What if the NFL stopped its season right now in week 14 (just like NCAA), and used a BCS system like college? They would probably put the Patriots and the Eagles in the Super bowl. "Sorry, Pittsburgh, but we didn't know you guys were going to be that good this year, and we had the Patriots and the Eagles as preseason favorites to win both conferences." Sound familiar??? (I know the Steelers beat the Eagles and Patriots, but just go with me here) Plus, that is the match-up the fans and everyone else wants to see, so the Steelers would probably go to play the Colts in the "WHO GIVES A FLYING f-" Bowl for a meaningless shot at 2nd place. Then they would tell the Falcons and the Chargers that they played in terribly weak divisions and that's the only reason they have such good records. No way they should be given a shot to play for the title!
How's that sound? And you can flip-flop the teams in that scenario and leave out the Patriots or the Eagles. How would that be fair??? Would you tune in to watch a game that has absolutely no signifigance for 2nd or 3rd place???
Now, I realize that the beauty of the NFL is that the Steelers have played both the Eagles and the Patriots and won. But is there anyone out there that would be bold enough to say that the Steelers are clearly the better team and that if they played either team again, they would surely win? :nooo:
My point is that the entire bowl system is outdated and it is time for college football to move on. And while the BCS does give us the benefit of a #! vs. #2 match-up, it also gives us the huge negative of 28 or so meaningless bowl games that no one really cares about!!!
And I know there are too many differences between the NFL and the NCAA game to mention in one thread, so please excuse the ignorance of my idealistic comparison, but you can sub in a lot of schools for pro teams in this scenario:
Patriots (USC) defending champion
Eagles (Oklahoma) preseason fav, almost won it all last year
Steelers (Auburn) a great team no one thought would do what they have done this season (again, exclude the fact that they have beaten both teams ahead of them)
Colts (Louisville? Utah?) offensive powerhouses, as good as anyone in the league
Chargers, Falcons (Cal?) Good teams not getting their proper respect, capable of beating anyone
Green Bay (Tex?) a good team, but getting way more respect than maybe they should be
Maybe I am all by myself, but I love watching the NFL playoffs, March Madness, the World Series, etc., but my passion is college football, and I could care less about all these ridiculous bowls!!!! I am an Auburn Alum, and a season ticket holder, but I don't really even care about our appearance in the Sugar Bowl. Not taking anything away from our spectacular season, those guys laid it on the line week in and week out, and would not be denied. They did everything they could do to get a chance to play for the title. But the reality of our situation is that we are now playing in a meaningless Sugar Bowl game. If we win, then we should have anyway, and what do we get? Nothing. A pat on the back. Makes no sense...and it makes no sense to pull OU or USC out of the Orange Bowl to put Auburn in, because they deserve to be there too. They have gone undefeated as #1 and #2 all season. How can you tell them they have to sit out? You can't.
The Bottom Line....The entire bowl system is a joke and the BCS is the punchline, but a playoff system allows the championship to be decided on the field, not the press room, or the computer lab.
The Other Bottom Line...school presidents and big money corporate bowl sponsors will never allow anything like a playoff system to occur because they are making WAY TOO MUCH MONEY with things just like they are now!! Who cares about the players, it's all about the benjamins$$$$!!!!
But it just seems wrong to me, and as a fan of college football, I would like to see a change made. I guess it's just hit me a little harder this year because it's my team sitting on the sidelines, undefeated, watching two other teams play for the title, and Auburn never really had a shot to play for it in the first place. But I will hate the bowl system next year also, when some other team will get shafted, and we will again be given a buffet of meaningless bowl games for everyone who can scrape together 6 wins!
I love this game!
How's that sound? And you can flip-flop the teams in that scenario and leave out the Patriots or the Eagles. How would that be fair??? Would you tune in to watch a game that has absolutely no signifigance for 2nd or 3rd place???
Now, I realize that the beauty of the NFL is that the Steelers have played both the Eagles and the Patriots and won. But is there anyone out there that would be bold enough to say that the Steelers are clearly the better team and that if they played either team again, they would surely win? :nooo:
My point is that the entire bowl system is outdated and it is time for college football to move on. And while the BCS does give us the benefit of a #! vs. #2 match-up, it also gives us the huge negative of 28 or so meaningless bowl games that no one really cares about!!!
And I know there are too many differences between the NFL and the NCAA game to mention in one thread, so please excuse the ignorance of my idealistic comparison, but you can sub in a lot of schools for pro teams in this scenario:
Patriots (USC) defending champion
Eagles (Oklahoma) preseason fav, almost won it all last year
Steelers (Auburn) a great team no one thought would do what they have done this season (again, exclude the fact that they have beaten both teams ahead of them)
Colts (Louisville? Utah?) offensive powerhouses, as good as anyone in the league
Chargers, Falcons (Cal?) Good teams not getting their proper respect, capable of beating anyone
Green Bay (Tex?) a good team, but getting way more respect than maybe they should be
Maybe I am all by myself, but I love watching the NFL playoffs, March Madness, the World Series, etc., but my passion is college football, and I could care less about all these ridiculous bowls!!!! I am an Auburn Alum, and a season ticket holder, but I don't really even care about our appearance in the Sugar Bowl. Not taking anything away from our spectacular season, those guys laid it on the line week in and week out, and would not be denied. They did everything they could do to get a chance to play for the title. But the reality of our situation is that we are now playing in a meaningless Sugar Bowl game. If we win, then we should have anyway, and what do we get? Nothing. A pat on the back. Makes no sense...and it makes no sense to pull OU or USC out of the Orange Bowl to put Auburn in, because they deserve to be there too. They have gone undefeated as #1 and #2 all season. How can you tell them they have to sit out? You can't.
The Bottom Line....The entire bowl system is a joke and the BCS is the punchline, but a playoff system allows the championship to be decided on the field, not the press room, or the computer lab.
The Other Bottom Line...school presidents and big money corporate bowl sponsors will never allow anything like a playoff system to occur because they are making WAY TOO MUCH MONEY with things just like they are now!! Who cares about the players, it's all about the benjamins$$$$!!!!
But it just seems wrong to me, and as a fan of college football, I would like to see a change made. I guess it's just hit me a little harder this year because it's my team sitting on the sidelines, undefeated, watching two other teams play for the title, and Auburn never really had a shot to play for it in the first place. But I will hate the bowl system next year also, when some other team will get shafted, and we will again be given a buffet of meaningless bowl games for everyone who can scrape together 6 wins!
I love this game!
