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DEL.ICIO.USNew playoffs push comes at right time
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
Possibly college football’s best regular season ever ended six weeks ago. Possibly college football’s worst bowl season ever ended Monday.
This is what the BCS has become. Imagine dining on steak and lobster, only to finish off with a HoHo.
Enough already. It’s time. It’s not time because fans are screaming. It’s not time because networks need another 41/2-hour game that stretches into the next morning. It’s time for a playoff because the landscape has changed. The parity, the upsets, the weekly makeovers atop the rankings that we witnessed this season might just become college football’s new norm. Polls, computer rankings and darts just won’t get it done anymore.
This week, University of Georgia President Michael Adams will discuss an eight-team, seven-game playoff at the NCAA meetings in Nashville. Some might consider an eight-team playoff too big of a leap, considering college presidents are having a hard enough time convincing people that academics, not television dollars, remains their top priority. A “plus one” scenario following bowl games — set under the old bowl system — would be a safer transition from the BCS. Even a four-team playoff might not stretch things too much. But at this point, even a series of coin flips would be an improvement (and more competitive).
Adams has long been an opponent of a playoff system. In an exclusive interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he admitted it has taken him “11 years of watching it up close” to pull a 180. His body couldn’t fight off the BCS virus any longer.
“There have been growing doubts by a lot of us [college presidents],” Adams said. “I think you have to keep this in perspective. I don’t think the fate of the Western world is resting on this decision by any means. But what has gotten me there more than anything is the fairness quotient. I feel some responsibility to at least leave thinking we’ve given [players] a fair chance of achieving their goals.”
He understands this may be viewed as another money-grab. He understands some will see it as “sour grapes” because Georgia was snubbed for the title game. That would be shortsighted. Forget the Ohio State-LSU game. This year’s BCS bowls were nonsensical at the start and unwatchable at the end.
A non-BCS bowl (Florida-Michigan) was more entertaining than anything else on New Year’s Day, save Hawaii’s pre-game war dance. Adams didn’t need any of his three degrees to conclude, “They ended up with some really screwy games.”
The whole concept of the BCS was flawed from the outset. Even when achieving its objective of a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup, which has been rare, other bowls are rendered meaningless. In the old bowl system, six to eight teams in four major bowls could rationalize having a shot at the “mythical” national championship. The games were better and actually meant something.
The lone downside was that the “champion” was determined by polls. But it worked. The emphasis on the regular season and the arguments over the polls were what made college football great. But that was fine when the debate was just over a few schools like USC, Oklahoma and Notre Dame. Now the debate is over a dozen. Of the top 12 teams in the pre-bowl AP rankings, 11 had one or two losses.
Guessing is futile.
Roy Kramer, the former SEC commissioner, has tried to convince everybody the BCS is the answer. Adams’ response is appropriate: “I have great respect for Roy Kramer. … But I just think he’s dead wrong on this one.”
In the old bowl system, we could’ve sat in front of our televisions on New Year’s Day and watched USC vs. Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, LSU vs. West Virginia in the Sugar, Oklahoma vs. Georgia in the Fiesta, and Virginia Tech vs. Missouri or Kansas in the Orange. That, with a “plus one,” may be the best compromise for college presidents.
An eight-team playoff would overlap with the spring semester. That makes Adams uncomfortable. He realizes approving 12-game schedules made college presidents look bad enough. But he’s willing to suggest the reversal of that decision.
Another obstacle will be getting the Rose Bowl to sign off on this. But Adams senses this year’s debacle — USC 49, Illinois 17 — has altered the climate, even in Pasadena.
He termed the system “fundamentally flawed.”
The regular season was great. It deserved a better ending.
Enough already. It’s time.
Permalink | Comments (44) | Categories: Jeff Schultz, Tech / ACC, UGA / SEC
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By RedandBlack
January 8, 2008 1:46 AM | Link to this
Hello,
Division 1 football needs to have a playoff to determine its champion. Stop letting the Rose Bowl dictate the situation. The SEC should dictate the situation given its power base and success in Division 1 football. It is time to make a stand for a better solution. The SEC needs to lead the way.
By Fred
January 8, 2008 2:32 AM | Link to this
When the BCS was implemented these bowls were “chosen” to be the BCS Bowls. If (and hopefully when) the BCS is replaced by a playoff system then either the bowls sign on or face a future as a minor afterthought.
It’s about time that we fans, players and colleges took back our sport from the monied elite who were just using it to further line their own pockets.
