Let's Talk Some Football

Some of you may remember a few weeks ago an NFL article popped up on Tha O Show. It wasn't exactly what I expected. I know this is a wrestling and MMA site, but sometimes you need a change of pace. The NFL was in mid-season at that point, so not enough to really talk about, and now the playoffs are beginning.

I'm not here to talk about the NFL however, I'm here to talk about NCAA Football. Division 1, the FCS, or BCS however you want to label it. The major Universities that compete for the BCS championship. I want to talk about the major problem with the BCS. All the conferences aren't included.

Boise State has a right to claim they are National Champions. The only problem is that Alabama and Texas are ranked 1 & 2 respectively, and they play for the National Championship Thursday night. Alabama plays in the powerhouse and traditionally favored, and rightfully so SEC, and Texas plays in the second or third strongest conference in the nation, the Big 12.

The aforementioned Boise State plays in the appropriately entitled WAC. It truly is whack, but they are a very talented, very well coached, very good football team. Alabama plays Ole Miss, Auburn and LSU every year, and Florida and Georgia every other year. Boise State plays Utah State, Idaho, and New Mexico State every year.

It isn't hard to argue that it is a tougher row to ho in the bigger conferences. It truly is, which is why on past occasions 1 and even 2 loss teams have been chosen over undefeated non-BCS conference schools. LSU with 2 losses defeated a no loss Ohio State team a few years ago, and embarrassed Ohio State. Again.

Conferences like the Big 10 give the non-BCS schools a reason to complain. At least in National Championship appearances. Since the BCS was invented in 1998 the SEC has won 5 National Championships with an opportunity for it's sixth on Thursday night. No other conference is close. The SEC also has the most BCS game wins.

People scream for a playoff system to add a little parity and not allow the SEC to be so dominant, and to give the smaller less funded schools an opportunity. A full field playoff wouldn't work and it would hinder one of the biggest parts of college football, the rivalry games. The rivalry games wouldn't mean as much or wouldn't happen because someone would already be eliminated.

A 4 or 8 team playoff wouldn't be as bad. The top 8 teams in the standings at the end of the year could face off in 5 games to determine the champion. Or, the Champion from each 6 top conferences and 2 At-Large bids to be thrown in depending on end of year ranking. In that case, you have the same issue as before.

This year you would have had, Alabama, Texas, Cincinnati, TCU, Florida, Boise State, Oregon and Ohio State holding those eight spots. 2 SEC teams, a WAC team, a MWC team, a Big East team, a Big 12 team, a Pac 10 team and a Big 10 team. So at the end of the year each BCS conference is still represented. The 2 underdogs then get their opportunity.

Then comes the problem of the NCAA regulations. They can't play that many games without cutting regular season games and that isn't happening, the Universities make too much money to do that. The only legitimate option is a 4 team playoff. Which would have included Alabama, Texas, Cincinnati and TCU. Somebody would still be pissed. Somebody would still be left out.

Be happy with calling Boise State the 2009 Co-National Champions with either Alabama or Texas. The format won't change for quite some time.

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