The cries for a playoff system in college football have been loud and they have been frequent. I’m not as opposed to the bowl system in college football as so many others, but I’ve long felt that a four-team playoff system would be a great improvement to the current system.
It looks like that may be a possibility.
According to a report in the Seattle Times, officials from the Pac-12 and Big Ten conferences support a plus-one playoff system. The “plus-one” would put the BCS’ top four ranked teams in a playoff and have the winners meet in a championship game. The BCS’ television contract expires in January ’14 so the change could be implemented in a few years.
Given the way Pac-12 has progressed under Larry Scott and the way the Big Ten has expanded, it’s no surprise they’re open to evolving. A plus-one playoff system would be a fantastic improvement.
In a given college football season, we typically don’t have more than three or four teams that deserve a shot at playing for the national championship at the end of the year. As you know from the college basketball season, I’m a huge believer in the importance of the regular season. If you have more than one loss in college football, don’t bother applying for a spot in the playoff — that’s how I roll.
A four-team playoff would allow small schools to play for a title (unless the six BCS conferences find a way to exclude them), and it would make things more equal. For instance, say there are three undefeated teams. Rather than having one left out of the title game, under this system they would be able to play it out.
The BCS is resistant to change because they’re trying to protect their financial interests. This would be a change that would make many college football fans happy because it greatly improves the current system. Listen to the fans and make it happen.
Thanks to Tom Fornelli for the tip