By Fred
January 8, 2008 2:44 AM | Link to this
Are you stupid Mr. Schultz or do you think all your readers are? The currrent system that college football operates under is CONTROLLED by the colleges and college Presidents. Who the hell do you think or expect us to believe is responsible for this mess? God? If the college presidents were unhappy with the system they would decline to participate. Just damn, are you the w******* or the pimp propagating such lies? DO you really believe or expect US to believe that the college Presidents have no say so in what their football teams participate in? Just damn. Quit writing lies for a minute and tell the truth for once will you? Are you proud of your propaganda? YOU as an AP voter/writer participate in this fraud, don’t blame others and don’t act like the college presidents are vestal virgins. i have always suspected that true journalism is dead, but pleae, at least ACT like it isn’t so.
By Fred
January 8, 2008 2:46 AM | Link to this
Great, the AJC has someone who stole my name to post messages and delete mine. How sweet. It makes as much sense as this article
By Fred
January 8, 2008 3:00 AM | Link to this
Or am I just posting the same crap and pretending its someone else?
How many Freds can there be?
By Keith Strawn
January 8, 2008 5:17 AM | Link to this
UGA President Michael Adams is meeting to discuss a playoff systerm? Quick, Terrance Moore, we need another scintillating piece about how UGA just needs to quit whining.
By Jared
January 8, 2008 7:04 AM | Link to this
Plus one wouldn’t help Kansas much, seeing as they ended the regular season at #8. Heck, even after they plowed down Va Tech they only moved up to #7. Big name football school OSU jumped 6 spots without even playing a game! Look at the two polls right now and explain them to me…six 2 loss teams followed by 1 loss Kansas and then a laundry list of 3 and 4 loss teams. Could the voters at least make an attempt at objectivity?
By Steadman Sanford
January 8, 2008 7:29 AM | Link to this
Michael Adams is a jock-sniffing publicity HAWG.
By FLA DAWG
January 8, 2008 7:43 AM | Link to this
I hope a true playoff system is put into place soon. If not, the SEC schools should pull out of the BCS and invite others to join them.
By David
January 8, 2008 8:05 AM | Link to this
Bring on a playoff, please. I’d rather see controversy over #9 missing out than the ridiculous mess of trying to determine the top two. Plus, a playoff would be exciting as hell.
I’m an Auburn grad and still a bit bitter about ‘04. This crap will keep happening to some great team every year w/out a fix.
By Cowboy
January 8, 2008 8:11 AM | Link to this
Everyone I know agrees that a playoff system is needed. This year’s rankings doing summersaults and blowout bowl games were laughable and made a mockery of the BCS system.
The question is, how do we show our support for a college football playoff?
What do we do to help bring this about? The BS “championship” system we’re forced to endure now is riddled with flaws, and much too often someone ends up getting shafted by bias. Enough pointing out the problem, what can we the fans do about it? Write our alma mater’s president demanding action? Sign a national petition? Action speaks louder than whining.
By Nativebird
January 8, 2008 8:19 AM | Link to this
Agree, and to go further, the straw-man fright of 12-14 games a season is a JOKE! I guess the Div II and III presidents just don’t have “academics” as a priority? While USC and Ohio State are “studying” in December (i.e. opening Christmas presents and attending the Sigma Chi holiday party), Apalachian State, Delaware and every other non-Div I leaders are PLAYING TO SEE WHOS THE BEST!
By ConservativeDem
January 8, 2008 8:20 AM | Link to this
A play off system is desperately needed but it will remain short of competition unitl the schedules of major colleges are improved. Ohio, USC, Nebraska, and Oklahoma would keep playing jr colleges for seasonal games and make it to the play offs. However, they would not automatically be named National Champs like they do in the B(chit)CS. Has anyone broadcasted the season game results of USC and Ohio St. Look at them and eplain why they should be at the top. If I was a running back in their schedule I might be heisman candidate.
By somesuchdawg
January 8, 2008 8:28 AM | Link to this
w/ Jeff’s bowl matchups the winner of the rose bowl woulda been the MNC. Big 11 sucks. SECede from the nc2a! Find 20 other schools to come with, drop academic programs and leeching non-revenue sports, make a run at the NFL!
By voiceofreason
January 8, 2008 8:47 AM | Link to this
Rather than a playoff or a “plus 1” format, what about a “minus 1” format? Crown the champion after the SEC (National) Championship Game. Something like the Tour Championship in golf. After that, it can be college football’s “silly season” with Tiger Woods (SEC/National Champion) sitting at home watching all of the other teams and conferences compete for money and recognition for the next year.
