[NU Sports] Non-conference scheduling - redux - redux (fwd)

[Michael Vance]

At 12/7/2004 06:50 PM, SjT (Stephen J. Truog) wrote:
> >I would favor a school with a winning conference record against 8 or more
> >in-conference opponents being bowl-eligible regardless of the school's
> >non-conference record.
>
>Now THERE'S one of the smartest ideas I've heard on college football reform
>in years! Sadly, it's the first time I've heard it.

Hey, not to toot my own horn here, but I did at least suggest it as a 
possible exemption that the NCAA might want to make this year with a 
potential shortage of bowl-eligible teams.  :-)

Seriously, on the one hand, it makes a certain amount of sense, given the 
emphasis on winning the conference for a BCS spot.  (Although the BCS still 
hasn't taken the final step of mandating that title game participants must 
have won their conference.)

>I could really go for this -- and with little to risk in terms of not
>making bowls but lots to gain by scheduling big names for big crowds or to
>impress pollsters that your team is one of the best, think of the great
>September matchups we'd get!

On the other hand, until they take the aforementioned final step, I don't 
think that we would see a ton more big matchups because getting the #1 or 
#2 overall positions (and the undefeated or one-loss record that leads to 
them) would still be the most important thing for winning a national 
championship.

>I like it -- now we just gotta convince the university president/blockheads
>who keep screwing up college football.

OK, I think we've finally settled on the ultimate in Div I-A bowl reform:

1) A four team playoff in the context of the current bowl system "plus one".

2) First bids go to the best-ranked conference champs that are in the top 
12, regardless of conference, or independents in the top 4.  We could throw 
ND a bone here and make it independents in the top 5 or 6 if we were 
feeling like being charitable.  But with only them and Navy remaining 
independent, I say screw 'em, join a conference.

3) If that doesn't make four, then start at the top and work down until 
four slots are filled

4) Remaining BCS bowl slots go to the next-best ranked teams, with matchups 
decided by a selection committee

5) General bowl-eligibility is awarded as Mike proposed, for a winning 
conference record based on a schedule of at least eight games.  If that's 
too little for everyone, then require at least one non-conf, Div I-A win 
and no non-Div I-A losses

6) Bowls with conference tie-ins must select based on conference record, 
with a one-game "skipover" allowed only to avoid consecutive appearances in 
the same bowl or repeat matchups of a regular season game or previous 
year's bowl game.

Did I miss anything?


Michael, CAS '91
mailto:michael at vance.com