My plan to keep the Tigers in the national title hunt:

Well, this year, it's to win out and hope for the best.

But I am now officially a convert to the idea of a playoff system. And though I'm sure it's been debated on these forums for years, I think it'd be a nice change of pace from... current debate.

I had some time to think on the way back from some game I went to this weekend geauxtige) and I think I have a feasable system. My biggest problem with a playoff is the doing away with bowls. To me, bowls are part of college football- one month of great matchups, even in some of the less-hyped bowls. It's tradition- the whole reason I think college ball is so much better than the NFL.

So, the question (to me) is how to maintain that tradition, especially of the "BCS" bowls (Sugar, Rose, Orange, Fiesta) while going to a system that ALLOWS for losses in a day and age of such parity.

Easy: keep the bowls, or make them part of the playoffs. But how?

To me, polls should not decide a true national champion. They are great methods, but there is too much bias in today's media for us to rely on it anymore. First thing to go would be preseason polls. Secondly, the BCS would be reworked to use several mathematical formulas to rank teams, each different formula being agreed upon by each BCS conference,- AND EVERY CONFERENCE SANCTIONED BY THE NCAA WOULD BE ALLOWED IN THE BCS. The polls would only control 1/4 of the BCS rankings, released in week 4, while the computers would make up 3/4 of the total. The media would gripe, but only because their monopoly on my favorite sport would be gone. They would now be reneged to the status of observers and reporters, instead of the ironclad grip they now hold.

So, at the end of the season and conference championships (11 or 12 games? That's a tough question for another time) we have our final BCS rankings.

Now, the playoff. The top 12 teams from the BCS get selected to play in a bracket-style playoff. After that, the eligible (greater than .500 winning average) teams of the 105 remaining are invited to bowls based on conference tie-ins or whatever. Every bowl aside from the BCS bowls being filled, they play their games. In the first week of bowl week, the first round of the playoff occurs. The top four teams have a bye week, waiting in the four BCS bowls. The bottom 8 teams from the BCS are paired off into 12-5, 11-6, 10-7, 9-8 matchups, which are played out. During the third week of bowls, the BCS bowls are played. New Years' Day, two new bowls are played at regional, neutral sites, and then the following Saturday, the National Championship is played.

Now, this was me thinking of how to go to a playoff while A. maintaing bowls and B. stay within a somewhat shortened length of time. Ideally, there would be an extra round (or two- that would allow for real college football upsets!), with a regional set-up. But this adds more games on an already trying season length, and kids need a break before the spring semester. Would more rounds be too much to ask of student-athletes? I don't know, but I planned as if it was.

After a while, this would mean nothing but money to the NCAA, and in the end there would be much rejoicing when one realizes that one or two regular season wins won't kill a team.

 

Not a horrible idea. I kind of like it. Submit it to the BCS people. lol

 

The 16-team system used by Div I-AA, II, & III is the only way we get a playoff for I-A involving more than 4 teams. My plan: The major bowls could still host regional, semi-final, and championship rounds. Teams left out of the top 16 and teams eliminated in the first two rounds could still play in minor bowls. The minor bowls might even be allowed to host the championship games for I-AA, II, or III.

http://www.ncaasports.com/football/mens/schedules

 

Back to the topic, the Tigers are still in the title hunt, I think. We're still in the top 10. We only need to win out and have Auburn lose in the SECCG. And hope for loses for the other unbeatens and teams ahead of us, except for Ohio St.

 

I think 16 games takes away from the regular season. As much as I hate to say it, it should be very difficult for LSU to make the National Championship game. I agree that the secondary bowls should continue uninterrupted. I think an 8 team playoff would better maintain the importance of the regular season. Because of traveling considerations, there can't be more than two rounds of bowls. I think the first round of an 8 team playoff should be at the home of the higher seeded team. As far as academic concerns, division 1aa holds a 16 team playoff and manages their academics just fine.

There is no reason to not have a well thought out playoff.

 

Too bad the NCAA is corrupt and you have no say-so. The easiest way to make a playoff system and keep the current bowl system in tact is to take the 4 winners of the BCS bowls and put them in a 2 game playoff. There would still be controversy over which teams get the at-large bids, but at least it actual championship would be settled on the field.

 

Perhaps Auburn and LSU win out.

All the other teams above you guys lose.

Do you think the media would allow a rematch for the MNC ?

Personally, I don't want to play you guys again.

 

Impossible, as you have to win your conference to play in the BCS National Title game.

And for those saying a playoff would take away from the regular season: That's why I only did a three-round playoff instead of a (better imho) four or five round- time and tradition. This way, bowls only last one week longer. Though really, it all comes down to how regionals are decided, etc. The four-armed bracket may work better than my two armed version with the bye weeks for the top-ranked teams if regionals were more flexible. I think I was thinking NFL at the time. Also, you don't want games closer than one week apart.

And the title; I say in the first line of my post that all we can do is win out and hope for the best. It's not looking good guys, and I don't think we can this year. Just kinda joking.

 

How great would that be to get a rematch at a neutral site. I can t remember the stat.... the home team has won the last 10 times LSU and Auburn play?
:lsup: :geauxtige :lsup:

 

There is no such rule to my knowledge. The top 2 in the BCS rankings will play for the MNC. Conference champs from the BCS conferences are guaranteed a BCS game, but not winning your conference will not automatically exclude you from the BCS title game.