Whatever is done, the Big 10 cannot be allowed to play in the title game for at least 5 years….pair them with the WAC and make that game the WAC/Big 10 Championship.
By Boycott the bowls
January 8, 2008 8:48 AM | Link to this
It’s all about the $$$…quickest way to get a playoff is to have lots of empty seats in these meaningless bowl games.
The wallet speaks, boycott the bowls next year and see how fast they come up with a playoff plan.
By GT
January 8, 2008 8:49 AM | Link to this
I imagine the Alabama newspapers were filed with playoff suggestions the year that Auburn went undefeated. It is only right that the girl not invited to the dance wants to call the dance off. I heard the Ohio State president say last night that he was totally against a playoff. I guess so. His school is constantly the plain girl that gets invited by the captain of the football team, because her daddy is rich. I bet you can find support from Southern Cal for a playoff and if we can let OSU stay at home a few times where they belong and not let the boys of ESPN talk the country into seeing something that is not there, the president of OSU will be singing a different turn, but as long as he can control the outcome as he has for the last couple of years why change anything?
By GoHawks
January 8, 2008 9:01 AM | Link to this
Best article ever.
College football needs playoffs now more than ever.
By Two Dawgs
January 8, 2008 9:03 AM | Link to this
Playoff system would carry over to the next semester? How is that? There is an entire month between the last regular season game and the current bowl games/championship game. Plenty of time for a playoff prior to the next college semester.
By GW
January 8, 2008 9:04 AM | Link to this
But what about the fans that follow their schools to every game? A playoff would leave them out. Corporate sponsors would get most of the overpriced tickets and the logistics and cost of travel on a very short notice would be tough to overcome. When will somebody think of the fans that support a school through thick and thin? Likely never!
By Regular Joe
January 8, 2008 9:35 AM | Link to this
College football needs some help:
Sponsored games to commercial (The Chick-fil-A Ford AT&T Elmers Glue Bowl)
Games too late and too long
Notre Dame has own TV contract
Bowl games based on attendance not merit
To many “home game” bowls
College Playoff:
Cut one regular season game out
Put top eight ranked teams in four New Years bowls (teams have to have played at least two ranked teams and one out of conference team on the road)
Winners play the next week in two bowls
Winners play the final week in one bowl (Game held in the region of the top seeded team - We do have domed stadiums now)
Note:
If the big ten and pac ten leadership doesn’t want to participate, no problem, I’m sure the fans and the players in these conferences will straighten them out real quick.
By Joe Dawg Alumni
January 8, 2008 9:41 AM | Link to this
Michael Adams should have been fired several years ago for numerous bone headed moves and he once again demonstrated that he has no clue. It took him all this time to come to the conclusion that the system is flawed. What great insight this man has and we let him run our largest state institution. The average Joe on the street knows that it is possible to protect the bowls, have a playoff system, and end the season before the second semester starts. If these great intellectuals can’t figure it out then they need to ask for help from some of their know nothing alumni.
By AGTFan
January 8, 2008 9:49 AM | Link to this
Who thought that GA and GATech fans would ever be praising Mr. Adams? I haven’t watched a BCS game in 2 years and I won’t ever again unless they find a way to incorporate a playoff system. As long as we the fans support the current system by watching the games on TV and in person, nothing will change. I suggest that college football fans begin boycotting the BCS games and the sponsers of the TV broadcasts, unless they’re satisfied with the status quo.
By Reid in EAV
January 8, 2008 9:57 AM | Link to this
For those knowing the situation and the details over the past few years (which would include many commenters here), it’s a well-known fact that Big 10 Commish Jim Delany and the Rose Bowl are largely to blame for the current mess and the intransigence of change. You can’t blame the presidents anymore, except for maybe the Big 10 presidents, who let Delany (a Robert Moses-style Machiavellian backstabbing power broker if ever there was one) tell them how to think. Me, I’m about ready to bomb that monkey-wrench stadium in Pasadena to remove its useless “tradition” from being an obstacle. “Grandaddies” eventually die, you know.
