Alabama Takes "Title" As Other Bowls Prove Need For Playoff System
Written by T Reginald Sykes, Friday January 15 2010
So, the Alabama Crimson Tide has been crowned NCAA Football's "championship" by virtue of their vicory over Texas, last night.
It's still difficult for me to call the winners of these computerized matchups "champions." In my mind, the only thing Alabama proved was that they can beat Texas without Colt McCoy.
As matchups go,this wasn't one of the greatest bowl seasons in recent years. But anyone who saw that double-overtime thriller between Troy and Central Michigan would join the argument in favor of a playoff system.
Just think, in the system I've been touting both Troy and Central Michigan would have been involved. Both teams are conference champions and Central Michigan ended the season in he Top 25.
The same holds true for the defensive clash between Boise State and TCU. Two undefeated teams playing with the pride of champions. It's too bad this year's post season has come to it's conclusion. It should be getting interesting right about now.
This Bowl season had some very good games. However, the majority of them were rather one-sided and only a couple of them went down to the wire.
Still, the teams who would have made the post-season in my system either won their Bowl game or lost to another potential playoff team. There were two exceptions. West Virginia whose Gator Bowl loss to Florida State just happened to be in Bobby Bowden's farewell and East Carolina, who got dumped by a field-goal in overtime at the Liberty Bowl.
But, for the most part, nearly all of them showed that they deserved to be in the championship conversation. Florida, Boise State, Ohio State and Iowa all have a right to say that they sould have had a chance at this season's National Championship. They were victorious in the four BCS Bowls.
Can anyone prove otherwise?
And BYU can't be ignored, either. Beating Oregon State is not a easy task but the Cougars trounced them in the Las Vegas Bowl. Central Michigan has a right to say that their status should be elevated.
Even in losing efforts, TCU and Troy showed the hearts of champions. No team in the country could call either team unworthy of post-season bid in a true playoff format.
Right now, Boise State should be gearing up for Ohio Stae, Florida should be watching BYU game film and Alabama should be trying to figure out what to do with Iowa.
Chances are, Texas and Alabama would both still be around. but, I'm sure that the Longhorns would have been tested by Oregon State. And whose to say that Troy would have folded to in-state icon Alabama?
The truth is, a playoff system would create a four game gauntlet that would seem almost impossible for any team to ovecome. Yet, one team would and that' the excitement generate by having eight major Bowls serve as the first round of my "Great Eight" playoff system.
I must congratulate the Crimson Tide for last night's victory and their great season. In a playoff system, they would undoubtedly be a force.
Their champioship status would be far more convincing if they had to run the table in that tough SEC schedule, beat Florida in the SEC Championsip, then followed it with wins over Troy, Iowa and Cincinnati before beating Texas or Boise State for a National Championship.
And after playing Oregon State, the Longhorns may have had to deal with Florida and Boise State, before clashing with Alabama.
To me, winning in the playoffs are the only way a team deserves to play in a real National Championship Game.
I don't fault the Crison Tide. The current BCS system is to blame and although I'm not the only one with gripes, very few writers, broadcasters, politicians or anylists have a workable solution.
The best thing college football fans could do is join forces. We should use the media and even solicit legislators and conference leaders to work on a solution that can be put in place by next season and have a real BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES.
I plan to continue pumping my "Great Eight" system until I either turn blue or the BCS adopts my format. Check my complexion...blue is only a few shades away. But, I'm still trying.
So, my question is would win between Boise State and Alabama. I have the Broncos by 5 1/2. But that opinion means exactly the same thing last month's Papa John's Bowl did...nothing!
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8 comments
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I think what you are saying is right as well, but I also think the proof is in the pudding. If more people were interested in seeing smaller schools play like TCU and Bosie State, more people would have watched the game. I think it just proves my point that more people are interested in watching the bigger teams face each other. I think that game prove to me that maybe TCU wasn't as good as people thought they were.
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bamababe you are very right... however, the Fiesta Bowl didn't draw as much interest because it was a matchup of teams perceived to be "weaker." Had either of the two participants faced a major conference opponent (Florida, Bama, TX, anyone other than Iowa, really), the interest would have been HUGE... EVERYONE tunes in to see if a team like TCU or BSU can really hang with a heavyweight. I'm just convinced the answer is yes, but I realize there are people on the other side of the fence.
