First, I just want to know if the NCAA have any connection or control of/with the BCS system? If so, it seems that NCAA needs a overhaul, cuz they overly and strictly controls the colleges and players' personal lives, but fail to hold people/voters accountable for their actions (such as Alabama coach dishonestly vote OSU for #4).

Is it possible to implement a Playoffs system with or without NCAA while the BCS is ongoing? I was thinking that colleges could opt out of the BCS system and band together to form the Playoffs system. This would most likely result all and only SEC schools to remain with the BCS and to officially rebrand it the Bowl Championship SEC.

That would mean all of the colleges in the Playoffs system will no longer play with SEC schools. Any thoughts?

The only way to have an honest poll with pure results is to take the human factor out, so computers only. Since the BcS contract is expiring in 2013, I firmly believe its time to iniciate a play-off system (16 team format considering football is more brutal than basketball).

Of course the NCAA has a connection with it. Every school outside the NAIA schools are a part of the NCAA. They are because it's a lot more lucrative for them to be so. That said, the NCAA doesn't have much control at all over player's lives or the colleges existences. The rules it has in place are pretty much there to promote fair competition. Colleges break the rules to try to gain advantages, but it's only overly strict in rare occasions. Most of the times, the schools really were giving out added benefits to the players. But it's not like they give players curfews. They have rules in place to try to promote fair play, and aside from a few clashes with common sense, the times it hands out judgment are because schools didn't abide by it. I don't recall if the NCAA runs the BCS directly or contracts it out though.

The bowls themselves have their own committees. They likely need NCAA approval, but I don't think the NCAA actually has a say beyond setting eligibility who gets to go. The exception would be the BCS bowls, who have to meet the stricter requirements, but I'm pretty sure those bowls even technically have their own say in who goes were (except the NC game, obviously). Many have contracts with certain conferences though (Big 12 has a contract to send it's winner to the Fiesta Bowl, for example. And SEC's contract is with the Sugar Bowl). Those contracts are followed unless the conference winner is in the BCS title game.

It'd be pretty much impossible to implement a playoff system without the NCAA and still be a member. It's even less likely that it'd occur without any even SEC involvement (in fact, that'd reek of collusion to me). It wouldn't happen unless every member school wanted to withdraw from the NCAA, which is about as likely as, well, Oklahoma State winning the National Title this year. The schools have benefited from the NCAA, as much as you may not like them. The association has made a ton of money for the athletic departments of the major schools, and there is pretty much zero chance they'd withdraw. And remember, the SEC was the conference that proposed the "and 1" playoff system, where the top 4 teams are put into a playoff. All the other conferences turned them down.

OKCisOK4me is correct though, the only way to have an honest, true poll is to take the human factor out completely. Giving coaches and people connected with the conferences a vote is inviting bias into the system, creating a conflict of interest. If you want to have a human element, it needs to be far better controlled. You're condoning bias in the system any other way.

The only way to have an honest poll with pure results is to take the human factor out, so computers only. Since the BcS contract is expiring in 2013, I firmly believe its time to iniciate a play-off system (16 team format considering football is more brutal than basketball).

Are those computers programming themselves? The one good thing about computers is that they don't vote for themselves and the programming at the start of the season is the same as the programming at the end of the season.

Are those computers programming themselves? The one good thing about computers is that they don't vote for themselves and the programming at the start of the season is the same as the programming at the end of the season.

Then you have to hope the computers are fed a good sampling.

I know it is crazy but I think the players and coach should solve it amongst themselves on the field. Keep the BCS to seed the top 8 teams and let them play a 3 round single elimination tournament over a 9 week period (3 weeks between games). It is much better to argue about who is 8 and 9 than 2 and 3.

My first round games would look like this:

Kansas St (10-2) at LSU (13-0)
Boise St (11-1) at Alabama (11-1)
Arkansas (11-1) at Oklahoma St (11-1)
Oregon (11-2) at Stanford (11-1)

I would even be okay with re-seeding after each round to ensure the lower rank teams left had to play at the higher ranked teams stadium.

The playoff system I'd most agree with would go as follows.

Take the champions from all 11 FBS conferences to prevent any arguments that only big schools get to play. You win your conference and you're in.
Then, take the top 5 schools in the BCS rankings that don't have a conference championship

This gives you a 16 seed tourney, which is the smallest you can have without byes. Seed them and go from there. Having only 5 at large will encourage schools to not skimp out on the non-conference games, because if you don't win your conference you're not guaranteed a spot. And even if the MAC school gets destroyed every year, hey, if they win their conference, at least they get to play and prove themselves. Independents can go for the at-large like everyone else, and they most definitely can't coast on anything.

