BCS Resolution

[BJBerthiaume]

Alright, there has been many of controversy about what the NCAA should do for the FBS Division playoff system.. Here is my solution. It may not be satisfactory to you, but that's the way it is; the BCS playoff system will NEVER be perfect.

Okay, there are 16 teams in 4 regions. The teams are seeded, but not all in the correct spot they should be, because there can't be two teams from the same conference in the same region. EVERY conference champion has an invitation to the tournament, like in college basketball. Then, after that is decided, there are 5 at large teams. THE INDEPENDENTS DO NOT COUNT AS A CONFERENCE THEY HAVE TO MAKE THE TOURNEY AS AN AT LARGE TEAM!!! Furthermore, the conference championships will still be played, with the winner going to the tourney no matter what, and the loser will have to make it as an at large bid. The invited teams, as mentioned before, will be seeded by a selection committee.

As for the games, the semi-finals and the finals will be considered bowl games, and the team will get a trophy for winning each. The Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, and Cotton Bowl will rotate each year being either a semi-final game or the championship game. I have dropped the Fiesta Bowl.

Well, I think that is everything, if I forgot something, I will edit this post.

Confusing? Yes. The right solution? Probably not, but this is just my opinion so...

Anyways, here is a bracket to help explain:

Let's hear your opinion on my solution, as well as any solutions you may have.

[Viper]

Where would the regional playoffs be played, at the higher seed's stadium or at a neutral site? Or maybe even have some of the lesser bowls serve as the regional playoffs?

You could also rotate bowls into/out of the playoff mix, so you could use the Fiesta Bowl after all, and also the Sugar Bowl which isn't part of your proposal either. I would even consider adding non-bowl sites for at least the early-round games. (Lucas Oil Stadium, the new Meadowlands Stadium, Invesco Field and Qwest Field come to mind.)

[burgundy]

I've had pretty much this exact idea for the past 3 or 4 years, so of course I'm all for it. But it's about 99.9% unlikely that it'll ever happen because the NCAA is greedy and stupid. The only option that's really even being considered is the stupid "plus one", which really doesn't solve a whole lot. The only thing that the NCAA is concerned with is the money that they bring in from sponsorships and the large fan bases of big-time programs. That's the reason that teams from "BCS Conferences" get preferential treatment; it's not whether or not the "non-BCS" teams can compete, I think Boise and Utah have proven that they can. What the NCAA fears is that a team like Boise State, Utah, or both (wouldn't that be a kick in the nuts) would make it to the championship game, and this would most likely not draw the crowds that, say, Texas vs Alabama would, thereby damaging their profits and ratings.

Sorry for the rant, but really, I think the only way that we can get them to change is to have a fan strike. But that'll never happen because I don't think enough people could do it, myself included. But if we ever can get them to change, this would be the ideal format.

[B-Rich]

How can you "drop" the Fiesta Bowl, replace it with the Cotton Bowl, and completely forget the Sugar Bowl?

[mantleisthebest7]

Me being from a non BCS state, any resolution that still includes the BCS is one i dont agree with anyways. I know my Utes would still be in it, and will most likely break the barrier again this year, but they'll be pitted against a crappy opponent this year just like they were in '04 anyways (Really, PITTSBURGH??), so I say why is it even worth it? So why not just do away with the BCS altoghether? I mean its the most flawed system in all of sports. Even with a top-16 playoff bracket, most of the participants will still be the big money schools. Either way you try to work it, with best intentions ahead, if the BCS is still there then theres still gonna be more than half the NCAA automatically disqualified. Go back to whatever was done before the BCS, I think more teams would have a bigger shot if you did that. I mean, heck, of all teams, BYU won a national title under it. That goes to show that if you want to give more teams chances, thats the way to go.

You put Troy and Tulsa and them in generous spots, but that's your doing. In the coming years, do you REALLY think with this kind of system the BCS would let that happen? The answer is a resounding NO. Really, the BCS is not going to put small money teams in a position to possible win anything. they wont want to see little Troy make a trip to an Orange Bowl in a playoff game, nor would they a team like Tulsa or such. They want those big money hogging schools comin to a bowl like that, from big money conferences. Its all about money and if a team has a chance to get there, you can bet your bottom dollar that BCS psycho ward, I mean system, will do something to keep them out. Its just not gonna work.

