The Rest of College Football

[*JD*]

The defenses are just soooo good, these stats are amazing:



Sloppy in that Alabama missed a ton of field goals but otherwise that was just two all-time elite defenses.

Hard to really say, since it's a down year for the SEC. I think we'll have to wait and see what they do in bowl games, hopefully against different opponents.

[UMStan White]

"About as exciting as Pam Ward


Yeah riiiiiiiight

[whodean]

it's a down year for the SEC

#1 LSU
#3 Alabama
#6 Arkansas
#12 South Carolina
#14 Georgia
(All of the above ranked higher than any Big 10 team)
#24 Auburn

I wish the Big 10 could have a "down" year like that.

[SeattleLionsFan]

The Big 10 has had down years like that...

[Hannibal]

It's an extreme down year for the SEC East and, in general, the conference is extraordinarily top heavy.

[Optimus Prime]

Interesting proposal, if you don't have a large fan base and a marquee name, you are simply not invited to the prom, makes sense, 120 Div. 1 -A schools, moronic.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7248953/bcs-proposes-only-handling-national-championship-game-sources-say

[lineygoblue]

The present system doesn't work. There is always controversy because a "deserving" team is left out.

I agree with my good friend Ghengis Jon. Either institute a real (16-team) playoff, or just trash the whole thing, and go back to the old bowl system. A 16-team playoff can be played off in four weeks, and they don't all have to be four weeks in a row. They could play the first two rounds and be done before Christmas break. Then, play the final two rounds in the first two weeks of January. They're already playing games after NYD anyhow, so I don't see why using the first two weeks of January would be a problem.

****sigh****

[WM Wolverine]

My system makes most everyone happy, changes very little and only adds 3 more games, potentially only two...

My proposal is after the BCS bowls (whether there is 4 or 5, 4 works better imo), then decide the top four teams in the nation to play in a 4-team playoff; 3 more games at sites of the present BCS bowls. Its possible one of those top 4 teams could've lost their bowl game but very, very unlikely since we'd no longer put #1 vs #2 in a bowl but possible... Most the time, the winner of those 4 BCS bowls (I think the BCS era will be over soon) will be the top 4 teams...

The reason we have bowl games is that the cities that host the bowls pay-out enormous sums of money to host those games, those games generate a ton of revenue for those cities. Those are largely the stakeholders in our current system (along with the TV networks), you can't do a lot that leaves these guys with less power; e.g. have more major bowls without them so plans for more or less major bowls isn't a good plan.

[Mike]

Good plan, WM. I'd modify it slightly by trying to arrange the BCS bowls into a seeded quarterfinal - 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, etc. while avoiding intra-conference matchups. Do like NCAA hockey does and if the 3 vs. 6 game happens to be two teams from the same conference than simply switch 6 and 7. That would avoid having the best teams knock each other out before the final four. Any of the top 8 teams that beats another top 8 team would be worthy of advancing, however.

[WM Wolverine]

B10 and Pac 12 will ruin that idea with the Rose Bowl... Yes, seeding the bowls make more sense.

[lineygoblue]

WM is correct. The B1G and Pac 12 will never EVER give up the automatic tie-in with the Rose Bowl. And, I doubt that the Rose Bowl would want them to.

[hodgkal]

All these formats to arrange a meaningful playoff system simply add to the already scandalous amount of money and time devoted to CFB. But there is more talk nowadays about somehow separating FB from college life altogether and treat it like a pro sport. I know, it will never happen. But each extension of the season keeps adding to the tenuousness of "amateur" CFB and divorcing it from a college education.

And mind you, I readily admit I am part of the problem because I am among the addicted.

[Optimus Prime]

Oh look who just showed up.

http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2011-11-18/ncaa-to-investigate-penn-states-institutional-control

[lineygoblue]

As I said ... tip of the iceberg.

[*JD*]

I wish the Big 10 could have a "down" year like that.

I didn't say they don't still get votes. Just like we were ranked all the way up #11 without beating anyone of significance, some SEC schools get the vote on reputation more than reality.