Should BCS Be Replaced By Playoffs? -- Guynemer's Proposal

[Drake Tungsten]

ala the split championship with Nebraska which to my mind was a farce

God forbid that two undefeated teams that can't play each other split the national title...

[Ming]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
God forbid that two undefeated teams that can't play each other split the national title...

See... another reason why more than just two teams should be invited to the national championship

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Originally posted by DanS
"My objection was to the statemement made by DanS saying that PSU played a wussie schedule until they got into the Big 10. This is not true as the period of time inthe mid 80's speaks to the strength of schedule they put together as an independent."

OK, there was a decade or so there where they didn't play a wussie schedule and weren't in the Big 10.

But whats more is it was the preceeding years prior to their entrance into the Big 10. They had established themselves and did not need the Big 10 in order to have a decent schedule.

[Drake Tungsten]

See... another reason why more than just two teams should be invited to the national championship

Only if there are more than two undefeated teams with real schedules. When was the last time that happened? *looks in JohnT's direction*

It isn't happening this year, at any rate, so I don't see why a playoff is necessary...

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Splite championship year Penn State and Nebraska circa 1996 IIRC. It also precipitated the whole BCS thing. A compromise to prevent 2 such teams from not meeting. It does not however address 3 or more undefeated deserving teams from having a shot.

And as to teh question of split championships it is a crock and speaks to the premise of the whole post and is why I whole heartedly agree with a playoff system. Amount of teasm invited to the post season playoff is up for interpreatationbut I see no real reason why it couldn't be around 8ish and still have the top most tier of teams represented.

[Drake Tungsten]

Splite championship year Penn State and Nebraska circa 1996 IIRC.

1994

It precipitated the Bowl Alliance, which still didn't include the Rose Bowl. Nebraska split the title again in 1997 with Michigan. The BCS went into effect after the Bowl Alliance ended, finally bringing the Big Ten into line with the rest of college football. And we've all seen how well they've done since then...

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

See I knew it was a bad thing PSU went into the Big 10.

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

Splite championship year Penn State and Nebraska circa 1996 IIRC.

1994

It precipitated the Bowl Alliance, which still didn't include the Rose Bowl. Nebraska split the title again in 1997 with Michigan. The BCS went into effect after the Bowl Alliance ended, finally bringing the Big Ten into line with the rest of college football. And we've all seen how well they've done since then...

The Big Ten in line with the rest of college football?

There are more teams not in BCS conferences than there are teams that are in them.

ACK!

[Drake Tungsten]

There are more teams not in BCS conferences than there are teams that are in them.

But none of them matter...

[Tuberski]

But, Duke, Temple, Baylor, Rutgers, Kansas and North Carolina do?

Most of these teams, except UNC have been, and will continue to be crap.

ACK!

[Drake Tungsten]

But, Duke, Temple, Baylor, Rutgers, Kansas and North Carolina do?

What makes you think that these teams benefit from the BCS? BYU has a hell of a lot better chance of going to a BCS bowl than Kansas does. If BYU goes undefeated and has a good enough strength of schedule they could conceivably go to the national title game. Kansas has almost no chance of going to a BCS game because they suck and play in the best conference in college football.

[JohnT]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

See... another reason why more than just two teams should be invited to the national championship

Only if there are more than two undefeated teams with real schedules. When was the last time that happened? *looks in JohnT's direction*

It isn't happening this year, at any rate, so I don't see why a playoff is necessary...

Define "real schedule"?

What I'll do is give a list, by year, of the teams with no losses and their schedule strengths for the past 35 years (to 1967). I'll only list those years with multiple unbeatens, btw. Associated Press national champs are starred (*), UPI national champs are... whatever this (#) symbol is. UPI stopped doing a poll in 1995. I also have the ESPN poll results but I can't be arsed to fit them in.

1999
*FSU, 9
Marshall, 107

1998
*Tenn., 22
Tulane, 100

1997
*Michigan, 36
Nebraska, 42

1995
#*Nebraska, 24
Toledo, 97

1994
PSU, 14
#*Nebraska, 49
Texas A&M, 80

1992
#*Alabama, 22
Michigan, 50

1991
#Washington, 17
*Miami, 29

1987
#*Miami, 20
Syracuse, 41

1979
USC, 18
#*Alabama, 64
Central Michigan, 122

1976
#*Pittsburgh, 60
Rutgers, 123

1975
Arizona St., 71
Arkansas St., 121
(11-1-0 Oklahoma won the national championship for both polls - their schedule was ranked #2, behind Missouri (6-5-0))

1974
*Oklahoma, 24
Miami Oh, 76
(10-1-1 USC won the UPI poll, with a schedule strength of 41)

1973
OK, 3
*Notre Dame, 34
Ohio State, 38
Michigan, 43
Penn State, 54
Miami Oh, 75
(11-1-0 Alabama won the UPI poll, schedule strength of 21)

1971
#*Nebraska, 14
Toledo, 103

1970
*Nebraska, 22
Arizona St., 69
Toledo, 111
(10-1-0 Texas won the UPI poll, with a schedule strength of 15)

1969
USC, 7
Penn State, 55
#*Texas, 59
San Diego St., 83
Toledo, 102 (I missed them in my earlier post, so 1969 also had 5 undefeated teams. Sorry Dan, Imran. Toledo went 3 straight years without losing a game! )

1968
#*Ohio State, 31
Penn State, 59
Harvard, 118
Yale, 119

So, only 3 teams in the last 35 years were unbeaten with top-10 schedule strengths: FSU in 1999, OK in 1973, and USC in 1969. Interestingly, only FSU won the title. I'm surprised at the number of times that UPI ranked a beaten team over an unbeaten team...

In short, there hasn't been a single time in which two teams with top-25 schedules have won all their games. The closest is 1991.

The lesson here is simple: don't load up your schedule with tough opponents, but don't load them with patsies either.

Also, I wouldn't crack too hard on Baylor, Kansas, Duke, etc. They've had their moments of glory...

[Drake Tungsten]

I'm going to assume it's a top-25 in terms of strength, so here goes...

I'd probably have gone with top-50 in strength. You did all the work, however, so I'll bow to your will...

Anyway, I'd define a "real" schedule as including at least one or two games against a high quality opponent. Not an exact definition, but it works in practice. For example, Fresno State was worthy of a title shot last year if they had gone undefeated. Bowling Green wouldn't have been this year. All I want is for teams to play a couple tough games in order to prove themselves.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Damn Damn Damn,

Seeing the above just relights my indignation. How could I forget it was 1994 (not 1996)? Strength of schedule at 14 for PSU and Nebraska at 49 still gets the nod. It still absolutely pisses me off.

[Drake Tungsten]

Nebraska did beat Miami in the Orange Bowl, however. I don't remember who Penn State played in their bowl that year, but it wasn't nearly as good a team.