Podcast: BCS and National Championship Preview

Title: BCS and National Championship Preview

A full, in-depth look at the scenarios that can affect the National Championship picture in college football.  I’ll clarify the chaos that exists in the BCS and college football right now.

Link: http://bobsportsblog.podomatic.com/entry/2010-11-17T16_03_28-08_00

College Football Week 10 Preview

Saturday will be one of the most intense, important, and influential days of this year’s college football season.  Two top 10 matchups, multiple other ranked matchups, and a milestone-seeking game for Joe Paterno and Penn State highlights the weekend.

The biggest matchup of the weekend will take place at Baton Rouge this weekend.  Alabama will travel to LSU for a top 10 matchup that will likely propel the winner to be the top ranked 1 loss team.  LSU is arguably the most underrated team in college football.  Analysts constantly knock their offensive capabilities and their coaching.  However, the Tigers are 7-1 in the toughest conference in football, have beaten Florida, Mississippi State, West Virginia, and North Carolina, have only lost to #1 Auburn on the road by 7 points.  Alabama remains the top ranked 1 loss team, and looks to further improve their already impressive resume by beating #10 LSU.

MY PREDICTION:  Gut feeling here, and maybe a pick from the heart, but no one is giving LSU a chance, and that is wrong.  Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee will do just enough on offense, and the LSU defense will hold strong as it has all year.  Playing in Baton Rouge doesn’t hurt, either.          LSU 24—Alabama 20

Two top 5 teams and the two leaders in the Mountain West will play in Salt Lake City, as TCU travels to play Utah.  TCU recently jumped Boise State in the BCS rankings to climb to 3rd, and Utah jumped 3 spots to 5th last week for no apparent reason after skating by Air Force.  Utah is the most overrated team in college football.  Their notable wins are victories over Pitt (by 3 in overtime at home), Air Force by 5 (TCU beat Air Force 38-7), and a blowout win against Iowa State.  Utah has shown nothing to impress me this season, which is why I have the Utes ranked at #21.  That’s right, 16 spots behind the BCS.

MY PREDICTION:  Utah is exposed at home by a solid TCU team. TCU 34—Utah 20

In Happy Valley, Joe Paterno seeks his 400th victory against Northwestern.  Joe’s 399 wins leads all coaches who have ever coached at the FBS level.  Number 2 all-time, Bobby Bowden, trails him by 22 wins, a full 2 or more seasons of work.  Paterno will cement his resume as the best college football coach of all time with the victory, if he has not done so already.  Paterno will decide on Saturday whether to start sophomore Matt McGloin, who led the Nittany Lions to victory with an impressive performance against Michigan, or Rob Bolden, the freshman who started the season for the Lions and suffered a concussion in the Minnesota game 2 weeks ago.  To me, McGloin gives the Lions the best chance to win, and has been effective in limiting his mistakes in the 2 games he has played.

MY PREDICTION:  No matter the starting quarterback, Penn State will find a way to win on Saturday.  The atmosphere at Beaver Stadium will be electric, the running game will continue to improve, and the defense will play an inspired effort to give JoePa his 400th win and a slight upset against upstart, 6-2 Northwestern.  Penn State 27— Northwestern 23

Other Notable Games: (And my Predictions)

#1 Oregon (42)—Washington (17)

#2 Auburn (59)—Chattanooga (3)

#4 Boise State (42)—Hawaii (20)

#12 Stanford (31)–#15 Arizona (27)

#17 Oklahoma State (31)—#21 Baylor (28)

#18 Arkansas (38)—#19 South Carolina (24)

Illinois (30)—Michigan (28)

Miami (35)—Maryland (24)

Texas (19)—Kansas State (17)

Utah to Join the Pac 10

BREAKING NEWS:  Today, Utah officially accepted a bid to become the 12th member of the Pac 10 Conference, joining Colorado as the two teams who have joined the Pac 10 this offseason.  Utah was offered a spot in the conference after Big XII powers Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State unanimously decided to remain in the Big XII.  With 12 teams, the Pac 10 now has the authority to institute a conference championship game, which the conference has desired for many years.  The conference swapping that has been rampant over the past few weeks will undoubtedly slow down now that most teams have settled on their new or past conferences, but if more developments arise, for example, in the Big Ten or Big East, Bob Long’s Sports Blog will have it covered.

