Sunday, January 08, 2012

The BCS System in College Football

...is flawed & imperfect.  (Said the Alabama grad whose team will play for a BCS National Title tomorrow night)

(As I write, it's ~9:00 p.m. on Sunday night, the day before the BCS National Title game between LSU & Bama.  Thus, this has precisely zero to do with the outcome of the game.)

The current BCS system for determining who plays in the game is imperfect & controversial.  Exhibit A: tomorrow night's game, which is a rematch of an earlier regular-season game.

Here's the thing: (please read this next part slowly, especially if you're a BCS hater who's livid about a rematch)  There is NO flawless system for determining who wins the national title.  Not one.  A system that makes everyone happy just doesn't exist.  It's not there.  It will never be there.

I've argued for a top 4 tourney since I was a student at Bama when we were 5-6 & had no shot at the NC (or even a bowl game, for that matter).  The argument (by me & by many now who are smarter, including Ok St. HC Mike Gundy) is that while the polls might disagree over who is #1 v. #2, there's rarely disagreement over who's #1-4.  Let 'em have at it in a 2-game tourney.  Makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?  It's flawed.  What if your team is a microscopically-close #5 that genuinely believes it could beat #4 & deserves a title?  Then you'd be howling. 

OK, then what about an 8-team tourney?  What if you're a close #9?  (etc.)  Reply: Yes, but the NCAA hoops tournament in March  has 65 teams...Reply to the reply: and every single year, there are teams left out that are controversial.  If we can't pick the optimal 65-team field, why think we could find the perfect 2...or 4...or 8...or (etc.)

So, can we please recognize that ANY replacement to the current system has flaws?
(I'll give you a moment to let that be processed...)

In summary, under the current system my school is one of the two teams in the national championship game.  Should we win, I will proudly claim another national title for the Crimson Tide. 
Should we lose, I will graciously congratulate LSU on another national title for the Tigers.

Some concluding remarks:
--I think tomorrow night's game will be a *great* game.  Smash-mouth, hard-hitting football with defenses that are both just awesome to watch.
--I thought the first game was also an awesome game.  Personally, I'd rather watch a defensive slobber-knocker 9-6 OT game than a whoever-has-the-ball-last-wins type game.
--I won't be watching  tomorrow's game...you read that right; not watching.  I have class on the coast.  I'd strongly consider skipping, but I'm the teacher! *huge grin*
--VERY IMPORTANT POINT: Precisely NOTHING that matters ultimately will be determined in the Dome tomorrow night.  Zero.  Zip.  Nada.  If you're just livid about an LSU-Bama rematch & the BCS system such that you're tweeting & firing non-stop facebook statuses, may I gently suggest that you read the news?  Google "Nigeria unrest"..."Religious oppression"..."North Korea"..."Africa Famine"..."Human Trafficking"..."Slavery in 2011"...and get outraged about those things.  Tomorrow night is just a dang football game!

Last thought: If you're furious about LSU-Bama playing a rematch, here's some advice: Don't watch!!

Roll Tide regardless of the outcome!
bb

2 comments:

oldfatslow said...

I miss the system where major bowls mattered. For the SEC, the national championship was the Sugar Bowl.

Once the NCAA goes to playoffs, none of the bowl games will matter or be remembered.

I'm not sure the bragging or recruiting pickup of a playoff created national champion really makes all that much difference.

ofs

Don Shade said...

Even though the outcome doesn't matter, it is still nice to know ESPN will provide game cast: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/gamecast/gamecast_SERVLET?date=20120109&gameid=320090099

God Bless!