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University officials across the country will have you believe the resistance to a playoff system is out of consideration for the student-athletes. It would just be too much to ask these players to put their skills on display for future employers (NFL teams) for another two games. Of course, the division III student-athletes, who don’t receive athletic scholarships and primarily don’t have many opportunities at professional football, have managed to trot themselves out there to determine their division’s rightful champion. A large portion of the mainstream media makes the argument that those administrative powers that be are too greedy to pass up the bowl money available in favor of a playoff system. That argument, however, is less bulletproof than ballistics gel on an episode of CSI. The fact of the matter is that the system instituted to prevent split National Championships (a la Nebraska/Michigan 1997) and controversy is accomplishing neither of its goals. In the 2004 bowl season, USC and LSU split the national title, and as a result, the system was tweaked and left undefeated Auburn without an opportunity to do the same thing in 2005. While the Auburn example isn’t the only example of controversial BCS results prior to this season (just ask an Oregon fan), it is the most prominent example of the flaws in the system. Right now, the BCS is more like Survivor than anything else. Urban Meyer played the role of the islander making a last ditch campaign to stick around for another week and Jim Tressel held the immunity idol, with no need to even worry about the vote. Lloyd Carr was the guy that got caught off guard and was voted off the island. Are we really comfortable turning college football into reality television? Consider the feelings of Bob Stoops and his Oklahoma Sooners. Sure, they find themselves in a BCS bowl, but had the Pac 10 officials not made the blunder they did in Oklahoma’s loss to Oregon, Oklahoma would be making their own argument for a bid to the “big game.” The Sooners’ only legitimate loss came to then #7 Texas; a team ranked four spots higher than the #11 Auburn team that handed Florida its only loss. Let's take it one step further. Wisconsin is ranked in the top 7 in every poll. Their only loss is to Michigan. Yet they’re on the outside looking in at an undeserving Notre Dame team because of a ridiculous rule that says only two teams from any given conference can earn a BCS bid (they also find themselves two spots behind a USC team with losses to two unranked teams in the BCS standings). Similarly, automatic bids and the same rule that kept Wisconsin out have placed #14 Wake Forest in the Orange Bowl and relegated #10 Auburn to the Cotton Bowl. The defining argument against Michigan has been that they already had their shot. They lost to Ohio State and nobody wants a rematch. I’ve even heard the words “give someone else a chance” uttered. Okay. Fair enough. For now. Of course, had LSU beaten Auburn in September, their only loss would’ve been to #2 Florida, and they would have met in the SEC championship game. Would we have been hearing that LSU had their shot? “Give someone else a chance?” Of course not. The deserving teams meet in conference championships, and sometimes, that means a rematch. I’m not here to bash Florida or even make a case against them, but two weeks ago, everyone was convinced USC had earned their shot. Florida would be this year’s 2003 Auburn team – an afterthought. Then the BCS mess got messier and UCLA threw a wrench in the mix. Now we’ve got a North vs. South, Big Ten vs. SEC battle in Glendale, and the bridesmaids, USC and Michigan will meet in what is being called a “classic” Rose Bowl match-up. If only it didn’t seem like such an obvious attempt to throw the rug over another mess, it would be easier to legitimize those contests. Of course, it sure will make for nice ratings and fat checks headed in the directions of the BCS conferences. In its eight previous seasons, the BCS has been shrouded in as much controversy as our last two Presidents. Entering its 9th season, the Bowl Championship Series’ approval rating is starting to take the same hits as Dubya and as many knocks to its credibility as Bill Clinton. The big difference is that our government was smart enough to limit those guys to two terms. I, for one, don’t want to endure "four more years" of this institution. Do we really need to wait for the BCS to tarnish its legacy any further? …stay tuned for part 2 ----- |
 
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