College Football Conference Update

Yesterday, the big 5 from the Big XII (Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State) declared that they would all remain with the Big XII and not pursue other conference affiliations.  This declaration leaves the Big XII with 10 teams, the Big Ten with 12 teams, and the Pac 10 with 11 teams.  Expansion seems to have been abated temporarily, but the wheel will surely begin turning again soon, even if not with the same velocity.

The Pac 10 is not satisfied.  The conference was a few hours away from a “Super-Conference” with teams such as Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State, among others.  The conference was a few hours away from taking a dominant foothold in college football from the Pacific to the Great Plains.  A few hours away from becoming the richest conference in the history of college football, with the combined effect of the big programs added and the launch of a conference television network.  The network is still in the works, and may be released soon, but it will not have the momentum and power that it would have had if the Big XII powers had joined the Pac 10.

What is next for the Pac 10?  Most likely, the conference will pursue a 12th team so that the conference can have a championship game.  The most likely candidate is Utah from the Mountain West.  However, the Pac 1o, more than any conference, was disappointed in the result of the expansion process, and lost the most yesterday afternoon.

The Big XII was the big winner from the expansion.  It seems illogical to say that the Big XII is the winner, considering the conference lost 2 teams, but the conference is a winner because it is still standing.  Hours before the top teams announced that they would stay in the Big XII, it looked as if the conference would lose 2 of the top 10 all-time programs (Texas and Oklahoma), along with many other notable programs, and thereby dissolve as a whole.  However, since the big programs declared their allegiance in the Big XII, the conference will stay afloat- barring some unforeseen last-minute changes.  In addition, the conference will remain the second best in the country in my opinion, and the conference teams will be more profitable than in the past, due to similar total revenues and less teams with which to share it. 

The Texas Longhorns were the big winners in terms of the individual programs.  Texas had two conferences catering to their wants, and the program utilized this leverage to the fullest advantage.  Texas forced Big XII commissioner Dan Beebe’s hand to the point that he allowed Texas to retain its revenue-sharing deal within the conference (which rendered the program extremely profitable relative to the rest of the conference), and he opened the door for Texas to launch its own television network, which will exponentially increase the program’s revenue.

The Big Ten was also a winner from the whole process, as the conference added Nebraska, a prestigious program that will almost certainly be ranked in the top 10 to begin next season.  In addition, with 12 teams, the conference added the necessary component through which to institute a conference championship, which the Big Ten has been seeking for years.

The Big East is a conference that is safe for now, but is certainly not out of the water.  The Big Ten appears to be satisfied with 12 teams at this point, but if it decides to add as many as 4 more teams, the Big East could be in trouble, as the Big Ten could undoubtedly seek programs such as Pittsburgh, Rutgers, and Syracuse, among others.  The Big Ten has also reportedly targeted Notre Dame, but the loss of the Irish would not be a big problem for the survival of the Big East.  The focus now will shift from the Big XII to the Big East, and the Big East will be on the defensive.  More to come as more develops.

Dominoes Falling in College Football Conferences: Big XII on the Short End

Today, two big shifts occurred in college football.  The supposed apocalypse of the college football conference landscape appears to be happening.  Now the only question is who will be left out of the party, and where teams will land at the end of the roulette.  Colorado officially accepted a bid to become a member of the Pac 10 Conference.  Nebraska has reportedly accepted an invitation to become a member of the Big Ten Conference, and a statement is expected to be released on Friday.

Therefore, the Big XII Conference, known to be the 2nd best conference in football in recent years, may cease to exist in the very near future.  The conference has already lost 2 teams (Nebraska and Colorado) and is now left with 10.  I also expect that Missouri, which is very unhappy with the treatment it has received with regard to revenue sharing in the Big XII, will bolt for the Big Ten very soon.  That leaves a conference that has already struggled with revenue compared to nearby conferences such as the Big Ten, Pac 10, and SEC, with only 9 teams.  So what could the conference do to restore itself?  Pick up more teams? Not likely.  The Mountain West Conference, with teams such as Utah, TCU, and BYU, would be the hotbed from which to draw potential universities.  However, the problem with this solution is that the Mountain West is also trying to expand, and has reportedly offered a bid to Boise State from the WAC.  Therefore, the Mountain West is lobbying hard to expand its conference so that the conference isn’t looted for its talent like the Big XII is now.

However, for argument’s sake, let’s say that the Mountain West is raided for its talent, and Boise State does not join.  Where will those teams go?  Does one really think that Boise (from the WAC), Utah, or BYU will go to the Big XII?  Certainly not based upon location compared to the Pac 10, and certainly not based upon revenue as compared to the Pac 10.  Therefore, the only team that could join the Big XII from the Mountain West would most likely be TCU.