P.S: I'm confused as to why Troy is in your bracket, I see them nowhere near the top 25, unless this is a poll i havent seen before.

[Seadragon76]

I assume why Troy is in is because they're leading the Sun Belt at this point. He said that all the conference champions would be in.

Now, after seeing this, I think I could come up with a different idea to along with the 16 team playoff.

First off, the playoff system would work like so:

-A 'Selection Sunday' would happen the day after the final day of the regular season. The 11 Conference champions and the top five at-large entries from a modified BCS poll will get in.

-The first round games would be done the following week with two games on Thursday, two on Friday and the final Four games on Saturday.

-The first two rounds will be held at neutral sites as to ensure a fair playing field for both schools.

So, under this format, here's the Seadragon Playoff System:

1st Round

Midwest Regional:

-#1 Penn State (Current Big Ten Leader) vs. #4 Central Michigan (Current MAC Leader) [Motor City Bowl - Detroit, MI]

-#2 Oklahoma State (Current Big 12 Leader) vs. #3 Ohio State (At-Large) [international Bowl - Toronto, Canada]

(Regional Final: Music City Bowl - Nashville, TN)

East Regional:

-#1 Pittsburgh (Current Big East Leader) vs. #4 Notre Dame (Best Independent) [Congressional Bowl -Washington, DC]

-#2 Georgia Tech (Current ACC Leader) vs. #3 Georgia (At-Large) [Meineke Car Care Bowl - Charlotte, NC]

(Regional Final: Outback Bowl - Tampa, FL)

South Regional:

-#1 Alabama (Current SEC Leader) vs. #4 Troy (Current Sun Belt Leader) [GMAC Bowl - Mobile, AL]

-#2 Texas (At-Large) vs. #3 Tulsa (Current Conference USA Leader) [sun Bowl - El Paso, TX]

(Regional Final: Cotton Bowl - Dallas, TX)

West Regional:

-#1 USC (Current Pac-10 Leader) vs. #4 San Jose State (Current WAC Leader) [Poinsettia Bowl -San Diego, CA]

-#2 Utah (Current Mountain West Leader) vs. #3 Texas Tech (At-Large) [Humanitarian Bowl - Boise, ID]

(Regional Final: Holiday Bowl - San Diego, CA)

Final Four:

East vs. Midwest (Fiesta Bowl - Glendale, AZ)

South vs. West (Rose Bowl - Pasadena, CA)

3rd Place Game: Sugar Bowl - New Orleans, LA

National Championship (Held on New Year's Day): Orange Bowl - Miami, FL

[BJBerthiaume]

How can you "drop" the Fiesta Bowl, replace it with the Cotton Bowl, and completely forget the Sugar Bowl?

That was my bad, I had a brain fart and accidently said Cotton Bowl instead of Sugar Bowl. My bad.

[Drew22]

East Regional:

-#1 Pittsburgh (Current Big East Leader) vs. #4 Notre Dame (Best Independent) [Congressional Bowl -Washington, DC]

-#2 Georgia Tech (Current ACC Leader) vs. #3 Georgia (At-Large) [Meineke Car Care Bowl - Charlotte, NC]

(Regional Final: Outback Bowl - Tampa, FL)

I don't know if the "selection committee" would make it UGA vs. GT. But Georgia could easily win that Regional.

[njmeadowlanders]

Null

[HedleyLamarr]

If you want a playoff system to determine a true champion, you only bring in (in this case) the best 16 teams, regardless of conference affiliation. If 4 SEC and 4 Big XII teams are in the top-16 and no Sun Belt or WAC teams are included, that's the way things go. Can you honestly say that a 7-5 team (while playing a weaker schedule) is more deserving to play for a national championship than a 10-2 or 9-3 team (while playing a harder schedule)? Doesn't make sense to me.

Another thing...how do you intend on filling these neutral-site games in a week's time? Bowl games work because teams and fans have weeks to plan out going to these locales. You're pretty much depending on the host city to sell out 60% of the tickets for a game that they likely won't have a rooting interest in. Bad idea.

[Magnus]

Here's my format.

Since the NCAA season is 12 games long, play all those in September to November.

Play the conference championship games the first week of December.

Then:

Rank all 11 conference champs (plus the best independent) 1-12.

The minor bowls can be played as they wish.

