by Duncan Taylor

Created on: November 25, 2008

As Thanksgiving grows near, the culmination of another fantastic college football season is just around the corner. Games that will go into the record books as some of the best ever and records thought to have been unbreakable being shattered have marked this year, 2008, into history. Disappointing seasons from numerous perennial powerhouses and remarkable years by teams that had previously been the scum of the league have added to the excitement. However the nine-year old question still remains; who rightful deserves a chance to play in the National Championship?

Ever since it began in 1999, the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) has used an illogical ranking system to slate teams against one another, including the National Championship. This method, which has shown the many flaws quite often, averages out seven different ranking systems in an attempt to determine the best team. Is a computer the best way to determine the best team? This question has been asked by much of our society, with little progress being completed. As the years pass, teams deserving to have a chance for this prestigious title have been shut out and crushed of their hopes, a disappointment to culminate a fantastic season.

As it has predominately presented itself in the past, this year the questions are already being raised about who deserves a chance. Should a loss that occurs late in the season keep a conference champion who holds the best record out of the championship? Does a team that plays a weak schedule week in and out deserve to be ranked above all the rest? The BCS Planning Committee has successfully eliminated deserving teams from the chase for a National Championship based on their systematic methodology. A previous undefeated team who loses a game late in the season will be punished for that loss, instead of the team who walks through their schedule, as if they were playing high school teams.

What can be done to solve this issue? If we look at other sports, professional and college for guidance, a playoff system would make the most since. Incorporating aspects from these sports and using guidelines from the BCS could successfully make this happen. Conference Champions from each of the Major Six Conferences (Big 10, SEC, Big East, Big 12, ACC, and PAC 10) could still represent their respected league in this playoff. In addition to this, ten deserving teams, from any conference, could also compete for a spot. Mid-Majors, Conference Runner-Ups, and At-Large teams would all have any equal opportunity for the Division 1 Championship. To satisfy the Bowl conflict, the usual endorsements could be used in each round of the playoffs, still allowing for Bowl Games. In the end, a true champion would be crowned and the people of our country would once again be happy with athletics.

For teams not earning one of the sixteen spots, leagues with bowl sponsorships could still play in the high-priced games. No other aspect besides eliminating the Computer Ranking System would be effected. More revenue would be generated because of a flawless method of crowning a National Champion. Teams would begin to play the best schedule as possible to prepare for what could be the best four weeks of college football. Methods have been devised to solve this very important problem in the NCAA, but when will our opinions matter? The answer has yet to be seen.

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