So the best case scenario for the Big XII is that the conference loses the three teams that are almost certain to leave (Colorado, Nebraska, and Missouri), and then picks up TCU from the Mountain West.  10 teams isn’t a terrible number, and I believe the conference would be very happy with this result.  However, the one key factor that has yet to be discussed is the influence of the SEC.  The SEC has reportedly had interest and contact with Texas and Texas A&M about a possible conference change.  The Big Ten has also had significant interest in Texas.  Then there is Oklahoma, which is also a potential target for the SEC.  If one of these three powerhouses leaves the Big XII (Texas, Oklahoma, or Texas A&M), then most likely all will look to find new homes, and this would spell doom and the end of the Big XII Conference as we know it.

Therefore, to college football fans who do not quite have the whole picture in terms of the conference shifting, here is a cliffnotes version of what is most important.  Colorado, Nebraska, and Missouri will leave.  The Big XII will attempt to acquire teams like TCU from the Mountain West to offset the departure of these three schools, but this is not what is important.  The Big XII could continue to thrive under 9 teams or even 8 teams, and the addition of a Mountain West school is not necessary.  What is essential for the future is the conference is the decision of these three teams; Texas, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma.  These three teams are the mainstays of the conference, and Texas has major rivalries with both Texas A&M and Oklahoma.  If one of these three teams leaves the Big XII, at least one of the other two will follow, which will leave the conference depleted and will cause the third and final team to leave.  If this happens, this will end the confernece as we know it.  Therefore, when analyzing the conference shifts, and the future of the Big XII, worry not about Colorado or Nebraska, or whether the conference can entice TCU, but worry about what will happen to Texas, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma.  Those three universities hold the conference in the palms of their hands at this point, and can drop it at any point they wish.

Big Ten Expansion…and More?

The most pressing issue cascading through the  college football landscape is that of conference expansion.  Leading the charge for expansion is the Big 10 Conference, whose last expansion occurred in 1989 when Penn State accepted an invitation to join the conference.  The Nittany Lions gave up their then independent status in football, and left the Atlantic 10 Conference in the other sports to join the Big Ten.

In 2010, the potential expansion again revolves around an indepedent football school.  Notre Dame, under new head coach Brian Kelly, has reportedly been invited to join the conference and give up its indepedent status in football and its Big East affiliation in basketball and other sports.  Coach Kelly has asserted that he would like the school to remain independent because of the ability to be a “national” program, and the ability to play any team it wants without restrictions.  It may be financially beneficial to remain independent as well, as the school has an automatic berth to a BCS bowl game in the waiting if the team finishes in the top 8 in the Final BCS Standings.  In addition, the Fighting Irish have a lucrative network TV contract with NBC, which provides a lot of revenue for the school and most likely could not be matched by that of a conference team. 

However, if there were a conference that could provide revenue that rivals what Notre Dame makes now, it would be the Big Ten.  The Big Ten has lucrative contracts with both the ESPN Family of Networks and its own network, the Big Ten Network.  But the equal distribution of revenue, which potentially attracts teams such as Missouri from the Big XII to the Big Ten, may dissuade teams such as Notre Dame.  If the revenue needs to be shared equally with as many as 15 other teams, Notre Dame may be unable to acquire as much revenue within the Big Ten that it does now.  Certainly there are many pro’s and con’s for Notre Dame to consider as the conference expansion train appears to be rolling by very quickly.

Speaking of the Missouri Tigers, that program is also considering moving from the Big XII to the Big Ten.  In addition, the Big Ten has reportedly invited Nebraska to join.  Rumors have circulated that the Big Ten is a potential suitor for Texas, as well as Oklahoma, but Nebraska and Missouri make the most sense geographically and have generated the most talk of expansion.  Both member programs of the Red River Rivalry have remained silent on the issue to this point.  As stated, Missouri’s main interest in the Big Ten stems from the fact that the Big XII does not share revenue equally, and as a result the program does not receive as much TV revenue as Texas or Oklahoma.  Nebraska is a logical choice geographically for the Big Ten, which is the likely reason for that invitation.

The Big East did not escape unscathed from the long reach of the Big Ten.  Invitations have been reportedly extended to Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Rutgers.  These schools would give the Big Ten an increased East Coast presence, as at this point only Penn State gives the conference such diversability. 

