I’m still pretty disappointed in the BCS cartel and the way they’ve handled this year’s bowl games. I love the bowl season. It normally provides a great way to cap the season and often provides a few great, memorable games. However, it always leaves doubt at the end of bowl season. Is the winner of the BCS Championship game, really the best team in college football that season? Often it leaves doubt. Was LSU or USC the best team in 2003-04? Was Michigan or Nebraska the best in 1997-98? Was Miami or Washington in 1991-92? Questions you can debate and neither side is really wrong because there is no correct answer. The teams weren’t able to decide it on the field.
So here’s my ideas for wrecking the BCS and truly determine a champion in college football each season. I’m sure the PR firm working for the BCS cartel will label it “radical”, “not pleasing to everyone”, or even “poppycock” because it makes a mockery of there system and gives the real college football fans their dream, a champion decided on the field.
First, the Mountain West Conference and Western Athletic Conference need to create the MWC/WAC Showdown like what the Big Ten and ACC do in college basketball. They should not schedule their final games of the season until November and set-up match-ups that would greatly strengthen their postseason opportunities. For example the last week of the season could have featured these match-ups:
-TCU at Boise St. – Instead of the Fiesta Bowl match-up these two could have played and set the winner up for a spot in the BCS Championship. You add this win to their resume and it’d be hard to argue Texas or Cincinnati is more deserving of a spot in the title game. Plus they could probably set-up this game at a neutral site like Invesco Field in Denver to increase paydays for the schools.
-UNLV at New Mexico St. – The Runnin’ Rebels could get bowl eligible with this win.
-New Mexico at Hawaii – New Mexico ends a terrible 1 win season by going to Hawaii and the Warriors get a chance to make a bowl with an easy game to wrap the regular season.
-Nevada at BYU – Watching the great running attack of the Wolf Pack go against the Cougars’ passing game would make for an interesting contest.
-Fresno State at Utah – Pat Hill has the “anytime, anyplace” mentality and would like nothing better than to take his team on the road to a quality opponent to end a season.
These conferences share a lot of the same area and would be able to capitalize on match-ups that could excite their fans and help raise the reputation of both conferences. Combining conferences to create a “mega conference” doesn’t make sense with 18 teams (take note Big East basketball) so this is the best option. Think about it commissioners.
Now I present to you, my novel idea for the college football post season called the Macho Rhino Bowl Cycle. I’m not going to call it a playoff since that sets people off into rages and the NCAA treats it like a dirty word. Also, I will use the 2009-10 calendar and season results to help illustrate my plan. The Macho Rhino Bowl Cycle will involve 8 teams, 5 bowl games, 4 neutral sites and determining one and only one national champion. To keep conference play relevant, I will issue automatic invitations to the MRBC to winners of the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Big East, SEC and Pac-10. That leaves two at-large spots to be determined in the field and then seeding the team 1-8. In order, here’s what I weigh in choosing the two at-large teams:
-Winning Your Conference – If you aren’t the best team in your conference, you’re probably not the best team in the county.
-Regular Season Record – A team going undefeated or only having one loss in the regular season regardless of schedule or conference affiliation is impressive.
-Strength of Victory – If finding two teams very similiar, the strength of victories can help break that tie. A team with wins over conference champions or one loss teams will receive preference.
Based on the above criteria our two at-large teams for the MRBC are the Broncos of Boise State and Horned Frogs of TCU. Here are the seeds:
(1) Alabama
(2) TCU
(3) Texas
(4) Boise St.
(5) Cincinnati
(6) Oregon
(7) Ohio St.
(8) Georgia Tech
In the first round, location, not seeding is a factor in selecting the match-ups. We will play these first round games at neutral sites throughout the country and pick the closest teams to play so their fans can travel to the game.
We want to maintain the other bowls and not disrupt the bowl schedule. The other bowls are important to college football and its fans. We will incorporate them as well as borrow a little from college hoops too in having a selection show.
Here are the first round match-ups in the Macho Rhino Bowl Cycle:
December 19
Raymond James Stadium in Tampa
(1) Alabama vs. (8) Georgia Tech
Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis
(5) Cincinnati vs. (7) Ohio State
Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego
(4) Boise State vs. (6) Oregon
December 20 (Hopefully the NFL will give up the Sunday Night game to allow this)
Superdome in New Orleans
(2) TCU vs. (3) Texas
The losers of the first round, Texas, Boise State, Ohio State and Georgia Tech, then enter the pool for the Sugar Bowl and Cotton Bowl both to be played on Saturday, January 2, 2009. I chose the Cotton Bowl because it’s a big bowl game and is played in the awesome new Cowboys Stadium. ESPN can turn this into a nice half hour show where they have live feeds coming from each of the schools.
We’ll let the Sugar Bowl pick first, then the Cotton picks its’ match-up and the Sugar bowl pairs the team left with its’ first selection.
Rece Davis, I can hear you now making this announcement. With the first pick in the 2009 Bowl Draft…the Sugar Bowl selects…the Texas Longhorns. So here are the January 2nd, 2010 pairings:
SUGAR BOWL
Texas vs. Boise State
COTTON BOWL
Ohio State vs. Georgia Tech
Now seeding becomes a factor, the highest seeded team to advance will play the lowest seeded team in one semi-final and then the middle seeds will play in the other semi-final. These match-ups will be in bowl games on New Year’s Day. For this year, we’ll have the Orange Bowl and Fiesta Bowl host the semi-finals. So based on my predictions here’s how the semi-finals would look:
ORANGE BOWL
(1) Alabama vs. (6) Oregon – I know it’s a long way Ducks’ fans but I’d guess Phil Knight wouldn’t mind having a caravan of private jets carry thousands of you down to this game.
FIESTA BOWL
(2) TCU vs. (5) Cincinnati – Two undefeateds not mentioned as a title contender most of the season are one win away from their dream…playing for the national title.
OMG! Are we really ready for a game to decide the best team in college football this season? Wow what a concept. Like basketball, baseball and every other collegiate sport, the teams not pollsters decide the national champ. The Rose Bowl will host the title game this year on Saturday, January 8, 2010.
ROSE BOWL
(1) Alabama vs. (2) TCU – Two undefeated teams who navigated the Macho Rhino Bowl Cycle will now collide to crown the king of college football this year.
In conclusion, from December 19, 2009 through January 8, 2010 we could have the following college football games:
Alabama vs. Georgia Tech
Cincinnati vs. Ohio State
Boise State vs. Oregon
TCU vs. Texas
Texas vs. Boise State (Sugar Bowl)
Ohio State vs. Georgia Tech (Cotton Bowl)
Alabama vs. Oregon (Orange Bowl)
TCU vs. Cincinnati (Fiesta Bowl)
Alabama vs. TCU (Rose Bowl) – Two undefeated teams collide for a perfect season and national title.
Did I make a case for the Macho Rhino Bowl Cycle or do you prefer the BCS? Would you not watch three weeks of the most exciting college football ever?Put your comments below.
Nobody’s going to miss any class, millions more in revenue will be generated for the schools and we’ll finally not have to debate a national champ. I hope the NCAA is reading this and realizes what they’re missing. Let’s get the Macho Rhino Bowl Cycle started!
