by Todd Pheifer

Created on: December 20, 2008

Currently in college football, the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) is the system of record. Everything revolves around the BCS, and despite the other polls, all the money is channeled towards the "major" bowls in January. The Sugar, Orange, Fiesta, and Rose bowls represent college football royalty, and every other bowl is essentially a consolation.

Disagreement

Of course, the BCS "system" has been controversial from the beginning. Mostly the controversy revolves around the #1 team and the #9 team. In other words, people debate and argue about who should be the national championship game, and who should be "included" in the four major bowls. On occasion, the BCS system seems to get it right, just out of sheer providence. However, most years there is some sort of controversy because one, two, or more teams feel that they have been slighted by not having a shot at a given bowl.

Solutions

People have all sorts of ideas on how to "fix" the system, but unfortunately it is not that people need ideas. Rather, organizations have to be able to implement an idea in a logistical way so as to make sure the idea is workable for everyone involved. Therefore, some people have proposed solving the problem by implementing a playoff system of some sort. Here are a few thoughts on the pros and cons of each system.

The BCS

One of the major reasons that a BCS is implemented is that it is predictable in terms of location and venue. Dealing with tickets, hotels, and television networks is a major undertaking, which is why the BCS likes to set up logistics far in advance. In addition, the BCS lends some level of consistency to the process, as well as the opportunity for players to actually attend class in the month of December. Critics will snicker and suggest that football players aren't there to go to class, but a playoff has the potential, at least, to extend the season beyond it's current length.

The Playoff

Obviously the advantage to a playoff is that it seems more "fair" because a number of teams are pitted head-to-head. This would make a champion seem more legitimate in the eyes of many fans and critics. Of course, the challenge with a playoff is deciding on how much is too much. Is it eight teams? Sixteen? Thirty-two? If it is eight teams, what about team number nine? Do these teams play home games or should "neutral" sites be requisitioned? The system seems workable but pundits have to remember that the logistics could be highly complicated, particularly if venues have to be made available on short notice.

Overall, the BCS system has a number of flaws but it is the system of choice right now. As with anything, someone will have to come up with something better if they want to replace the current setup. Again, "better" means laying out all the parameters, rather than criticizing what is currently in place and throwing out a broad idea. Replacing a system requires more than just a concept.

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