With the extension of so many invitations to the conference, the Big Ten could include up to 16 teams within a few years.  If one is doing the math, this expansion could spell the doom of the Big East and Big XII conferences.  The Big East could lose 4 schools to the Big Ten, including Pitt, Syracuse, Rutgers, and Notre Dame (in every sport but football).  At this point the Big East Conference would only include football schools Connecticut, West Virginia, Louisville, Cincinnati, and South Florida.  That is it.  With schools such as Villanova and Georgetown competing at the FCS level, and schools such as St. Johns and Marquette which don’t have football programs at all, the conference could collapse upon itself because of the lack of strength and number from the football programs.  This could lead to a collapse of the entire conference as a whole, and the demise of the overall best college basketball conference since the most recent expansion before the 2005-2006 season.

The Big XII could face a similar fate.  With rumors of Colorado moving to the Pac-10, and the possibility of Texas and Oklahoma moving to either the Pac-10 or the SEC, the Big XII could lose up to 6 of its premier programs, leaving only the likes of Kansas, Iowa State, and Baylor, among others.  The Big XII could potentially wither as the Big East could due to the domino effect started by the Big Ten.

So what does this all mean? Could a situation really occur in which the Big Ten could include as many as 16 teams, Notre Dame could no longer be independent, and there could only be 4 major “super-conferences,” with the destruction of the Big XII and the Big East?  Will the history of rivalries such as Pittsburgh and West Virginia (the Backyard Brawl), Texas and Oklahoma (the Red River Rivalry), and Texas and Texas A&M, and Oklahoma and Oklahoma State (Bedlam), become traditions of the past?  These potential realities could all be realized with the right collapse of the dominoes in the conference expansion carousel. 

Is it good for football?  I tend to think no, as the beauty and excitement of rivalries will be compromised.  Sure, we will have 4 superconferences, but where will the excitement come from?  How will the Big Ten be so exciting when teams don’t even play half the teams in their conference?  How can a true conference champion be crowned with the possibility of 3 undefeated teams in a conference?  The only positive of this change to 4 superconferences would be the potential inclusion of teams such as Boise State and TCU in a conference like the Pac-10.  With this improvement, the 4 year debate about how to appropriately reward teams like Boise State, TCU, and Utah with their weak regular season schedules will end.  All these teams will be included in power conferences, and finally will need to prove themselves week in and week out.

With all these possibilities for conference expansion, it is apparant that there will be a major shift of some kind in the college football landscape.  Bob Long’s Sports Blog will follow the development every step of the way and keep you readers updates with every phase of the massive transition as the details emerge.

The Fiesta Bowl

I am going to tell this one like it is.  The BCS tried to save itself by putting Boise State and TCU in the Fiesta Bowl.  Of the 10 teams in the BCS bowl games, Boise and TCU were the only teams that were from non-BCS conferences.  Such teams have had mixed results in the past.  Boise State beat Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, Hawaii got crushed by Georgia in the 2008 Sugar Bowl, and Utah beat Alabama handily in the 2009 Sugar Bowl. 

Therefore, going into the 2009 BCS Bowl season, the non-BCS conferences were 2-1 in the last 3 BCS bowl appearances.  In each of these games, the non-BCS conference team was undefeated, but did not get to play for a National Championship.  This trend has led many to ratchet up the debate and controversy about whether the current BCS postseason system is fair and justified in its treatment of non-BCS conference schools.  There has been increased support of a playoff system (I myself have designed and advocated a 12 team playoff system.  See December 2nd, “Why College Football Needs a Playoff System…and Why an 8 Team System is not the Answer”). 

When this year’s BCS selections were made, and there were two non-BCS conference schools that were undefeated, I knew those BCS weasels were going to match the two up in the same bowl game.  Basically, this move was to save the BCS from any unnecessary criticism.  If either TCU or Boise State had beaten a major conference school in a bowl game, the fans would be criticizing the BCS, calling for a playoff system, and calling for a split National Championship.  The same criticism occurred in the 2006-2007 and the 2008-2009 season after BCS bowl victories by Boise State and Utah, respectively.