By sgdawg
January 8, 2008 10:12 AM | Link to this
It amazes me the hypocricy of the college presidents. Their arguments against a playoff include too many games yet they agree to add a 12th game. They don’t want college football to become a “professionalize farm system”, like it isn’t already with multimillion dollar salaries and the millions made by the universities off of BCS bowl games. They rave against a playoff in football while they promote the hell out of “March Madness” in basketball. Someone needs to stand up and call these hyocrites out. I commend Michael Adams for doing just that. Lets hope he wields enough power to make it work.
By Big Trouble
January 8, 2008 10:33 AM | Link to this
A possible playoff format:
(8) Superconferences (SC)- you win your conference, you make the playoffs. IF you are not in one of the (8) SC, then you do not get to play for the national championship. Join or don’t, but don’t whine if you choose not to join, go 12-0 and then are not named National Champion.
Use the existing (7) best bowl games for this playoff. You can still have the minor bowls for other team/matchups.
That’s it. Please discuss.
By Lex Luthor
January 8, 2008 10:37 AM | Link to this
How can the BCS be worth a crap when only two SEC teams could go. If there were 4 1-loss SEC teams and all of the rest had lost 5 games, there’d be the following:
-Only one SEC team would be allowed in the “championship” game.
-Only one of the other teams would even be allowed in a bowl.
-The national championship would be decided by who got picked to play in the game. One of the 1-loss teams would get to play a team that bearly broke .500 for the title.
How is this system a fix?
By Lex Luthor
January 8, 2008 10:44 AM | Link to this
Joe Dawg Alumni,
I guess you’re upset that we got rid of Donein and hired Richt.
By george
January 8, 2008 10:47 AM | Link to this
This is the number one issue facing our country at the present time. How can these college presidents just sit idly by while we have to deal with the current system?
By David
January 8, 2008 10:51 AM | Link to this
Putting aside the fact that a playoff system would bring more money to influence and corrupt the system, and further diminish the “student” part of “student-athlete”, let me make a prediction: no matter what kind of playoff system is implemented, the whining will continue, just like it does in basketball when the 66th, 67th and 68th “best” teams complain about being kept out of the tournament. Start with a football “final 4” and it will quickly move to 8, then 16, etc. If you think it’s ridiculous how many teams currently go to a bowl, just wait until the football playoff expands to 65 (I can hear the calls now: basketball manages a tournament of 65, so football should have just as many because we “deserve” it).
And if you point to last night’s terrible game as a sign that we need a real playoff to get a true competitive championship game between the best two teams, let me remind you that the NFL playoffs are based purely on merit yet typically result in a crappy super bowl.
So stop crying about a playoff system that won’t accomplish anything and will obliterate the tiny shred of integrity left in collegiate athletics. And Michael Adams should be ashamed of getting his hands dirty with this. Perhaps he should spend a little more time worrying about the academic mission of our state flagship instead of the trivial issue of a playoff system that runs counter to what I thought was our state university’s core mission.
By College Fan
January 8, 2008 10:56 AM | Link to this
Who cares about a NC. Just win your conference or have a good year and go to a bowl and have fun. This all reminds me of the parents trying to get Little League so organized that the kids do not enjoy it anymore.
Scrap the BCS and have the NCAA officially take the position that any “NC” awarded by some organization like the APor USA Today is moot and meaningless.
By andy
January 8, 2008 11:08 AM | Link to this
Good article. Here’s a grass roots idea: Until a playoff is established, have football fans protest by not watching the first quarter of the next Rose Bowl and the next BCS championship game.
It might show the moneymakers the power of lost ad revenue..
By tayoncolt
January 8, 2008 11:24 AM | Link to this
An 8 team playoff using the top 7 bowl games is a start. 1st round the week before Christmas, 2nd round the week of Christmas with the championship on New Years Day. There are plenty of established bowls for those not in the playoff (how many BB teams turn down the NIT in march?). How committed are the fans to “staying away” from the BCS games as a way of showing our displeasure with the current system?
By mickey
January 8, 2008 11:25 AM | Link to this
politics has got into all of football and it will be there from now on uga #2 thats a big laugh
By Football Fan
January 8, 2008 11:32 AM | Link to this
The first bowl game of the 2008 season will be August 30th 2008.
There will be 73,000+ in the Georgia Dome for the Alabama - Clemson game. There will be less than 30,000 at Grant Field for the Georgia Tech - Jacksonville State game.
It will be the Roady’s Truck Stop Tech Embarrassment Bowl.
Ironic, isn’t it?
