A Legit College Footall Playoff System

This year will be the last year of existence of what we have called the bowl championship series which I never understood why they call it a series when there is only one game of that determines the title the other four games are just high profiled bowl games with teams that are not playing for a national title. The bcs started in the 1998 college football season, that year Florida State took on Tennessee as the Vols won 23-16. And how ironic is it that the ACC vs SEC will be playing in the last bcs game when Florida State faces Auburn on January 6, 2014 in Pasadena. Unlike the old college football system the bcs did give us the top two teams playing each other on the field but it was just how the second team would be determine sometimes that made for plenty of controversy. The old bowl system would sometimes not even have the top two teams playing each other. For example in the 1983 season Miami(FL) was crowned national champion after they defeated #1 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl 31-30. The Canes came into the game ranked #5 in the nation and jumped #3 Auburn which won their bowl game against Michigan in the Sugar Bowl 9-7 while #2 Texas and #4 Illinois both lost in the bowl games the Canes still jumped Auburn for the national title. So the old bowl system was really screwed even more so than the bcs in my opinion. In the bcs era there has been plenty of mess as well, like in the 2000 season when Oklahoma undefeated played a one loss Florida State team for the title even though the Noles lost to Miami which also had one loss and the Canes that year loss to Washington who had one loss too. Really all three teams where deserving to play in the title game but Florida State got the nod. That next season came more bcs mess when Miami beat Nebraska in Rose Bowl to win the title. But the Cornhuskers did even play in their conference title game that year they blown out in by Colorado 62-36 in the season finale which gave them their only loss while Oregon went 10-1 in the regular season won the Pac 10 title but was left out of the title game. The Ducks went on to beat Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl 38-16. Another flaw of the old bowl system is that they sometimes use to give us co-champions such as ’90 Colorado & Georgia Tech, ‘91Miami(FL) & Washington, ’97 Nebraska & Michigan and yes even in the bcs era we have had co champs as well when LSU and USC shared the crown for the 2003 season. That next year the Trojans were crowned national champions again after defeating a undefeated Oklahoma team 55-19 in the Orange Bowl. Auburn also went undefeated that year but was left out of the national title game and did not share a title with USC that year after they defeated Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl that year. The Tigers were snubbed in though the Trojans had benefited from a split national title the year before.

Next season college football will finally move to a playoff format which will conduct in a four team playoff. Although this is way over due this will still create controversy because it is not enough teams in my opinion and no I am not in favor of a sixteen team playoff, but 8 to 10 will do just fine for me. For example if we had a the four team playoff format for this year here are the teams that would probably get in Florida State, Auburn, Alabama and Michigan State. Alabama, Michigan State, Baylor, Central Florida and Ohio State all finished with one loss. Yes you can say that Alabama is probably the best team out of those one loss teams but I rather see them beat a team on the field instead of somebody telling they would. So a four team playoff doesn’t give college football fans any justice I think especially it took them so long to figure out that they need a playoff system in the first place. There are over 120 teams in the division 1 football and you mean to tell only four teams get to go to the playoffs that is dumb in my opinion. The only way I would agree to a four team playoff is that the power conferences toughen up there non conference schedule to where we see a marquee non conference matchup every week or more often than we see them these days.

After looking back at this past 2013 college football year here are the ten teams that are worthy for my playoff format that I would like to see happen.

Automatic Bids

(ACC) Florida State (13-0)

(SEC) Auburn (12-1)

(Big Ten) Michigan State (12-1)

(Big 12) Baylor (11-1)

(Pac 12) Stanford (11-2)

(AAC) Central Florida (11-1)

At Large Bids

Alabama (11-1)

Ohio State (12-1)

South Carolina (10-2)

Oklahoma (10-2)

Rankings

1. 1. Florida State

2. 2. Auburn

3. 3. Michigan State

4. 4. Baylor

5. 5. Alabama

6. 6. Stanford

7. 7. Central Florida

8. 8. Ohio State

9. 9. South Carolina

10. 10. Oklahoma

First Round

Beef O’Brady’s Bowl – Central Florida vs Oklaoma

Capital One Bowl – Ohio State vs South Carolina

Second Round

Citrus Bowl – Florida State vs Central Florida/Oklahoma winner

Fiesta Bowl – Baylor vs Alabama

Little Caesars Bowl – Michigan State vs Stanford

BBVA Compass Bowl – Auburn vs Ohio State/South Carolina winner

Semifinals

Orange Bowl – Citrus Bowl winner vs Fiesta Bowl winner

Sugar Bowl – Little Caesars Bowl winner vs BBVA Compass Bowl winner

National Title Game

Orange Bowl winner vs Sugar Bowl winner