So, what to do to avoid any criticism? Put them both in the Fiesta Bowl.  The game could not have gone any better for the BCS, and it makes me sick.  It was a very low scoring game, so the fans do not know whether or not the defenses were very good, or if the offenses were terrible and could not hang with the top conference teams.  In addition, because the game was very close, there won’t be much controversy about a split National Championship.  For example, if TCU won by 20 or more, some people would argued that the Horned Frogs deserved a chance to play in the National Championship over Texas who somewhat snuck in with an unimpressive victory over Nebraska.  However, since the game was close, and neither team looked very stellar, the BCS avoided a potentially damaging situation by putting TCU and Boise State in the same bowl game.   

The fans will never really know how good either of these teams are, and that is the true shame of the whole situation.  Contrary to the beliefs of the committee members of the BCS, the fans’ top priority is not to criticize the system.  The fans simply want to see good football games, reward the best teams, and be respected as fans.  However, the BCS did not respect the fans in this instance, but instead duped the fans out of two good games.  The BCS duped the fans and the rest of college football out of learning how good TCU and Boise really were.  If the BCS really was trying to be fair and was confident in the system, the committee would have no problem letting the non-BCS qualifiers play against the big name teams.  Now do I think TCU or Boise State could have hung with, say, Ohio State?  I really don’t know, and that is the point.  The only way to find out how good one of these teams are is to place them against a perennial powerhouse.  If they get crushed, then they get crushed, but at least we know how good the teams really were.  Now all we know is that Boise State can beat the next best non-BCS conference team.  Great, there is one of those teams each year.  But what fans do not always get to see is the small, non-BCS team play against the big name teams.  That is why everyone has loved watching those games over the past 3 years.

Until the BCS is either ousted or its ideology is changed significantly, college football fans will continue to see the smaller teams like Boise State get the raw deal so that the BCS will not have to change. It is extremely frustrating, and the only way to change the way things are run is to take active steps to change the system.

The Mountain West?

The Mountain West has 5 teams playing in bowl games this season:  Wyoming, BYU, Utah, Air Force, and TCU.  The Mountain West has been the conference that many people think is simply the best mid-major conference, but not competitive on the national scale.  TCU’s undefeated record has been called out by many college football fans on account of little or no competition.  However, before someone passes judgement on the talent of the Mountain West, one must look at the success the conference in the recent bowl games.  Wyoming played the first bowl game of the season and shockingly defeated Fresno State, who was highly favored in the game.  Then BYU crushed Oregon State 44-20.  Finally, last night, Utah defeated Cal, 37-27 in a virtual home game for Cal at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium.

Air Force will play Houston December 31st at 12 PM.  TCU will close the Mountain West bowl season January 4th against Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl.  If the Mountain West wins at least one of its last two games, it would be time to consider the possibility that the Mountain West in better than at least one of the major conferences.  The Mountain West has arguably 3 upsets already, and Air Force looks to be an underdog against Houston.  TCU will be the lone Mountain West team that is favored in its bowl game, but that is only because the BCS tried to save itself by pairing the two non-BCS conference teams against each other, TCU and Boise State.  If TCU played any other team in one of the BCS bowls, the Horned Frogs would be underdogs.  Therefore, one more bowl win by the Mountain West would put the conference at 4-1 in the bowl season with at least three upsets.  With this postseason resume, the Mountain West would deserve consideration as one of the top 6 conferences in the country. 

Compare the Mountain West with the Pac-10, which is currently 0-2 in the bowl season with two losses to Mountain West teams.  Cal lost to Utah by 10, and Oregon State lost to BYU by 24.  As mentioned, both Mountain West winners were underdogs in the games, but these teams beat two Pac-10 opponents by a combined 34 points.  There is certainly something to be said for that.  The Pac-10 was extremely down this year, as USC finished 5th in conference.  The Pac-10 struggled mightily as a conference on defense this year, and that weakness was exposed by Utah and BYU. 

The Pac-10 has 5 remaining bowl games.  USC will play Boston College, UCLA will play Temple, Stanford will play Oklahoma, Arizona will play Nebraska, and Oregon will play Ohio State in the Rose Bowl Game.  The Pac-10 would be doing well if it went 3-2 in these five games, and it is probable that the conference will go under .500 for its remaining games.  USC and Boston College is a toss up, but I think USC will win that game.  UCLA v. Temple will be a good game, but I think Temple will win that game.  Stanford has no defense, and that will hurt the Cardinal against Oklahoma.  Nebraska has one of the best defenses in the country, and Arizona will have trouble moving the ball against the best defense it has seen this year.  Oregon has not played a defense as strong as Ohio State this year, but when Oregon played Boise State, granted it was early in the season, it Duck offense could not move the ball well against the Bronco defense. 