The schools in the BCS conferences have had the opportunity in the past to vote for a playoff. They voted against it. Apparently we fans want a playoff but the schools that are involved don't. And until they do there won't be playoffs.

In response to the original question, no the NCAA doesn't have any control over the BCS. The only connection is that all the BCS schools are NCAA members but the NCAA has nothing to do with how the BCS operates. The BCS is made up of the 6 "major" conferences and the schools in those conferences make up the BCS rules. The NCAA governs things like ahteletes eligibilty, not being given anything in return for playing, etc.

Are those computers programming themselves? The one good thing about computers is that they don't vote for themselves and the programming at the start of the season is the same as the programming at the end of the season.

Just cause I didn't state that doesn't mean I'm a donkey. If the mathematical formula is written correctly, it would be fair to all teams. It wouldn't vote this team #6 so its team, #2 wouldn't have to worry about a #3 previously ranked team overtaking them. No emotion!

Momentum is shifting big time in favor of a four team playoff.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7457227/ncaa-president-mark-emmert-says-back-4-team-bcs-football-playoff

The NCAA president has no say in it though, it is the college presidents that in the end decide on it.

The NCAA president has no say in it though, it is the college presidents that in the end decide on it.

I'm very aware of that and no one is saying that he is a decision maker, just that it is trending in that direction. Please note the the Big 10 commissioner is now open to it when he opposed it in the past.

4 teams isn't enough, because LSU will always take the one spot every year despite their win/loss season record. That really leave us 3 teams, but those will highly be likely taken by the SEC. I prefer the top 8 or 16.

4 teams isn't enough, because LSU will always take the one spot every year despite their win/loss season record. That really leave us 3 teams, but those will highly be likely taken by the SEC. I prefer the top 8 or 16.


There's 0 chance that all 4 teams end up being from the same conference. They play each other, they knock each other from the rankings. LSU isn't the top SEC team every year, they rise and fall with the rest of them. The only way 4 SEC schools make up the top 4 would be if the other teams are so inept that no one else can finish with one or two losses, and that's just not likely to happen.

Still in the works.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7520785/ncaa-president-mark-emmert-repeats-support-four-team-playoff

http://newsok.com/a-four-team-playoff-in-college-football-what-a-fantastic-thing-that-would-be/article/3654549

Not sure how many conferences there are but the playoff should include all of them plus the highest ranked Independent.

Not sure how many conferences there are but the playoff should include all of them plus the highest ranked Independent.

There are currently 11 conferences in the FBS and 4 indepenents. However, MWC an C-USA are (most likely) merging in 2013-14 (or soon thereafter) and WAC will only have 7 football members for 2012, one team short of the NCAA's 8 team requirement. There is a rule that allows a conference to operate for (I think) two years under the minimum. WAC has targeted two more programs that should join for the 2013-14 academic year, but if not there could be 9 conferences by then.

It's coming.

http://newsok.com/four-team-college-football-playoff-the-best-news-to-come-out-of-a-big-sports-thursday/article/3670123

It's coming.

http://newsok.com/four-team-college-football-playoff-the-best-news-to-come-out-of-a-big-sports-thursday/article/3670123

About. Damn. Time.

It's coming.

http://newsok.com/four-team-college-football-playoff-the-best-news-to-come-out-of-a-big-sports-thursday/article/3670123

Ha, just recently gone and they forgot how to spell his name (Browndon Weeden).

Not exactly a Final Four or a First Four, since it's the only four. Call it the Fab Four.

Read more: http://newsok.com/four-team-college-football-playoff-the-best-news-to-come-out-of-a-big-sports-thursday/article/3670123#ixzz1taINdJwx

Fab Four - really? Try "4th and 1" if you want to be original AND football oriented.

Joe Castiglione's view on the current situation.

http://newsok.com/ou-athletic-director-joe-castiglione-talks-college-football-playoff-says-regular-season-must-be-protected/article/3676050

This is an interesting new development which I hadn't even heard any rumors about before. There aren't a lot of details yet though. The official announcement at 11AM should have more.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7945482/big-12-sec-champions-meet-bowl-game-sources-say

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/19084239/sec-big-12-agree-to-bowl-matchup-if-left-out-of-fourteam-playoffs

http://newsok.com/big-12-sec-football-champions-to-meet-in-bowl-game/article/3676547

http://newsok.com/big-12sec-bowl-alliance-is-great-news-for-the-big-12/article/3676744

And there are some very good points made here, especially concerning the ACC and Notre Dame.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7946916/college-football-big-12-sec-bowl-death-knell-acc

The playoffs move a step closer.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8078786/bcs-commissioners-reach-consensus-four-team-college-football-playoff

Great news! Now everybody can stop complaining how teams get screwed for the championship game every year!

