Voices from a Stranger...

Here is the second installment of our Voices from a Stranger feature. I promised before that we would try to get one out every week. Unfortunately I had the first one wrapped up without having people lined up after that. However, now we got some things going from other loyal readers. Hopefully we can have some consistency with this feature.

If you don't remember this feature is a guest writer's opinion on whatever they like. If you feel you’d like to do this just email the tkontoast@gmail.com address and let us know. You can email that address to see if we already have one in line for that week or email your post for us to review. Also, if it’s not good it’s not going up. We are honest SOB’s that will say...hell no!

Without further ado, this week's entry comes from a college football fan. Thank God because we don't talk about it enough. He goes by Finn-to-Win. A little background is that he has an improving golf swing and can drain the three in your grill. His topic is the BCS system. Enjoy...

BCS-


The reason for NOT having a playoff - exams, travel, too many games, wrong time of year, etc...

Division 2 has a 24-team playoff.
Division 3 has a 32-team playoff.
That’s 5 extra games!!!!!

Also, these are the small schools, small budgets, no scholarships (D3?), kids who actually (in theory) care about their education and their playoff system. So, there really aren't any reasons not to have a D1 playoff - other than the schools/NCAA not wanting it.

So, here is the playoff solution...

12 teams-
The most a team could play is four extra games six conference winners from
-ACC
-Big East
-Big Ten
-Big 12
-Pac 10
-SEC

Six at large teams - at least one must come from outside of the big six conferences. No more than three from one conference. Four first round byes to top ranked conference winners.
Assuming that the top ranked teams win their conference/playoff this year, you would have...

Virginia Tech - ACC
West Virginia - Big East
Ohio State - Big 10
Oklahoma - Big 12
Arizona State - Pac 10
LSU - SEC


At Large...
Kansas - Big 12
Missouri - Big 12
Oregon - Pac 10
USC - Pac 10
Georgia - SEC
Hawaii - WAC


This also let's the major conference spoiler come into play - just like basketball - when there is an upset in a conference championship, you still take the best team as an at large and now another team gets bumped. This could come into play in the Big 10, Big East, Big 12 & SEC. Example - Michigan beats Ohio State and USC would probably get bumped. This would work and would be a GREAT playoff system.

Where do you play?

Rotate the championship - like they do now. Have the semi-finals at two of the other big ones. Trying to match up traditional games at those sites when setting up the bracket. Other bowls can still exist - just like the NIT in basketball. I think they would still make good money - maybe even better. No one is saying you have to cut out the other 74 different bowl games that they have. The Basketball tournament is huge - "Sweet 16", "Final Four", National Championship!

Why wouldn't a 12-team playoff be as popular?

Would mid-level schools be any less excited over the Taco Bell/Red Bull/Outback Steakhouse Bowl? No. You basically have a run up to the final games - which may even increase the popularity of the 6-5 vs. 7-4 bowl games.

Here you go...

Round 1 - Saturday, December 15 - 4 games - right now, this is an open weekend - games at (EST) 12, 3, 6, 9.

Round 2 - Saturday, December 22 - 4 games at (EST) 12, 3, 6, 9 - move the current games to the 21st/23rd and have double headers on both of those days.

Round 3 - Tuesday, January 1st!!!! - 2 games replacing the 2 prime time games (this year Rose & Sugar) - you have your day packed full of football like always - capped off by two semi-final games! Are you kidding me that this wouldn't be HUGE? (Translation - MONEY$)

Round 4 - Monday, January 7th - Championship - right where the championship is. So, you added a round of football on an empty weekend (although this is exam time - but only 8 schools are affected.

You added playoff games right before Christmas instead of Podunk bowls. You cap your New Year's Day games with semi-final games. You have a true national championship. You have a bracket, so now people can start having their football pools!!!!!

Out,
Finn-to-Win