AJC > Sports > Blog > Archives > 2008 > September > 30
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
You want a playoff? Well, here it is!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last weekend was yet another example of why it is going to be hard to get the college football powers that be to ever buy into a playoff.
Just follow me here.
After all the craziness of 2007 there can be no doubt that college football has the best regular season of any sport. Last weekend was our first sign that the fun will continue in 2008 as three of the top four (No. 1 USC, No. 3 Georgia, and No. 4 Florida) all lost. When the carnage was over Saturday night, four of the top nine and nine of the Top 25 had lost as well. Oregon State’s upset of USC on a random Thursday night in September sent shock waves all the way from Corvallis, Ore., to Athens, Ga. On Friday the conversation on sports talk radio was dominated by college football and what it all meant.
But if we had an eight-team playoff in place, that Oregon State victory would have barely created a ripple outside of the Pac-10. Because of its impact on every national championship contender in the country, last Thursday night millions of people turned over to that game as soon as “Grey’s Anatomy” was over. With a playoff, that USC loss is not dramatic because the Trojans would still be pretty much a lock for the post-season by winning the Pac-10. But now there is the very real possibility that USC’s loss to Oregon State will eventually cost the Trojans a shot at the national championship.
The fact that a game like USC-Oregon State game can impact so many other schools has pushed television ratings higher and is keeping stadiums full. And as long as the TV ratings are high and the stadiums are full, there is no motivation (other than fan unrest) to go to a playoff of any kind. After four of the six BCS conferences shot down the idea of a four-team playoff last April, we are pretty much assured of having the same BCS format for the next six years.
Besides, who says we don’t have a playoff in Division I-A football? There are five SEC teams in the Top 13 of the Associated Press poll and given their respective schedules, each will have a chance to play their way in to a BCS championship game. I broke down the remaining games against ranked teams for the Top 13. I took the liberty of projecting some conference championship games. What it told me is that we can expect many more whacky weekends like the one we just had. It’s time to buckle up because 2008 is going to be a wild ride and we are just getting started.
Here, gentle readers, is your national championship playoff:
1. Oklahoma (4-0): No. 5 Texas in Dallas, Oct. 11; No. 16 Kansas, Oct. 18; at No. 7 Texas Tech, Nov. 22; vs. No. 4 Missouri in Big 12 championship game.
2. Alabama (5-0): at No. 3 LSU, Nov. 8; vs. No. 13 Auburn, Nov. 29; vs. No. 11 Georgia or No. 12 Florida in SEC championship game.
3. LSU (4-0): at No. 12 Florida, Oct. 11; vs. No. 11 Georgia, Oct. 25; vs. No. 2 Alabama, Nov. 8; vs. No. 11 Georgia or No. 12 Florida in SEC championship game
4. Missouri (4-0): at No. 5 Texas, Oct. 18; vs. No. 16 Kansas in Kansas City, Nov. 29; vs. No. 2 Oklahoma or No. 5 Texas in Big 12 championship game.
5. Texas (4-0): vs. No. 1 Oklahoma in Dallas, Oct. 11; vs. No. 4 Missouri, Oct. 18; at No. 7 Texas Tech Nov. 1; at No. 16 Kansas, Nov. 15; vs. No. 4 Missouri, Big 12 championship game.
6. Penn State (5-0): at No. 18 Wisconsin, Oct. 11; at No. 14 Ohio State, Oct. 25.
7. Texas Tech (4-0): at No. 16 Kansas, Oct. 25; vs. No. 5 Texas, Nov. 1; at No. 1 Oklahoma, Nov. 22; vs. No. 4 Missouri in Big 12 championship game.
8. BYU (4-0): at No. 15 Utah, Nov. 22.
9. Southern Cal (2-1): vs. No. 23 Oregon, Oct. 4.
10. South Florida (5-0): vs. No. 24 Connecticut, Nov. 22.
11. Georgia (4-1): vs. No. 19 Vanderbilt, Oct. 18; at No. 3 LSU, Oct. 25; vs. No. 12 Florida Nov. 1 in Jacksonville; at No. 13 Auburn, Nov. 15.; vs. No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 LSU or No. 13 Auburn in SEC championship game.
12. Florida (3-1): vs. No. 3 LSU, Oct. 11; vs. No. 11 Georgia, Nov. 1 in Jacksonville; at No. 19 Vanderbilt Nov. 8; vs. No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 LSU or No. 13 Auburn in SEC championship game.
13. Auburn (4-1): at No. 19 Vanderbilt, Oct. 4; vs. No. 11 Georgia, Nov. 15; at No. 2 Alabama, Nov. 29; vs. No. 11 Georgia or No. 12 Florida in SEC championship game.