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True, and Utah should've played Florida in the national championship game instead of Oklahoma. That is where the BCS erred. Those were the top two football teams in the country in 2008. Would the Utes have won? Not a chance in my opinion, but they deserved to be there. Am I a hypocrite now, no, b/c Florida and Utah were the only undefeated teams with a tremendous story line in Urban Meyer going up against his former team the Utes. This year was a different story, and the top two teams were in the national title game. Cincinnati and TCU couldn't get the job done. I would add the plus-1, and Alabama could've proven on the field to Boise State who the superior team was. That's the one regret I have with all of this. Oh well, it's never going to be a 100-percent fool-proof system folks, but the best team won!
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Fellows I'm going to put it to you like this, if you want to a playoff, then stop watching these bowl games and the BCS games because as long as the ratings are up which they were this year for the BCS title game, people keep selling out these games and the BCS is making money, it's not going to end. And proof that people would rather see the big teams play each other is that the Fiesta Bowl ratings were down this year. But please don't make an argument against the BCS unless you have committed yourself to stop watching these games. Money talks BS walks.
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My dad lives in Spanish Fort... they love the Tide, so I'm a fan by proxy (I'm a UL fan, so any SEC team other than UK or Florida is generally ok with me)... I always like your articles, too, bamababe, but these are the statements that we fight against when we clamor for a playoff... I suppose Utah had no chance the year before either? And I'm not trying to poke at you, I'm just saying...
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Glad I got your attention. Tyler, you're right. Boise State uses a lot of trick plys. I went into that game thinking that TCU was an all-round better team. They are the only team to beat Boise State over the past TWO YEARS. You still missed the point. Alabama is a great team but so was Texas. Boise State, Ohio State (despite two losses,) TCU and Cincinnati could all have won against or lost to Alabama. We'll never know because of the BCS system. The championship matchup should be settled on the field--not by computer. As for being a homer--I've never set foot in the state of Idaho. I didn't pay attention to them until they about 2005 when they played (and lost) to Louisville in the Liberty Bowl. I'll easily accept being called a bandwagon jumper, though. For the record, Troy vs Central Michigan was one of the most exciting games I've seen in recent years. Do I think either of them would have won a National Championship if a playoff system were in place, this season? Not likely. But being conference champions should put any team in the National Championship conversation. I'm from Berkeley--a Cal fan. So my want for a playoff system isn't because my team has no chance to win a BCS title. The Pac10 benefits from the same bias that the SEC and Big12 conferences. Note to Bamababe2k9--Congrats. I still think Alabama or Florida would have been a more favorable matchup for Boise State than TCU. The Frogs were a dangerous team--perhaps the scariest defense in the country. But it's all speculation, isn't it? Because the championship is settled by a computer matchup, nobody knows who the best team was...do we? I still call it a paper championship. Thanx for the feedback.
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SO does that mean Texas should give their victory over Oklahoma back because Sam Bradford got hurt? I mean because basically what you are saying is if Colt McCoy wasn't hurt Texas would have won, same could have been said for OU. Had Sam Bradford played Texas would have lost that game. Also, Bosie State only beat two teams in the top 25 this year, Alabama beat six of them including the number one team in the country, that says to me they are the better team. When Boise went up against the SEC a few years ago, they got whupped by Arkansas. Arkansas of ALL teams. What would Alabama or Florida have done? I know you are in love with Boise State and the whole 14-0 record, but get real, Boise State would get killed if they played Alabama right now.
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I don't even know why I'm responding to this, but I can't help but laugh! Boise State by 5 1/2? Did you notice it took a trick play to beat TCU? Yes, the Horned Frogs were undefeated as well, but none of them hold a candle to Alabama. Don't be a homer and admit the Crimson Tide beat Texas, and not just b/c Colt McCoy didn't play. There's a reason he didn't play, and it's b/c Alabama knocked him out. Those who don't give the national champions their due are making me sick to my stomach. If Texas knocked out Mark Ingram on the fifth play of the game and won, would you hear the world griping of how Texas didn't really win the game? No, b/c Trent Richardson would run through them just like he did, and the result would still be the same. I do agree w/ one thing, that Alabama and Boise State should meet on a neutral field Thursday night for all the marbles. Alabama would win with ease, and the only thing the Broncos can do better than the Tide is execute a fake punt. Troy giving Alabama a game? You do know the Trojans lost to C. Michigan right?