Great news! Now everybody can stop complaining how teams get screwed for the championship game every year!

Yea, now the complaints will be about getting screwed for the 4-team playoff. ;-)

Yea, now the complaints will be about getting screwed for the 4-team playoff. ;-)

Oh boy....they need a playoff like in the NFL

It's a done deal.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8099187/ncaa-presidents-approve-four-team-college-football-playoff-beginning-2014

Yea, now the complaints will be about getting screwed for the 4-team playoff. ;-)

Mmhmm. Four teams not enough. Could you just imagine what will happen if the top four are from only two conferences? lol

Mmhmm. Four teams not enough. Could you just imagine what will happen if the top four are from only two conferences? lolI suspect that the 4 team playoff could be a stepping stone to an 8 team. An 8 team format would not have flown for now but it might in a few years after the powers that be see that a 4 team format didn't cause the world to end.

One thing I don't understand. The way I read the ESPN article the 2 semifinal games will rotate between 6 bowl games. One of which is the new SEC-Big 12 Championship game. What about the years in which that game isn't in the rotation? Would that mean no Big 12 or SEC in the final that year?

One thing I don't understand. The way I read the ESPN article the 2 semifinal games will rotate between 6 bowl games. One of which is the new SEC-Big 12 Championship game. What about the years in which that game isn't in the rotation? Would that mean no Big 12 or SEC in the final that year?

espn and others are mis representing .. how the new "champions bowl" (big 12 sec) game will work ..... that game will be bit out (most likely to existing bowls)

example year 1 cotton bowl "hosts" champions bowl and sugar bowl in one of the national semis
in year 2 the Sugar bowl "hosts" the champions bowl and the cotton is one of the national semis

the "champions bowl" will be played every year

The simple obvious answer to me is that the top 2 teams from each power conference play each other for a bid to represent their conference in the semi-finals.

That's your 8 team format.

Now that the playoff system has been signed off on, the Big XII and the SEC should backoff from their agreement (since it opened a whole other can of worms).

espn and others are mis representing .. how the new "champions bowl" (big 12 sec) game will work ..... that game will be bit out (most likely to existing bowls)

example year 1 cotton bowl "hosts" champions bowl and sugar bowl in one of the national semis
in year 2 the Sugar bowl "hosts" the champions bowl and the cotton is one of the national semis

the "champions bowl" will be played every yearI agree with that much. What I wonder is what happens if there's a year that the Big 12 is down and the SEC is hot or vica versa. Let's say SEC champion Alabama is #1 and Big 12 champion OU is #6. Both teams are obligated to play in the Champions Bowl but the champions bowl can't be a national semi with a #6 team. I think the Champions Bowl idea just became obsolete.

I agree with that much. What I wonder is what happens if there's a year that the Big 12 is down and the SEC is hot or vica versa. Let's say SEC champion Alabama is #1 and Big 12 champion OU is #6. Both teams are obligated to play in the Champions Bowl but the champions bowl can't be a national semi with a #6 team. I think the Champions Bowl idea just became obsolete.

the semi's each year are set .... the champions bowl will never be the semi ..... in your example OU would play in the champions bowl vs the SEC #2 ...

the semi's are always 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 ....

the champions bowl is not really for the sec and big 12 champs to play ....... it is so the sec #2 big 12 #2 don't end up playing uconn in a big time bowl game

I agree with that much. What I wonder is what happens if there's a year that the Big 12 is down and the SEC is hot or vica versa. Let's say SEC champion Alabama is #1 and Big 12 champion OU is #6. Both teams are obligated to play in the Champions Bowl but the champions bowl can't be a national semi with a #6 team. I think the Champions Bowl idea just became obsolete.

If it isn't in the semifinal rotation that year, it will pit the highest ranking teams not in the semifinal. Assuming that Alabama was chosen but OU was not, it would be OU vs. SEC #2. If both are chosen, the #2 from both conferences would be in the Champions Bowl.

If it isn't in the semifinal rotation that year, it will pit the highest ranking teams not in the semifinal. Assuming that Alabama was chosen but OU was not, it would be OU vs. SEC #2. If both are chosen, the #2 from both conferences would be in the Champions Bowl.

Right. I just found an interview with Chuck Neinas that says if one or both of the conference chamions were in the playoff the 2nd place teams would fill in.