BCS Changes - For Better or for Worse?
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June 27, 2006 by
There have been several changes to the Bowl Championship Series system for the upcoming college football season. First, the standings will be released on Sundays instead of Mondays. Also, a fifth bowl game will be added and the top 14 teams (instead of the top 12) will be considered for one of the 10 available bowl spots. But, do any of these changes improve the BCS?
The answer is a solid: No. The only benefit of the changes is releasing the standings a day earlier. I don't like the addition of a fifth bowl. BCS bowls are supposed to have the elite teams squaring off. The extra game takes a little bit of that exclusivity that those games should be about.
The changes were made, in part, to give smaller schools a better chance at getting a BCS berth, but I have a hunch that there is more to the story than that. One rule of the system gives Notre Dame an automatic BCS berth if it finishes top 8 in the standings. That isn't fair. Why should one team have that advantage over others? Unfortunately, I know the answer: It's about the money. This may be my own little conspiracy theory, but the fifth game allows college football to make that much more dough, especially if Notre Dame gets a berth.
I'm not a BCS hater. In fact, I like the BCS. A tournament doesn't seem right for college football. The best team doesn't always win in tournaments. A lot of times it's the hottest team that takes home the gold. Look at the NCAA basketball tourney this year. Not to take anything away from Florida, but they were not the best team in the nation (they sure played like it for a few weeks, though). The BCS tends to reward teams for playing great football the entire year. It makes every game absolutely critical - especially if you want that national title trophy. Sure, it's not a perfect system, but it does a good job. There's a special tension you feel when watching your favorite team, knowing that this game may make or break your season. You just can't get that feeling from any other sport. So, I'm a fan of the BCS, but I suspect the changes are being implemented for the wrong reasons.
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Ben Johnson Jun 27 06
First of all, I appreciate your comments. However, your belief that every game matters in college football in a complete fabrication. It only truly matters for 12-15 elite teams in college football. Secondly, to say that the best team doesn't always win the championship is also incredibly ludicrous. A Tournament always determines the best team. The current arrangement in college football is as fictional as the old traditional bowl and poll determination for national championships.
The outcome of a tournament doesn't always support who the media and fan base determines (by way of a beauty pageant with Kevin Bacon Game psychology - without head-to-head competition), but it does determine who the best team is 100% of the time. I totally agree with the Notre Dame special circumstances as this is totally unfair, but then again that is why the CFA (College Football Association) or better yet, in modern day known as the BCS determines national status at the end of the year. To gain national BCS status you have to have a significant 30-50 year history of success in college football with significant clout with the television networks. It has nothing to do with who the best team in the country is - absolutely nothing!!!