[NU Sports] Re: BCS

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

> IMHO the best alternative to the current system is the
> Plus-One 4-team

And that's fine with me too ... as is returning to the old way. ANYTHING except the BCS. It's like the worst of both worlds. The B(C)S and overabundance of bowls has made bowl games absolutely meaningless (even the formerly big ones) and there's still no real champion most years.

It's just that every year college football is so amazing and then ends with a clunk. The OSU-Miami or USC-Texas years are the exceptions. The years where the clear #1 beats the controversial #2, we're left feeling cheated about whether Oregon would have given Miami a better game than undeserving Nebraska ... and the years where the controversial #2 wins, we're left wondering if LSU is really the champ or whether they just won because they got to play at home and Georgia is the real best team in the SEC.

Having a thrilling regular season, controvesial talkers and a playoff are NOT mutually exclusive. A "Plus One" might not be a true playoff, but it would be a heck of a lot better than what we have now - no bowl tradition and no real champion.

> The biggest
> issue that I have with the current system is how a
> BCS-conference team can
> go undefeated and be locked out of the national
> championship (i.e. Auburn

And that was a crime. But just one of many - and they're not fun controversies, but frustrating bummers of a finish to the season.

For example, say Oklahoma wins big on Saturday and rolls over Okie State. I'm sure the pollsters would leap them into the top 2, but do they deserve the title shot more than a 1-loss Texas team that beat OU on a neutral field?

> playoff would be the best solution.  It would keep the
> current bowl system
> and even schedule intact (the national championship game is

Although I'd like to see us do away with about half the bowls - it's embarassing to see these games in half-empty stadiums between 7-5 Big East and ACC teams.

Like Chuck said, some (El Paso, Pasadena obviously) have a great tradition that could hopefully be restored ... but do we really need all these bowls?

> loss would have a good shot, and that would encourage teams
> to schedule more
> difficult non-conference opponents - strength of schedule

I wish, but we took the SOS and "quality win" factors out of the BCS.

> And for those who want to ditch the bowl system, just look
> at NU in 2008 -

But wouldn't that make the regular season even more meaningful instead of less?:)

> But, no matter what anyone thinks, it's all about
> money.  Just look at ESPN

Yup - feed the beast. That's why they won't care if the Orange Bowl only has 10,000 people on a rainy midweek night after New Year's between two ACC/Big East teams. They're already making money so who cares?

Oh well, we can hope that someday the most exciting sport around gets the finish it truly deserves! But like I said, the current set-up is the worst of both worlds -- meaningless, ubiqutious bowl games and undeserving, unsatisfying so-called "champions."

GO CATS!!!
-SjT