College Football Needs a Playoff

Last year, the University of Texas Longhorns football team, after having only lost a single game, was not given the chance to play for college football supremacy in the national championship. The University of Oklahoma Sooners, who had the same record as the Longhorns, and even lost to them head-to-head that year, were instead slated to play in the final game of the year against The University of Florida Gators. This occurred because, in the current system, a computer formula is used to determine who the best two teams are at the end of each collegiate season. A computer decides who has the chance to become champions. This current method, dubbed the Bowl Championship Series, is an extremely unfair system to determine who should be allowed to play in the national championship, as, more often than not, only teams from the BCS conferences are allowed the chance. The NCAA needs to make a revision and undo the monopoly the board of directors of the BCS conferences has on all of the big games, that payout the big money to their respective conferences and schools. A playoff system, like the ones implemented in every other collegiate sport in America, needs to be utilized in college football as well.

There are exceptions to the BCS system as well, as teams such as Boise State in 2007, and Utah last year, were given the opportunity to play in a BCS game, even though it was not the national championship game. Both teams had perfect records going into the BCS games. The Broncos and the Utes both made the most of their postseason trips, as they decisively won their respective games, even though their opponents were billed as “much better teams” that would simply outmatch the two “mid-major” teams: Boise State, and Utah. However, under all the scrutiny and pressure, the Broncos and the Utes won the games, further pushing the envelope in the argument for a playoff system. Both teams were thought to be subpar, because of the conference they are from, the Western Athletic Conference, and the Mountain West Conference, respectively. Regardless, both defeated teams that were considered better because of the their respective conferences, which were both BCS conferences.

That being said, there have been many other examples of teams that have been snubbed of a chance to compete for the national title because they were not picked by the computer system. These teams’ not being able to have a chance to play, however, is not the only issue in the debate. In addition to being able to play on the biggest stage in the world, at the end of the year, the 8 teams chosen to play in the 4 BCS games, including the national championship, are also awarded millions of dollars that go straight to their respective schools and conferences, regardless if they win or lose. In the end, the BCS schools have a stranglehold on all of this money, as teams from the same six conferences make the trip back to the same BCS bowl games year after year, garnishing all of the accolades and money, which leads to better recruiting for each of the schools, better training, and the ability to hire better coaches. With all of these components in place, it is almost inconceivable that a team from a “mid-major”, non-BCS can expect to compete with these schools when the BCS schools simply have more money, more talented recruits, and better coaches.

The boards of directors of each of these conferences have a stranglehold on all of the money and they know it. They continually vote against any thought or motion to implement a playoff system into collegiate American football because they know that it will be more difficult for their teams to receive automatic berths into the biggest and most lucrative of games. Out of the 119 Division 1 schools in college football, only 8 are allowed into these BCS games and given all of the glory each year. If even a 16 bracket playoff system were implemented, it would greatly improve the chances of some very good teams in mid-major conferences to make it to the championship games.

Critics of a playoff system have claimed that if student-athletes were to play 2 or 3 more games each season, their studies would suffer. This theory is flawed, as studies and evidence show that many of these Division 1 “student-athlete,” continually cut class, receive less than satisfactory grades within the current system. In turn, their comments are nullified because of this fact. In conclusion, all of the reasons for a playoff system are there: mid-major teams have continually shown, especially in this past decade, that they can play with “the big boys”, of the BCS conferences, there are no reasons to believe that a couple more games a season will deter any student-athlete from his studies, and most-importantly, the monopoly upon the big games and the big money needs to end. The time to push for a playoff system in college football and permanently do away with the BCS is now!