The Playoff Problem

Courtesy: NBC Sports

As the 2013 college football season comes to a close, many fans are eagerly awaiting the 2014 season already, as it will bring us the first ever D1 college football playoffs. The playoffs will consist of four teams battling it out for the National Championship. But is this the right way to determine the NCAA’s ultimate crown?

For years, college football has been the only sport not on a post-season playoff system; that will finally change with the 2014 season. But will the change rid us fans of the controversy the BCS has provided for so many years? Not exactly. Or at least not at first. While the playoff be instituted in 2014 is a step in the right direction, the major problem is the size of the playoff. So with over 120 D1 programs, four of them will have a shot to make the playoffs and compete for a national title?

Take this year for example. College football fans across the country have constantly talked over the past few weeks of how perfect this year would be for the playoffs. With the powerhouse Florida State has been, Auburn’s Cinderella story, and Alabama and Michigan State, who are still being mentioned in the talk of who is the best of the best, we would have a perfect setup for the playoffs. While this would give us some highly competitive match ups, at the end of the day we’d still be left with what the BCS has become so good at creating; controversy.

What about number five? While they are the only team I have mentioned with two losses, they’ve had one heck of year! Stanford won the PAC-12 with a schedule strength that definitely rivals, if not surpasses, that of the teams in the top four spots. Do they not deserve a shot? My point is, we aren’t getting rid of the controversy; we’re just moving it from one place to another. Instead of teams being “looked over” for the BCS championship game, teams will be looked over for playoff spots.

As of now, there is one team in the top 10 that is undefeated. Of the other nine, five are one loss teams and four have two losses. Having a four team playoff is just asking for more confusion at the end of th season. The only fix that will come about for the new system will be an expansion (like seen in the NCAA Basketball tournament over the years). It could also benefit the NCAA by bringing in more revenue as well. So will the playoff be extended to eight, twelve, or even sixteen teams? Only time will tell. But until then, I can bet we’ll be recreating some classic BCS style controversy with a new playoff style twist.