In the first round, played in the 2nd week of December at the sites of the four major bowls:

5 plays 12

6 plays 11

7 plays 10

8 plays 9

The winners of those games go on to the Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, and Orange Bowl games.

The four winners of those games then move on to two national semi-final games, played at two of the four major bowl sites.

The national championship is held at one of the four sites in the third week of January.

(Both the semi-final and final bowl sites can rotate between the four major bowls.)

Problem solved, without destroying the bowl system already in place.

How's that?

[winters in buffalo]

Cut the season in half and replace the rest with a 132 team super playoff.

[WJMorris3]

How about a sixteen-team playoff, involving the eleven conference champions and the five best second-place teams?

[Drew22]

Cut the season in half and replace the rest with a 132 team super playoff.

Would this include I-AA teams too? You'd need 13 of 'em.

[Gary]

How about a sixteen-team playoff, involving the eleven conference champions and the five best second-place teams?

and no Notre Dame

I say right now the way i'd do it is the +1 system that they tried to implement earlier this year

[Sport]

stop reel-line-mints (i don't have the picture)

[Brian in Boston]

1) The 120 Division 1-A (formerly Football Bowl Subdivision) schools are realigned into ten 12-team conferences. Emphasis is placed on maintaining current conference lineups wherever possible, accentuating geographic rivalries, bringing programs of similar on-field success (as of now) together wherever possible, and bringing universities of similar academic achievement together.

Atlantic Coast Conference

North Division

Duke

North Carolina

North Carolina State

Virginia

Virginia Tech

Wake Forest

South Division

Clemson

East Carolina

Florida State

Georgia Tech

Miami

South Carolina

Big East Conference

North Division

Army

Boston College

Buffalo

Connecticut

Rutgers

Syracuse

South Division

Maryland

Navy

Penn State

Pittsburgh

Temple

West Virginia

Big Ten Conference

East Division

Indiana

Michigan

Michigan State

Notre Dame

Ohio State

Purdue

West Division

Illinois

Iowa

Iowa State

Minnesota

Northwestern

Wisconsin

Big 12 Conference

North Division

Colorado

Colorado State

Kansas

Kansas State

Missouri

Nebraska

South Division

Baylor

Oklahoma

Oklahoma State

Texas

Texas A & M

Texas Tech

Conference USA

East Division

Cincinnati

Memphis

Southern Mississippi

UAB

UCF

USF

West Division

Houston

New Mexico State

Rice

TCU

Tulsa

UTEP

Mid-American Conference

East Division

Akron

Bowling Green

Kent

Marshall

Miami of Ohio

Ohio

West Division

Ball State

Central Michigan

Eastern Michigan

Northern Illionois

Toledo

Western Michigan

Mountain Western Athletic Conference

East Division

Air Force

Brigham Young

New Mexico

Utah

Utah State

Wyoming

West Division

Boise State

Fresno State

Idaho

Nevada

San Jose State

UNLV

Pac 12 Conference

North Division

California

Stanford

Oregon

Oregon State

Washington

Washington State

South Division

Arizona

Arizona State

Hawaii

San Diego State

UCLA

USC

Southeastern Conference

East Division

Florida

Georgia

Kentucky

Louisville

Tennessee

Vanderbilt

West Division

Alabama

Arkansas

Auburn

LSU

Mississippi

Mississippi State

Sun Belt Conference

East Division

Arkansas State

Florida Atlantic

Florida International

Middle Tennessee

Troy

Western Kentucky

West Division

Louisiana-Lafayette

Louisiana-Monroe

Louisiana Tech

North Texas

Southern Methodist

Tulane

2) Within their conferences, schools play all five of their divisional opponents every year, as well as three of the six teams in their conference's other division (switching back-and-forth between which three every other year). This provides them with an eight-game conference schedule. At the conclusion of the regular conference season, the divisional champions will face-off in a one game playoff to determine the conference championship.

3) Schools will schedule up to three games against any other Division 1-A opponents they like. These games can be against traditional rivals, etc. This brings a school's schedule to eleven Division 1-A games (twelve games for divisional champions), results from which will be used to determine poll rankings.

4) Schools may - at their discretion - schedule a single game against a 1-AA opponent. Opting to do so would bring a school's schedule to a maximum of twelve games (thirteen for divisional champions). Games against 1-AA opponents will not be taken into consideration when determining poll rankings.

