First Read's college football solution

Sooner — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:29:00 GMT

If they incorporated the first round of the playoffs with the last week of the season, they could have the second round the last week of December (using the established bowls), and then ahave the championship game a week or so later. The season would stay the same length, and it would finsih by the start of the Spring semester.

p.s. Boomer Sooner!!

First Read's college football solution

niran, tempe AZ — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:31:07 GMT

This is a good idea. The home game for the top 4 teams may be the first Saturday of Dec. Then the top 4 teams play the semi final after Jan 1st.

First Read's college football solution

Tdubs, capital ctiy, california — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:32:27 GMT

couldnt agree more, a format overhaul is long overdue

First Read's college football solution

C A, Tuscaloosa, AL — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:42:52 GMT

Sounds like a plan. Folks around here state you can start this plan for next years season as this year it is a mote point with Alabama (No. 1) going all the way. I'm holding my breadth however as the Gators stand in the way of that goal tomorrow and I wouldn't place any large amount of money on either team at this point. I suppose I only hope that Bama does win because of a strong opinion that Darrin McFadden from Arkansas should have been awarded the Heisman Trophy last year and not TBone from the Gators.

We can argue that point on another blog someday but realize this (same argument I had with a Yahoo Sports Writer last year) many of the yards gained and counted for TBone last year were yards gained by a wide receiver after a pass was completed. So if TBone threw a 10 yard pass and the wide receiver gained an additional 70 yards after the completion they awarded TBone 70 additional yards gained towards his total yards gained for the year. In McFaddin's case he earned every yard he rushed for last year, and McFaddin was a better all-around player whose contribution to his team far exceeded the contributions the T made to Florida last year. Just my opinion. And based on that (and although I like the Quarterback from the Gators - nice kid) I'm rooting for the Tide tomorrow.

By the way, am a Michigan State and Michigan graduate so nothing for me to brag about or defend there.

First Read's college football solution

MSierra, SF — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:45:39 GMT

Pac 10 football:

USC and the 9 dwarves

First Read's college football solution

Sandy, Austin, Tx — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:50:50 GMT

Since I am a season ticket holder and a long time supporter of the University of Texas Longhorns I definitely support the idea of a playoff system. All of us that are huge Longhorn fans are really disgusted with the current BCS system. It is really a travesty that Oklahoma was awarded a higher ranking than UT. I don't know when President Elect Obama will be able to find a second to address this issue with all the other messes he has been left to deal with. I hope at some point a lot of football fans will let it be known we need help too. I guess we could call it our own form of a bailout.

First Read's college football solution

Mark Murray — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:55:19 GMT

Hook'em Horns, Sandy.

First Read's college football solution

Rock,Janesville,Wisconsin — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:07:22 GMT

Good idea! The time for real change in College Football is needed. That is fact!

First Read's college football solution

dan — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:15:24 GMT

Not bad, but I have a better proposal.

16 team playoff, with automatic bids for all 12 conference champs, then the 4 highest rated teams outside of those 12 (ND would have to join a conference).
Same scenario follows with home team advantage for the first two rounds.
Then bowls used for semi-final and final

First Read's college football solution

JustThinkin — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:36:45 GMT

I agree with the sentiments expressed here. It's time to address this issue. How we can call anyone a national champion without a playoff is beyond me. Everyone plays different schedules, diffent strenghts. The BCS is not the answer.

In economic times like these we "common folk" need something besides mortgages, and bills, and even tuitions to think about. A playoff would be a great diversion. Think about what great games we'd get to see.

So how do the grassroots get this done? They keep saying change is from the ground up.

First Read's college football solution

D Ray, formerly from Bama — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:38:22 GMT

This has been a long, hotly debated argument and largely ignored topic by the powers that be. Which puzzles me because a national college championship would be a financial bonanza bigger, I suspect, than the Superbowl.

All I have to say about it this year (finally!) is...

ROLL TIDE!

First Read's college football solution

Domenico Montanaro — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:43:31 GMT

Dan, Thanks for the comment and thoughtful proposal. We briefly considered a 16-team playoff, but we feel that is too many teams. Much of the controversy that has arisen has been over who is rightfully in the national championship game. None of us would say that a team outside the top 10 legitimately should be national champs. And there could be hang ups with a 16-team proposal, because elite football is too physical to extend the season much more.

First Read's college football solution

D Ray, Eugene — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:47:46 GMT

@MSierra

I might point out that Oregon (9-3) is on that top 20 list. Not bad for a dwarf. GO DUCKS!

First Read's college football solution

D Ray, Eugene, OR — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:52:57 GMT

I think the final game just begs to be a New Years Day game.

First Read's college football solution

Dakedo Baby, CA — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 01:05:08 GMT

How about this (modified a little from dan's post):

8 BCS Conference Champions, plus either the 4 non-BCS Champions (Indies would have to form a conference). OR the 4 highest ranked BCS teams period - regardless of where they are. 12 TEAMS - Let the geeks and the in-justice league keep their "precious" BCS computers (*sigh*).

