A brief commentary on the BCS
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2003 9:21 pmLast weekend ESPN Classic ran a marathon of old games, most of which came from the pre-BCS/alliance era. While my wife was getting ready for us to go out to dinner, I watched a little of a 1989 Colorado-Nebraska game, and I found myself really missing the old bowl system.
As an old-time fan, I remember well the days when winning the conference meant going to the (fill in the blank) bowl, and that was more important than anything else. In fact, our school kicked an extra point and settled for a tie in 1982, which cost us the National Title, just so the team was guaranteed the Cotton Bowl.
If a Playoff system is out of the question, it would be a lot better for college football to return to a form of the old system with one adjustment. Have the two highest “BCS†rated schools play a championship game after the Bowls, not as part of them.
This way, the Rose could have back the Pac 10-Big Ten match-up that actually matters to us in southern California. The SEC Champ would be guaranteed the Sugar, not just hope to be placed there. The Big XII could go to the Cotton (in the region), which could regain its former glory… and the ACC Champ have a guaranteed spot in the Orange Bowl, where Clemson, Florida State and Miami have all won National Titles. Open those latter champions to any opponent across the country, and have the Fiesta as an “at-large†bowl (the way it used to be). Most importantly, play all the games on January 1 and on multiple networks.
I work in television and realize, that because of the Disney Corporation, it will never happen. Really ABC and the ESPN Networks have bastardized college football beyond repair. Maybe you would argue with me, but the old system was better for college football. It didn’t cheapen the bowls or the conference championship. Yes, the old system produced co-champions every once in a while, but with that new tweak listed above, that co-champions wouldn’t happen.
Give me back the old system; frankly I’m tired of strength of schedule and computer rankings mattering more than tradition.
As an old-time fan, I remember well the days when winning the conference meant going to the (fill in the blank) bowl, and that was more important than anything else. In fact, our school kicked an extra point and settled for a tie in 1982, which cost us the National Title, just so the team was guaranteed the Cotton Bowl.
If a Playoff system is out of the question, it would be a lot better for college football to return to a form of the old system with one adjustment. Have the two highest “BCS†rated schools play a championship game after the Bowls, not as part of them.
This way, the Rose could have back the Pac 10-Big Ten match-up that actually matters to us in southern California. The SEC Champ would be guaranteed the Sugar, not just hope to be placed there. The Big XII could go to the Cotton (in the region), which could regain its former glory… and the ACC Champ have a guaranteed spot in the Orange Bowl, where Clemson, Florida State and Miami have all won National Titles. Open those latter champions to any opponent across the country, and have the Fiesta as an “at-large†bowl (the way it used to be). Most importantly, play all the games on January 1 and on multiple networks.
I work in television and realize, that because of the Disney Corporation, it will never happen. Really ABC and the ESPN Networks have bastardized college football beyond repair. Maybe you would argue with me, but the old system was better for college football. It didn’t cheapen the bowls or the conference championship. Yes, the old system produced co-champions every once in a while, but with that new tweak listed above, that co-champions wouldn’t happen.
Give me back the old system; frankly I’m tired of strength of schedule and computer rankings mattering more than tradition.