5) Once conference champions have been determined, those ten teams are slotted into Division 1-A football's 16-team national championship playoff. They are joined by six at-large teams determined by poll rankings. Seeding of the sixteen playoff teams could be done in one of two ways:

* The ten conference champions get the top ten slots based upon their final poll rankings, followed by the six at-large teams based upon final poll rankings, or...

* Once the sixteen playoff participants have been determined, all teams are seeded overall according to their final poll standings.

6) First-round playoff pairings would pit the seeded teams as follows: 1 vs 16, 2 vs 15, 3 vs 14, 4 vs 13, 5 vs 12, 6 vs 11, 7 vs 10, and 8 vs 9. Games would be played at the home stadium of the higher seed.

7) Second-round pairings would pit the seeded teams as follows: winner of 1-16 vs winner 8-9, winner 2-15 vs winner 7-10, winner 3-14 vs winner 6-11, winner 4-13 vs winner 5-12. Games would be played at the home stadium of the higher seed.

8) Semi-final pairings would pit 1-16/8-9 winner vs 4-13/5-12 winner and 2-15/7-10 winner vs 3-14/6-11 winner. Games would take place at neutral site stadiums that had bid to play host to the events.

9) Winners of the semi-final match-ups would meet in the national championship game to be contested at a neutral site stadium determined by bid.

[Gary]

Hey Brian what happened to the rest?

[JQK]

You're not going to get rid of the bowls. The people running the bowls want games, and don't want those games integrated into a playoff, so those who dont make it into the playoffs, they will go to the bowl games, as diminished as they will be.

The College Football regular season would be reduced from 12 games to 10 games

The six Power Conference champions get automatic bids, and are seeded one-through-six based on rankings

(Power Conferences: Big Ten, Big XII, SEC, ACC, Big East, PAC-10)

The remaining 10 spots are filled as At-Larges, based upon rankings (Yes, i do understand that there there will still be bitching about who made it, who didn't. You're never going to fully eliminate that from college football.)

The matchups for the rounds of 16, 8, and 4 will be held at the higher-seeded school's home field. Teams will be re-seeded for every round.

The Championship Game wold be held at 1 of 6 venues, to be determined on a year-by-year basis by the NCAA:

The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA

New Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX

University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ

The Superdome, New Orleans, LA

Dolphin Stadium - Miami Gardens, FL

Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN

[Luigi74]

I have posted posted this playoff set-up on other boards not sure if I did it on this one.

First off kick out the schools that don't meet NCAA Bowl Subdivision standards and get down to ten conferences which would most likely see the remaining Sun Belt teams absorbed into the MAC, C-USA, Mtn West and WAC, there could still be Independents but they would only get into the playoff via an at-large bid.

The ten conference champs automatically make the playoff along with two at-large bids.

There would be two regions, each with teams seeded 1 to 6.

Teams would be reseeded within their region after first round.

The first two rounds would be played at the higher seeds stadiums.

At-large teams cannot get first round bye or be in same region as their conference champ.

Semi-Finals would be played at neutral sites any stadium/city is eligible.

Finals would be at warm weather neutral site.

The playoff would be set-up to end on MLK Day.

Bowl games would still be played for non-playoff teams.

At this point in the season it would look like this.

1st Round

East Region

5. Pitt(Big East) at 4. Utah(Mtn West)

6. Ball State(MAC) at 3. Oklahoma(at-large)

West Region

5. Georgia Tech(ACC) at 4. Boise State(WAC)

6. Tulsa(C-USA) at 3. Florida(at-large)

2nd Round

East Region

Highest seed at 2. Penn State(Big Ten)

Lowest seed at 1. Alabama(SEC)

West Region

Highest seed at 2. USC(PAC 10)

Lowest seed at 1. Texas(Big 12)

Semi-Finals

East Region at Bank of America Stadium - Charlotte, NC

West Region at University of Phoenix Stadium - Glendale, AZ

Finals

Qualcomm Stadium - San Diego, CA

Former BCS Bowl games with teams that don't make playoff

Rose Bowl - Ohio State v Oregon

Sugar Bowl - Georgia v Texas Tech

Orange Bowl - Florida State v LSU

Fiesta Bowl - Oklahoma State v Notre Dame