BCS SolutionA Workable Playoff System Unlike Any Other

College football is one of the most popular sports in America, but growing dissatisfaction with the current BCS system cannot be ignored forever.

Unfortunately, the playoff systems commonly suggested would be bad for the sport.

They would be detrimental to the currently successful regular season as well as the traditional bowl season.

Other arguments against most playoff systems:

• The playoff structure that makes sense one year would not necessarily makes sense every year.

• Playoffs would force student athletes to play too many games.

• How do you determine who makes the playoffs? Wouldn’t we simply be expanding the current problem?

• Playoffs would turn college football into a watered down version of the NFL.

And playoffs do nothing to address other problems with the current system, such as:

• Inconsistencies between conferences: i.e. the number of teams and whether or not they have a conference championship game.

• Even greater inconsistencies when you consider independent teams and non-BCS conferences.

• Teams out of bowl contention lack incentive.• No real system in place to measure the relative

strength of each conference.• Too many lopsided match-ups.

We need a better solution.

A solution that will address the complaints of the playoff proponents as well as other problems with the current system without compromising the values of the BCS stakeholders.

That solution is presented here…

Step One

• Add one team to BCS to have 120 teams

• Divide 120 teams into 10 conferences with 12 teams in each conference

• Divide each conference into 2 divisions with 6 teams in each division

• Divide conferences into 2 regions with 5 conferences in the East, 5 in the West

Step Two

Schedule the season as follows:

• Games 1 – 2: Out-of-division games

• Games 3 – 7: Interdivisional round robin

• Game 8: Conference playoffs

• Games 9 – 12: Regional round robins

• Game 13: Bowl games

Regular Season Games 1-7

• Each team plays two games against teams outside their own division of their own conference.

• Each team also plays each of the other five teams in their own division of their conference.

• The results of the first seven games will determine the ranking within each division from #1 through #6.

Conference Playoffs

• The conference playoffs will be the eighth game of the season.

• Team #1 from division A plays team #1 from division B to determine the champion and runner-up.

• Team #2 from division A plays team #2 from division B to determine 3rd and 4th place within the conference. Team #3 will play team #3 and so on.

• Each division will alternate turns hosting these games.

• The results of these games will determine the overall rank within each conference from #1 through #12.

Regional Round Robins

• In games 9 through 12, the #1 team from each conference will play the #1 team from each of the other conferences in their region.

• The #2 teams will play each of the other #2 teams, etc.

• The conferences will alternate turns hosting these games. For example, one year the Big Ten will host all games vs. The Big East and the following year, they will travel to all games vs. the Big East.

• The results of these games will determine the BCS bowl match-ups and play a roll in other bowl selections.

Tiebreakers

Ranking within each division will be determined by divisional record. Ties will be broken by:1) Head-to-head result2) Overall record3) Combined record of non-division opponents

End-of-season ranking will be determined by record in the regional round robins. Ties will be broken by:1) Head-to-head result2) Head-to-head result of the entire conference3) Overall record of the entire conference

Example Schedule

Ohio State Example ScheduleGame 1 vs. Bowling Green (non-divisional game)Game 2 at West Virginia (non-divisional game)Game 3 vs. Penn State (division game)Game 4 at Indiana (division game)Game 5 vs. Michigan State (division game)Game 6 at Notre Dame (division game)Game 7 vs. Michigan (division game)Bye week (conference playoff games to be divided over two weeks)Game 8 Conference Playoff vs. Big Ten WestGame 9 at Big EastGame 10 vs. SECGame 11 at MACBye week (one compulsory bye week during regional round robin)Game 12 vs. ACCGame 13 possible bowl game

Advantages to Current System

• Will do a better job of determining who deserves to play in the BCS bowl games.

• Creates exciting, even-strength match-ups throughout the season.

• Gives all teams something to play for late in the season.