Champions (yes, champions) ranked #1 and #2 - get 1st and 2nd round byes... Champions ranked #3 and #4 - get 1st round byes.

OR

As Domenico suggested, 8 BCS Champions plus the next 2 highest ranked teams. #1 and #2 get byes...

Thoughts...

First Read's college football solution

Dan — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 02:05:35 GMT

Domenico, if we can do 65 teams for basketball, we can do 16 teams for football. Additionally, doing 16 teams, increases the ability to let all the conferences into the system, plus the best 4. Finally, we get all excited about the Cinderella teams in b-ball, you would not get a Cinderella team in football without expanding it to 16 teams. While I could live with an 8 team playoff, let's not forget, that many of those teams from 9-16 have beaten a top tiered team (or that team actually lost to a team not even in the top 16. Example of what can happen - Nebraska was one interception away from upsetting T-Tech in overtime at T-Tech. So any team has teh capability to beat any other on the right day - let's make it fun again - and if its too many games - cut one regular season game out - max them out at 12.

First Read's college football solution

Marihelen, TX — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 02:19:00 GMT

Mark, I'll root for your Longhorns over OU any day, although I'm a Texas Tech grad.

UT was my second choice for college and probably would have been a lot better for ranking purposes, not to mention Austin is a lot more fun than Lubbock, plus it actually has trees that are tall enough not to be mistaken for shrubs, hills and even water.

UT was robbed my friend.

First Read's college football solution

Kevin Farrell, Snow Camp, NC — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 02:50:34 GMT

We already have a 16 team playoff in I-AA (FCS). It works fine. We also have a de facto first round the first weekend of Dec. with the conference championships.

Let's expand that week's games to have 8 winners left at the end of the week. For example: SEC Champs, Big XII Champs, ACC champs and 5 other winners from 10 teams selected by the NCAA. This year that might be Penn State, Texas, USC, Utah, Boise St., Cincinnati, Texas Tech, the MAC winner, the Conf USA winner, and say Ohio State. Some of the minor conferences (MAC & Conf USA & everyone else would have to wrap up the last week in Nov. to be in the field).

The 8 winners could then play in the 4 traditional major bowls on or near Jan. 1st. All of the other minor bowls could continue as usual with the 8 early Dec. losers probably being among the more sought after teams.

The NCAA could then stage a Final Four in prime time over 2 weekends/Monday night when the NFL is not having playoffs (Somehow, college basketball will survive).

btw- anyone who thinks Obama can force any sensible change should recall how well Clinton did preventing the baseball mess in 1994. As you'll recall, God punished Clinton and the perfidious Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell with the 1994 Republican "revolution".

First Read's college football solution

SmoothieGirl — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 15:42:59 GMT

I love FR!

First Read's college football solution

Brian, Bronx, NY — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 16:10:21 GMT

A three step solution
1. reduce the number of conference teams for a championship game from 12 to 10 (do you read this Big East,Navy and Notre Dame, hint, hint)
2. play the conference championships on Thanksgiving weekend using the exsisting bowl tie-ins (and the shut the bowl officials)
3. the 11 division 1-A champions and 5 at large teams will play a single elimination tourney. At large bids and seating using the BCS ranking (shutting up bcs officials), play the the first and second rounds at the home of higher seated team and then a final four site.

First Read's college football solution

Buckeye Fan — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 16:24:02 GMT

OH - IO!

With all this Texas and OU talk, I just felt I had to represent THE Ohio State University.

Very good idea by the way. BCS is outdated. Lets see some playoff action!

First Read's college football solution

russ — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 16:50:13 GMT

Great Idea!! it is time for a playoff in college football.

First Read's college football solution

Brad Proctor Pearland, Texas — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:38:52 GMT

I'm a Texas Tech Red Raider, I propose we take the top 32 teams and let them play for 5 weeks. We can use all of the bowl sites for the games and the last four games played before the championship game could be at the BCS bowl sites this way all of the bowl sites still get to have games played. Yes some teams would be advancing on to a new bowl every week but that is how a bracket would work. We could have all of the teams that did not rank in the top 32 that still get to play in one of the lesser bowls every year (since we take like some 64 teams to bowls anyway) have them open every week for one of the playoff games in one of the lesser bowls (something like the NAIA) This way all of the bowls get to have games and we can have a playoff system that would work.
Brad Proctor
Class ‘03

First Read's college football solution

Glenn Gould, Walnut Creek, CA — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:02:32 GMT

It's this kind of tyranny that our forefathers fought against? A national playoff system is tantamount to federal preemption. Isn't the regionalism (you'd call it provincialism) the last bastion of respect for the cultural traditions of each conference? When I voted for Obama, I thought I was getting someone who respected our traditions and institutions.