So even if the conference went 3-2 in its remaining games, which would be arguably the best case scenario, that would only put the Pac-10 at 3-4 for the bowl season.  That would mean that the Pac-10 would have less wins in 7 games than the Mountain West does in 5.  Couple that with the fact that the Mountain West gave the Pac-10 2 of its losses, the games in which both Mountain West teams were underdogs, and one must consider the possibility that the Mountain West is a better football conference than the Pac-10.

The Inadequacies of the BCS

In this entry I will explain how the BCS bowl system does not give all teams a fair chance to win the National Championship.  In addition, I will evaluate the system based upon how the current playoff system affects the college football regular season negatively.

The college football postseason system that is currently in place does not meet the expectations of college football fans.  First, not all teams have an opportunity to win the National Championship.  For example, teams from non-BCS conferences, meaning those from conferences other than the SEC, Big XII, Big Ten, Big East, PAC 10, and ACC, may go undefeated and still not even have the opportunity to play for a National Championship.  Only three seasons ago, the Boise State Broncos, from the Western Athletic Conference, or WAC, went undefeated.  However, the team was not placed in the BCS Championship Game but the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.  Boise State played one of the most flawless games in college football history and defeated the mighty Oklahoma Sooners to cap a perfect season.  The BCS Committee decided that Boise State did not deserve a chance to play for a National Championship, instead of letting the teams decide that for themselves.

Last season, the Utah Utes, from the Mountain West Conference, also played an undefeated regular season.  The team was assigned to the Sugar Bowl against the formidable Alabama Crimson Tide, who had lost in a nail biting game in the SEC conference championship to the eventual National Champion Florida Gators.  Utah outplayed Alabama in every aspect of the game, even though nearly every expert thought that Utah could not match up with Alabama’s size.  The BCS Committee decided that Utah did not deserve a chance in the BCS Championship Game.

These examples of small teams defeating some of the country’s best teams are numerous.  However, these teams enter spring practices knowing that they can not become National Champions.  That is not was the NCAA is about.  The NCAA claims to focus on giving all student athletes the opportunities to succeed.  This is not the case in college football.  The injustice does not end there.  Extremely talented teams, often with one loss, do not have a chance to prove that they are the best team in college football.

For example, nearly every year, the USC Trojans have one loss, often against a lesser foe that the team seems to “look past.”  Each year, there are either two undefeated teams from BCS conferences, or one loss teams from the SEC or Big XII that play in the National Championship instead of USC.  Last year, Penn State was beaten by one point, in one game, by a field goal made with one second left, on the road against Iowa.  Why does Penn State not have a chance at the National Championship? Why does USC not have chance at the National Championship?  Because the way the BCS bowl system is arranged, only two teams enter the postseason with a chance to become champions.  The system in place today does not meet the high standards demanded by such an entertaining sport.

While most college football fans realize that the BCS does not give all teams opportunities to win the National Championship, most do not realize that the BCS affects the regular season negatively as well.  The poor setup of the postseason affects the quality of play in the regular season.  Teams know full well going into each season that one loss can end their BCS hopes.  Therefore, teams often lighten their schedules in order to eliminate the chances of losses.  For example, Penn State’s 2009 out of conference schedule included the following: Akron, Syracuse, Temple, and Eastern Illinois.  Those four teams are horrific, and the team that had the closest point differential against Penn State was Syracuse with 21.  Why does Penn State do this?  The athletic director and coaches know that if the team plays Florida and Oklahoma out of conference and loses to either one of those teams, another one loss Big XII or SEC team would still top Penn State’s bid for the BCS National Championship Game.  Why should Penn State take such chances?  Realistically, they should not.  Therefore, Penn State focuses solely on going undefeated in regular season play and hopes that other big name teams lose so that Penn State can sneak into the title game.

Who loses when teams soften their schedules in this way?  The fans.  The reason college football is considered the most entertaining sport with the most entertaining regular season is because fans can watch marquee games every week with big name programs squaring off.  That trend is changing.  With the scheduling the way it is now, it is rare to see a non-conference game between two highly ranked teams.  Therefore, in college football today, the BCS system is even affecting the regular season in a negative way.

The answer to this problem is to create a college football playoff system.  For my take on what type of playoff system is best for college football, see my December 2^nd blog entry, “Why College Football Needs a Playoff System…And Why an 8 Team System is not the Answer.”