could add two more bowls to the BCS and play four, then two, then the championship, with only the championship played at the same site as a previous game. Rotate the second round games each year as they currently do the championship game. If the first round bowls were moved back to around Christmas, they wouldn't even have to extend beyond the current championship game schedule.

Most of the big 6 conference champions will usually be in the top 8. If you don't want to use the top 8, then take the BCS conference champs and the next 2 highest ranked at large teams.

 

[TRU]

Playoff. Six or eight teams. Advantages:

1. With a small number of teams selected for the playoff, the regular season is meaningful.
2. When you choose the top six or eight teams, numbers 7 or 9 will bellyache that they should be included. But this will happen with any playoff. See March Madness, where you start with 65 and someone is always complaining when they are not invited to the Big Dance. But choosing the top 6 or 8, I promise you that you will always have the best team in the nation included.

And while we are on this subject, exactly what is the real arguement against a playoff? Most schools do not resume classes until mid-January, at which point any playoff would be over. So how does it affect the players academically? And how would it destroy the revenue stream from the bowl system as it exists today? Right now you have a group of major bowls (the BCS) and a bunch of minor bowls. That would not change with a playoff system. You would just convert the BCS bowls to playoff bowls. And how would having two teams in contention for a national championship in your bowl be detrimental? It seems to me that instituting the BCS system did more damage to the major bowls than a playoff would. In the old days, the final poll would decide a champion and a winner of any of the major bowls had a shot at being named. But now, does any one really think that either Notre Dame or LSU has a chance in Hades of willing a NC if they win the Sugar Bowl this year? Of course not. But the winner would still have a shot at the NC if the Sugar Bowl was a semi-final to the NC final this year. As far as I can tell, there is no rational basis to denying a playoff. Fear of change by those that control the bowl system is the only reason that I can come up with. That and a potential loss of control of the system to the NCAA.

 

[bama119]

A playoff is the only way. Why is mayor college football the only sport not to determine a champion on the field? I hear some people say that a playoff would make the regular season meaningless, that is utter nonsensense. And people that say the regular season is the same as a playoff are off somewhere in another world. All conferences should have a championship game and then have an eight ot sixteen team playoff. If ND wants to be a lone duck floating on the water let them float out there by themselves all they want. The bottom line is the only way to have a TRUE champion is to play it out on the field.

 

[ROTYDE]

Pistols at dawn in the Dome.....................:wink: