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Home > Mark Bradley > Archives > 2008 > November > 19 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USPresident-elect, UGA president agree on playoff
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A president raised the idea, and now the President-elect of these United States has endorsed it — an eight-team playoff to determine the champion of college football. Barack Obama said Sunday on “60 Minutes” he’d work to implement one, and Michael Adams said hooray.
“I was watching the interview,” Adams said Wednesday. “What he said was identical to what I said last January.”
The University of Georgia president outlined his proposal in the AJC 10 1/2 months ago. Adams was hoping to use his influence to spark debate within the NCAA. Later that month his fellow presidents evinced little support, and the grand plan fizzled. But the American presidency, as has been noted, makes a bully pulpit.
“I’ve been right on some things and wrong on some things,” Adams said, “but I do think I’m right on this one. The closer you get to the current system, the more flawed it appears. And I’m not one to try to predict the future, but I think it’s unrealistic to expect a number of one- or even two-loss teams to fit into the plus-one model.”
Plus-one — a championship game tacked on after the bowls — is seen by many as the corrective to the current BCS mechanism. Plus-one was put forward for discussion by Mike Slive, the SEC commissioner, at the BCS meetings in the spring. “It was rejected,” Slive said Tuesday. “And that made it clear that, over the next four-year cycle, the format wouldn’t change.”
Two days after Obama made his televised declaration, the BCS announced a new television agreement for that four-year cycle (2011-14) with ESPN. Speaking on a teleconference, ACC commissioner John Swofford — who succeeded Slive as BCS coordinator — said: “After lengthy debate, it became evident there was not enough support to change the current format.”
Will Obama’s imprimatur alter the dynamics? Said Slive: “My sense is that it may increase dialogue, but the eight-team playoffs has been vetted so thoroughly [by college presidents and conferences] that I don’t think it will [have much effect].”
Adams claimed to have seen encouraging internal signs for his (and now Obama’s) eight-team plan. “There’s been a lot of behind-the-scenes talk [among presidents],” he said. “I don’t think there’s been as much movement in the Big Ten as the Pac-10. It will be interesting to see if there are several one-loss teams this season and USC is one of them.”
Does Adams believe the BCS is swimming against public opinion? “I don’t know if I’d characterize it like that, but a majority of people do seem to want some kind of playoff. The presidents are key in this … And there are so many new presidents that I would not just assume that because it was one way a couple of years ago it will be that way always. Presidents do have to pay some attention to public opinion.”
And presidents have to listen when the President-elect speaks. Said Slive: “[His] interest in postseason football reflects the national interest; it’s not just a regional game anymore … If he and I had an opportunity to talk, I would try to talk him out of an eight-team playoff — plus-one would allow us not to have the regular season curtailed.”
On it goes, this debate among learned folks over what’s best for what is, at bottom, a billion-dollar game played by students. The belief here is that big-time college football will never have a true playoff because the bowls pay too much and the six BCS leagues will never willingly cede a scintilla of power, but with the president-elect revealed as an interested party, who knows?
And who knew Michael Adams, pilloried in this space and others for his handling of Vince Dooley, would stand revealed as a visionary? Speaking of the President-elect, Adams said: “I think he’ll do everything I suggest — don’t you?” Then he laughed.
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By lemur
November 19, 2008 5:34 PM | Link to this
Maybe you should ask Michael Adams why he voted against UF President, Bernie Machen’s proposal for a playoff a year before he came out in support of one? Oh, thats right… it was because he “came up with the idea” to win favor with delusional dog fans last season.
By swimdawg68
November 19, 2008 5:37 PM | Link to this
Obamas oponion will have no affect on the BCS folks. He will have better luck dealing with the Republicans than the BCS, which will be no luck at all. The Republicans will treat him the same way the Democrats have treated Bush, total contempt.
The BCS operates like our congress, the “will of the people” means nothing
By lemur
November 19, 2008 5:39 PM | Link to this
Oh yeah, here’s a link for you too. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2815940
He backed off the plan after it was unanimously voted against by the rest of the presidents, including Adams.
By We The Fans
November 19, 2008 6:10 PM | Link to this
This whole thing is about Greed. Too much money is at stake and the heads of the schools will not let that money go. Every other sport has a playoff system in place, to think that college football can’t do it, is BS. Reduce the season by a game or two, eliminate the bye week and take the conference winners and put them in a playoff. You can still use the bowl sites to host the playoff games and rotate the National Championship site amongst the big bowl sites currently in place. You could even still use the BCS rankings to throw in some wild card teams who were ranked high but did not win their conference. The Fans, who are the ones that make everybody rich with their wallets, want a damn playoff. Listen to the people who are giving you the money and support, or get the hell out of the way. Adams is a joke by the way.
By The Way
November 19, 2008 6:25 PM | Link to this
The only way for the nation to get a playoff system is to boycott the bowl games. Quit buying the tickets for all those bowl games and then seeing empty stadiums on national TV should grab someones attention that there needs to be a change. It will start hitting them in the wallet.
By Dave In Tampa
November 19, 2008 7:55 PM | Link to this
Someone Pleeeeeaasssssse tell Adams to keep his pir-hole shut. He embarrassed us last year and is starting to do it again this year. I think we need a playoff, but looking at Adams just makes me want to hurl!
By adawgfan
November 19, 2008 8:12 PM | Link to this
I voted for the other guy but, I’m fully behind our President-elect. He changed my opinion Sunday night.
By 'ol dawg
November 19, 2008 8:16 PM | Link to this
Adams has influence with the NCAA. HA!
By Class of '98
November 19, 2008 8:57 PM | Link to this
Hey wasn’t everybody around you just talking non-stop all day about that big Kentucky-UNC hoops game last night????
No? It must be because the game was MEANINGLESS.
The college hoops regular season is ALL EXHIBITION. The real season lasts 2 weeks in March.
College football is awesome for 3+ months.
Let’s keep it that way.
NO PLAYOFF!!!
By Mark Bradley
November 19, 2008 8:57 PM | Link to this
I’m 53, and I’ve given up seeing a college football playoff in my lifetime. Or anyone’s lifetime. The conferences and the bowls are just too powerful.
By TW
November 19, 2008 9:00 PM | Link to this
Balance things out by requiring conference championships across the board. Better schedule so that there is more cross-play between conferences, even if it means one less conference game.
As is, the play-offs start in late August. It is the greatest thing about college football. Any play-off, other than maybe plus-1, guts the soul from the college game.
By stendec
November 19, 2008 9:22 PM | Link to this
Corruption is everywhere! It is no more apparent than in the maggoty BCS. Where else can a team which is blown out in the title game year after year still be invited back? Listening Ohio State Yuckeyes? Fans are treated to annual mismatches. Anyone remember UGA vs Hawaii? How about Southern Cal against whoever the Hell it played? No, a playoff makes too much sense. It is too rational. Common sense is foreign to the BCS. Who North of the Mason-Dixon Line can take Florida, Bama or even a weaker LSU squad? Penn State? Hah! Ohio State? Laughter! How about out west? Maybe Southern Cal if one of those teams is missing key starters and playing their worst game of the season. I said maybe. No, the South has dominated college football for years. The BCS is only in place to block a Southern monopoly! Auburn would have beaten the Hell out of the alleged national (toilet paper) champion the year it was snubbed after going undefeated. Obama spoke the truth. For as much good as it does him.
By lawton
November 19, 2008 9:31 PM | Link to this
Obama has a problem, its called “you cannot impair the obligation of contracts”, which is WHY they hurried up and voted on the new tv CONTRACT before obama could make a move. it wasnt coincidence.
By stendec
November 19, 2008 9:49 PM | Link to this
Hi Lawton. Agree with you. However, contracts are routinely broken daily for much less noble reasons than the abolishment of a totally corrupt system. If I remember correctly, the same guys who came up with the BCS system were rumored to have been in Dallas, Texas in November 1963. Sounds right.
By Mark Bradley
November 19, 2008 10:07 PM | Link to this
One thing Michael Adams noted that I haven’t heard anyone else mention: With Fox holding the rights to four of the BCS games and ABC having the Rose Bowl, there was always a question of whether a cross-network solution could be reached regarding a playoff. Since ABC and ESPN, which just bought the rights to the other four BCS games from 2011 through 2014, are both owned by Disney, that could become a coalescing factor. (And ESPN claims to be agnostic about the format — whatever the BCS puts forward, the network says, it will gladly air.)
By Gene
November 19, 2008 10:23 PM | Link to this
Michael Adams is a self promoter and politician. If he were a real educator, he would do something about the on and off field behavior of Georgia football players who are representing the University. When Adams finally goes away, it will take years to repair the damage.
By tonto
November 19, 2008 10:39 PM | Link to this
I agree with Class of ‘98.
NO PLAYOFF SYSTEM. It takes the interest off of the regular season. It is a game were playing here. Not an attempt to determine the ultimate dominator. Besides, removing the subjectivity from anything makes for sooooo much boredome.
By BCS Slave
November 19, 2008 11:01 PM | Link to this
You know, Obama should be thinking about the civil rights of the players and fans who are denied a fair shot at all the glory and economic benefits of a NC game by biased voters in the BCS formula. It is a basic issue of justice and fairness. I know we won’t have an 8 team playoff unless, 1) Obama makes it a civil rights issue; 2)The fans stop supporting the current system; or 3) hell freezes over. I think Obama will have bigger fish to fry. The fans are a bunch of bleating sheep who will keep feeding at the college presidents and the BC$ trough, so they won’t stop supporting the system. I think hell will freeze over first.
By BCS Slave
November 19, 2008 11:13 PM | Link to this
Tonto,
That is not true. To go to an 8 team playoff, we would have to shorten the regular season to in conference games only. Only conference champs would be able to advance to playoffs. This INTENSIFIES every game during the regular season. The polls aren’t any better at making regular season games more important than fighting for the SECC game would.
It is becoming boring to many to see games hyped by networks only to have them be blowouts. Rankings are meaningless obviously. A playoff means all the talking is done on field. Head to head competition is all that matters. That is sport and that is exciting.
By ButlerDawg
November 19, 2008 11:41 PM | Link to this
Which team does Obama support anyway? Harvard? Maybe Illinois I don’t know, but if that is true what is he complaining about? The Illini got to play USC in the Rose Bowl! I would have paid BIG money to go out there and watch the Dawgs play the mighty Trojans! Instead we got stuck with that team from The Islands with Fat Simoans wearing roller-ball unis. :( If there ever is a playoff, please lock-out the Boise State’s, Fresnos and Hawaiis.
By jim
November 19, 2008 11:56 PM | Link to this
An odd/even system, plus one, between the top 4 would be the best and easiest way to settle the whole the situation. The national champtionship would be settled by #1 playing #3 and #2 playing #4 on Jan 2 then the winners playing each other a week later. Bowls bid each year for the two Jan 2 and the national champtionship games and the rest of the bowl system is as it always been. The rules are simple. There is no odd man out. If you want the chance to play for the national title make it to the top 4 so do whatever it takes to get there. It really would be a win/win for everybody.
By dawghater for 19yrs
November 20, 2008 12:19 AM | Link to this
voted for a playoff because UGA gets blown out by every nationally ranked team in the top 10…UGA choked on his bone and hates trying to give him the heimlich maneuver to remind fans this was supposed to be their year, like every year and they choke….this comment provided with sponsorship from choke-a-cola the offical drink of UGA football
By LOSE THE NAME
November 20, 2008 12:32 AM | Link to this
IF WE LOSE THE NAME NATIONAL CHAMPIONS,OR DONT DECLARE THE TOP BOWL AS A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP BOWL GAME WE HAVE NO ARGUEMENT. LETS FACE IT, ITS JUST TWO TEAMS RANKED 1&2 PLAYING FOR A PARTIC ULAR BOWL.AND THE WINNER IS JUST ANOTHER BCS BOWL WINNER. P.S IT’S JUST A SCHEME TO GENERATE MORE MONEY!
By KJ
November 20, 2008 1:03 AM | Link to this
UGA choked on his bone
I have a bone you can choke on. Email SuckItRetardedTrolls@gmail.com for details.
By YELLOWJACKETS REQUIRED
November 20, 2008 1:48 AM | Link to this
WHO GIVES A SH!T WHAT MICHAEL ADAMS OR BARRY OBAMMER HAVE TO SAY ABOUT FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS? BOTH OF THEM NEED TO CONCENTRATE ON THE JOB AT HAND, AND IT’S NOT A FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SYSTEM. WE ALL KNOW THAT UGAG HAS A SH!TTIE PRESIDENT, GUESS Y’ALL SEE WHAT WE’VE ELECTED TO RUN THE COUNTRY!
By drew
November 20, 2008 5:51 AM | Link to this
You’re right…the NCAA doesn’t give a rip about what the fans want. And as usual, it’s all about the money.
Which means the solution is to hit them in the pocket book. BOYCOTT all bowl (exhibition) games! DO you think the sponsers of the bowl games will continue to pay the NCAA out the azz if people aren’t watching the games? Then, and only then, will the “will of the people” be addressed.
By Previous Ryan Skeptic
November 20, 2008 7:22 AM | Link to this
Our ONLY hope in possibly seeing a playoff system adopted in college football. Can you imagine watching the best match-ups? Spilling popcorn and beer on your lap from jumping up and down from experiencing spectacular close games? Can you imagine the “best” team in america being the national champion? Still hard for me to fathom. Anyways, glad that President-elect Obama shared his thoughts on it. Change we need. Seriously.
By Tony Cole
November 20, 2008 7:33 AM | Link to this
Michael Adams is a Goober Smoocher…..
By ncdawg
November 20, 2008 7:58 AM | Link to this
For all of you who want an 8 team playoff, who are your 8 teams this year? Who gets left out? Look at Utah,Boise State etc. and what to do with them. ALA and FL can’t both be in if you leave it to conf champs. Really start to think about it and the Hawaii’s,etc that will have to be included and those left out and the BCS controversy just ends up being a playoff inclusion/disclusion controversy. We as fans will find something wrong with any system.
By KnowItAllGuru
November 20, 2008 8:22 AM | Link to this
I think ALL clear-minded individuals know why Adams agrees with “Barry” Hussein. It’s called keepin’ it real in da hood … yo!
By I'm Not On Board!!
November 20, 2008 8:24 AM | Link to this
I think we know why ALL clear-minded individuals understand Adam’s recent decision to agree with “Barry” Hussein It’s called keepin’ it real in da hood … yo!
By Blackberry Cobbler
November 20, 2008 8:53 AM | Link to this
Obama and the liberal Demrats think the government can solve all our problems……… at taxpayer expenses of course.
Obama needs to stay the hell out of sports. Surely he has more important things to do……….. like getting some plastic surgery for Michelle…….. woof, woof.
By NO PLAYOFF!
November 20, 2008 9:09 AM | Link to this
Don’t change it. EVERY game during the regular season is important, EVERY week. No other sport causes you to be intersetd in a game involving 2 teams that you could care less about. And watching these games I find myself screaming at the TV because it somehow may influence the outcome for the DAWGS season.
Now that I know Obama is for it, Im definitely against it. He should stick to spreading the wealth and stay out of sports.
By mr hoss
November 20, 2008 9:42 AM | Link to this
What is wrong with this?…Top 8 BCS teams get assigned to the 4 major bowls on or around January 1 (Surely there will be a Big 10 and a Pac10 team to be assigned to the Rose). Four winners play the following week at one of the four bowl sites and the two winners play the week before the Super Bowl at a 3rd site. The last three games will be rotated from bowl to bowl like now. ESPN will be happy as there is the same number of high profile games as now with much hyped interest (read higher ad rates), one moregame for 4 teams and 2 more games for 2 teams. Everything else stays as is. I can’t see a down side…more $$ for everyone, minimal extra playing time for “scholar-athletes”, bowls protected, one major bowl will get a championship every 4 years, BCS formula essentially the same.
By KC in Athens
November 20, 2008 10:15 AM | Link to this
Hey NO PLAYOFF, I assume you’re 85 years old and just too old to see anything change. A playoff system would make the regular season way more exciting because the regular season has everything to do with how a team makes it to the playoffs. I can only hope and pray that seven or so teams feel slighted by the current system this year. I hope it’s so chaotic that the fans revolt and storm the NCAA headquarters.
By Doggone
November 20, 2008 10:39 AM | Link to this
It’s interesting to note that Obama will “work to implement a playoff system”. It’s not his job under the Constitution to “work to implement” a playoff plan. You people who voted for this left wing liberal wanted a guy in the White House who would stick his nose in every phase of our lives and now brace yourselves…big brother is here! He’s no more than 50% black. But he’s 100% socialist!
By WTF???
November 20, 2008 11:08 AM | Link to this
ROFL!!!!!
Cotton in the road side, cotton in the ditch….
By Mark Bradley
November 20, 2008 11:21 AM | Link to this
See, that’s the thing: The NCAA, which runs a postseason tournament in every other collegiate sport, has little to do with big-time college football. The NCAA and the BCS are completely separate entities. And that’s what Adams was trying to do — get the NCAA involved.
By KC in Athens
November 20, 2008 12:36 PM | Link to this
Understood Mark, but it’s still called NCAA football, therefore the NCAA must accept all blame and ridicule by default. Outsourcing all criticism to another entity is a thinly veiled disguise.
By KC in Athens
November 20, 2008 12:53 PM | Link to this
Listen folks, I didn’t vote for Obama either, but don’t let ideology get in the way of someone who’s promoting a worthy cause. Normally, I would think 90 percent of posters on here would support a playoff. But now the disgruntled are rejecting it simply because they don’t like Obama. I say this because most college football fans, particulary in the south, lean toward conservatism.
By David
November 20, 2008 2:15 PM | Link to this
I thought Adams shot his idea down a week after he proposed it. Why does he think its such a great idea now? I’m all for a play-off, but I hope Adams realizes if it happens one day, if not because of his dumb a*. It’s hard for him to gain support from other presidents when you can’t even gain respect from the student body here in Athens.
By BBR
November 20, 2008 2:25 PM | Link to this
All I have to do is read a post from a Florida fan to remind myself why I continue to despise them more and more each year.
By Common Sense
November 20, 2008 4:24 PM | Link to this
You people have no common sense.
Adams advocates a playoff season - something 90% of you want - and if fails, so you slap him in the face.
Obama says he will try to see if he can use his influence, not make it a specific strategical plan or executive order, but his influence. I guarantee you he is not putting this up anywhere near the 100 or so more pressing issues he must deal with. He’ll make some calls.
By the way, it doesn’t matter which team you support. It has nothing to do with a particular team getting screwed on a particular year. The call for a playoff has nothing to do with where UGA or Illinois or Hawaii, etc. is in the playoff situation. It is the underlying position: The point of all this is that there should be a playoff. Period.
Again, I assume something like 90% of you support a playoff system. President Adams, for all his shortcomings, has truly done nothing wrong here. President-elect Obama also has done nothing wrong here except support the same thing you do. Shame on him right?
By KC in Athens
November 20, 2008 5:11 PM | Link to this
As much as many of you hate Adams, keep in mind that without him there would be no Mark Richt at Georgia. As AD, Vince Dooley stated unequivically in 2000 that Donnan would retain his position regardless of the outcome of the Tech game. Georgia lost and Michael Adams promptly fired him, thus trumping Dooley. Dooley also kept Ray Goff here for seven years. Remember that.
By arvin teheng
November 20, 2008 9:09 PM | Link to this
November 20, 2008 8:50 PM | Link to this
Please read this. This is being hypocritical…
Stewart Mandel of SI answered this question.
How can Southern Cal make it to the BCS title game when they do not even win their own conference? Isn’t that the reason why Georgia didn’t make the title game last year? — William Buyck, St. Matthews, S.C.
Every year is different, and while it’s true that Georgia’s failure to win its own division ultimately doomed its BCS title chances last season, that wasn’t due to some unilateral decree. Georgia was being compared head-to-head with a team from its own conference, LSU, that had won the very league title game to which Georgia failed to qualify. Pretty hard to argue with that logic. Michigan also fell victim to the same argument the year before, though I believe that was due more to its inferior résumé when compared with Florida’s.
Fast forward to 2008. First of all, USC will be considered its conference’s co-champion even if Oregon State goes to the Rose Bowl, but that’s beside the point. The Trojans will likely be docked regardless for their weak conference competition.
The more interesting team is Texas. As of today, it appears the Longhorns — much like Georgia — might not reach their conference championship game. But if Missouri upsets Oklahoma or Texas Tech in the Big 12 title game, the ‘Horns will be sitting there at 11-1, ranked in the top three and sporting a better résumé than all but the SEC champion.
Do we automatically apply the same disqualifier to Texas as we did to Georgia? Or do we accept that in this case they’re the most deserving team?
Last year everyone who didn’t think UGA deserved a shot at the NC said they couldnt go because they did not even win their conference championship. How can they now change that logic this year. Bunch of crap I say.
By Big Albany Dawg
November 21, 2008 11:04 AM | Link to this
Bradley,
Thanks for mixing politics with college football. You’re just like T Moore now. What next?
Who’s smarter; You or Adams?
By ELITE EIGHT FOOTBALL PLAYOFF NEEDED
November 21, 2008 2:23 PM | Link to this
U.S. DOMESTIC POLICY should include a college football playoff system.
By williebkind
November 21, 2008 3:41 PM | Link to this
who wants a playoff when I can watch the Rose bowl I mean the Inconsequential bowl where a 10&2 team will play a 6&6 team. It will be great. And what if the 10&2 teams wins!!!
By williebkind
November 21, 2008 3:47 PM | Link to this
The BCS system is the only way to keep the SEC from dominating the NC. It also gives the Big 10, Oac 10 Big 12 a chance to be real play off teams since their schedule consists of mosty high school caliber teams.
By Sam
November 21, 2008 3:50 PM | Link to this
A poster said the current system is all about “greed”. How can this be when “everyone” seems to think that a playoff would generate MORE money. Of course an issue is how that money is then divided, but the idea that turning down more money is greedy is Orwellian (or you are a Democrat).