Nov 24 2008
The BCS is as bad as Figure Skating and Gymnastics!
The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) is major College Football’s answer to a National Championship. The only problem is it doesn’t work. Every other college sports settle the National Championship on the field, court or ring. But the Presidents of the major colleges decided to keep the “BOWL” system with a twist. The Call it the Bowl Championship Series.
I call it a joke. Now, I’m going to tell you up front I’m a fan of the University of Alabama. I really should have nothing to complain about. Bama is #1 in the BCS right now and if they win the rest of their games they will stay number 1. But here is my beef with the BCS. It has become a “Beauty Pageant.” You ask how? Well, all you hear on ESPN, Fox Sports, and all of the sports magazines talk about “STYLE POINTS.” In other words it doesn’t matter if you win–it is how much you win by! But as Herm Edwards, the coach of the Kansas City Chiefs said, “You play to win the game.” If you win that is what should matter, not by how much or how little.
Alabama is the only major college team that is undefeated. I realize Ball State and Utah are too but they are left out because of “Style Points.” Now as long as Bama was dominating Clemson and Georgia, the voters jumped Bama in the polls. But now there are teams who have lost at least one game that are actually getting first place votes in the the polls. One team got two first place votes that lost to a team Alabama beat. Now Bama may lose this Saturday to cross state rival Auburn or Florida in the SEC Championship game. That is why they play the game.
But it is time that Division I college football teams start a playoff. Don’t give me the excuse of classes. Division I-A, Division II and III have playoffs. Every other sport has playoffs. Division I football has become glorified figure skating and gymnastics. Now, those are great athletic events but the winner is subjective. That is what the BCS has become. A voter may have a beef against a coach and not vote his team where it deserves. That is why they play the game. Auburn a team I certainly don’t pull for got the shaft a few years ago when they went undefeated in the SEC and still didn’t get to play for the National Championship. It is like the Russian Judge in figure skating!
So College Presidents, it is time for a real playoff using the all of the major conferences and Notre Dame. If every conference had a playoff like the SEC, Big 12, ACC, Big East, etc… then the winner from those games would automatically be in the playoff. Then have some at large teams and have a 16 team playoff!
What do you think?
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I agree. I is less about good teams and more about bad sportsmanship (that is coaches who are willing to run up the score on crappy teams).
Joe Paterno of Penn State has long had trouble with this in the polls. Any time JoePa got up in the game, he would start playing his second and third string players. This led to may games in where the other team, still playing their 1st string, would score several touchdowns at the end of the game and make it look close. This was good coaching because it gave younger players experience, but bad for style points and rankings because voters like to see “dominance” not good football.
I hope that makes some sense.
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It’s all about the money that bowl games bring. That is why there is no playoff system.
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I don’t disagree with you. But the problem with ‘Bama is that every reason why they are better (undefeated, no style points) points to Utah as well. Except Utah has beaten more ranked teams than Alabama.
I wouldn’t worry so much though. ‘Bama is the only one who really controls their own destiny. Beat FL and everyone will jump on the Tide’s BW.
Well, I’m flabbergasted that you called figure skating and gymnastics athletic events. Hard to care about football when such a statement was actually said and you didn’t even complain about the 10yr old gymnast. Kuddos!
Quinn, the bowl games could just turn into the championship game. There are so many of them it could still work and companies benefit financially.
JR, not to mention fans usually don’t really enjoy this domineering games with such a large point spread. Perhaps style points should be given for using 2nd and 3rd strings.
We can dream.
Money ruins college football.
I hate the BCS, and it’s stealling my initials on top of that.
Playoffs. Yes.
Oh, well.
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The Pac 10 and Big 10 (which is really eleven. They can’t even count) are the two conferences that are against playoffs. Not surprisingly, they also have no conference championship game.
P.S. I hope Bama gets by Florida. I can’t root for Florida.
P.P.S. I hate the Big 10.
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I’m an Auburn fan, brother…
Just thought I would remind you of that.
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Let the College Playoff Series begin!
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I dislike qualitative judging systems too, like style points… but, to be fair to gymnastics, in gymnastics and figure skating there’s not really an alternative!! That is, if you want to compete in such a sport, you have to rate the style. I guess in a way it would be better if they were non-competitive, if we have a HUGE beef with style points.
There should definitely be playoffs!
but
ROLL TIDE ROLL ! ! !
Mrs. O…I couldn’t agree with you more! Roll Tide Roll!!!!
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