By ARdawg
January 8, 2008 11:41 AM | Link to this
David
It’s much easier to turn a deaf ear on the #9 whiner than it is a “possible” #1. Take a serious look at the top 6-8 teams in either the pre-bowl or post bowl polls. On paper OSU and LSU could beat them all on paper, but not on the field. The result of last nights game makes LSU the champion. A team that is quite possibly not even the best in the SEC much less the country.
Despite the fact we rely on it, the BCS is broken and doesn’t work. It’s had nine years to work out the “bugs” but they only get bigger and more aggravating. It’s high time that gets recognized and tossed in the scrap heap and try again with something that might work. At this point I’d settle for just the plain old bowl system. The day after the BCS NC game there is quite possibly still 4 teams that would/could beat the BCS NC who never got a chance. In my mind that means there still is no true champion, just a deemed champ
By John
January 8, 2008 12:03 PM | Link to this
The reason a playoff system would spill into the Spring semester is because this is called “College” Football. Players are enrolled in school and have finals during the first couple of weeks in December. That is why there is a break between the season and bowl games. I know this can be somewhat meaningless. Considering, most high profile football players in the NCAA are only there to earn a shot at the NFL and have ridiculous majors in leisure studies, family studies, therapeutic recreation (call FSU on that one), etc. Some players are there for some type of education and would probably like some time to study without football taking all of their time. Plus, some of these guys need time to study regardless of the difficulty of the classes they are taking in order to just stay eligible to play anyways.
By Chan Gailey's Designated Driver
January 8, 2008 12:18 PM | Link to this
Football Fan:
Quit cross-posting your dumb@$$ post. Furthermore, the definition of “irony” is “the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning”. How is your premise “ironic”? Are you really saying that the Tech-Jax State game will be a sellout? Do tell.
Get off this blog—all of ‘em—and go to class already.
By hatfieldgeoff
January 8, 2008 12:26 PM | Link to this
Well, Fort Sumpter has been fired on. The call for troops has been raised and soon the battle will begin. Tony Barnhart it right about one thing, when the smoke clears, even if their is a playoff system, there will be alot of things the average fan is not going to like. Be carefull what you ask for because you might get it.
By NYC Dawg
January 8, 2008 1:54 PM | Link to this
The Champions Tournament
Not sure if anyone has seen the below site before, but I think it’s a much more viable and achievable approach to a College Football Playoff. It also seems to address President Adams concerns about having a football season that is too long. Take a look when you have a chance.
[http://www.championstournament.org/index.html]
By GE
January 8, 2008 2:01 PM | Link to this
All athletes should share in the revenues generated by conference games, championship games and Bowl games just like the coaches, ADs, Presidents, alumni, etc. Please don’t say that the athletes are being awarded with a free education when in most cases they are not being educated. They are being housed in athletic dorms to win games for the alumni. If you are injured, they roll you off the field and replace you with the next slave. This is big business. Gailey was fired for not beating Jawja. Johnson will be fired for not beating Jawja too. I am sure that he has a golden parachute in his contract to protect that $1 million plus annual salary. The players get nothing but a pat on the helment and a useless degree if they are lucky.
By Yellowjacket33
January 8, 2008 2:20 PM | Link to this
Football Fan, you’re a sad individual.
By BenWilson
January 8, 2008 3:48 PM | Link to this
I dont agree that parity came at the right time. Charity begins at home but parity came one season too late for the Ga Bulldogs, a team that can destroy anyone in the nation right now if they would have been lucky enough to get into the bcs championship game. I have a solution for the bcs playoff system. Why dont the BCS officials open up the BCS playoff sweepstakes to the final ranked TOP 16 seeds in the country and pair off similarly to how the NCAA-1 college basketball tounament pairs off from the sweet16 on down from the final 16 teams, all the way down until a championship game is spawned from that bunch. By doing so, it would make more money for the schools and a REAL champion would be crowned. This is just a theory but I think it will work with great results!
By shane #1
January 8, 2008 3:52 PM | Link to this
i don’t give the good dr adams credit for much,except trying to end the”party school”image of uga so when he actually thinks outside the box i have to commend him.terrance moore aside,the time for change was twenty years ago.given time,even fog bound college presidents may come up with a new idea.so i have hopes that an actual playoff system for college football will happen.but they are very faint hopes.the big10,the pac 10 and notre dame will do a hatchet job on any proposed playoff.they have too much to lose!gt,another good well thought out post.i have two members of my family with phds from tech,but you have more”horse sense” than both of them.you may change my opinion of tech fans!