• Eliminates inconsistencies between conferences.• Will measure the strengths of conferences in relation

to each other in a way the current system does not.• Will silence the critics who are calling for a playoff

system that would be detrimental to the sport.

Advantages to Other Playoff Systems

• Preserves the regular season and the traditional bowls.

• Allows all teams to play at least 12 meaningful games without forcing any team to play more then 13 games.

• Creates exciting match-ups for all teams, not just the play-off teams.

• Will be a more effective way to determine the best team.

• Eliminates inconsistencies between different conferences and independent teams.

• Will measure the strengths of conferences.

Conferences

• Big Twelve, SEC, ACC, Conference USA and MAC already have twelve teams split into 2 divisions so no changes are necessary

• Big Ten adds Notre Dame

• Pac 10 adds Fresno State and Hawaii

• Big East adds Army, Navy, W. Kentucky and Appalachian State

• Mountain West adds Boise State, Utah State and San Jose State

• WAC/Sunbelt combine with all remaining teams

Conferences

EastAtlantic Coast Conference

Big East Conference

Big Ten Conference

Southeastern Conference

Mid American Conference

WestBig Twelve Conference

Mountain West Conference

Pacific Ten Conference

Conference USA

Sunbelt/WAC Conference

Conferences

ACC Big EastAtlantic Division

Boston College

Florida State

Maryland

Clemson

Wake Forest

North Carolina State

Coastal DivisionVirginia Tech

Georgia Tech

North Carolina

Miami (FL)

Virginia

Duke

NorthRutgers

Pittsburgh

Connecticut

Syracuse

Navy

Army

SouthSouth Florida

Western Kentucky

Louisville

Cincinnati

Appalachian State

West Virginia

Conferences

Big Ten Big TwelveEast

Penn State

Ohio State

Michigan

Michigan State

Indiana

Notre Dame

WestPurdue

Iowa

Northwestern

Minnesota

Illinois

Wisconsin

NorthMissouri

Nebraska

Kansas

Colorado

Kansas State

Iowa State

SouthTexas

Texas Tech

Texas A&M

Oklahoma

Oklahoma State

Baylor

Conferences

Conference USA MACEast

East Carolina

Memphis

Southern Miss

UAB

UCF

Marshall

WestTulsa

Rice

Houston

UTEP

Tulane

SMU

NorthBuffalo

Bowling Green

Akron

Temple

Kent State

Ohio University

SouthBall State

Central Michigan

Western Michigan

Northern Illinois

Toledo

Eastern Michigan

Conferences

Mountain West Pac TenNorth

Utah State

Utah

Colorado State

Boise State

Brigham Young

Wyoming

SouthTCU

UNLV

San Diego State

New Mexico

Air Force

San Jose State

NorthWashington

Washington State

Oregon

Oregon State

Cal

Stanford

SouthUSC

Arizona

Arizona State

UCLA

Fresno State

Hawaii

Conferences

SEC Sunbelt / WACEast

South Carolina

Florida

Georgia

Vanderbilt

Tennessee

Kentucky

WestAlabama

LSU

Mississippi

Mississippi State

Arkansas

Auburn

EastLouisiana – Lafayette

Arkansas State

Troy

Middle Tennessee

Florida Atlantic

Florida International

WestLouisiana Tech

Louisiana – Monroe

North Texas

Idaho

New Mexico State

Nevada

Frequently Asked QuestionsQ - How would this system affect rivalry games?A – Most rivalries are between teams in the same division, so they would continue to play each

year. This includes Ohio State vs. Michigan, Oklahoma vs. Texas, Auburn vs. Alabama, Georgia vs. Florida, USC vs. UCLA, Army vs. Navy and many others. Other rivalries, such as Notre Dame vs. USC could be continued through the 2 non-divisional games.

Q – How would teams, fans and broadcasters coordinate travel plans?A – The first seven games would be scheduled preseason as they are now. The remaining

games would be scheduled in terms of the dates and location, you just won’t know in advance who the home team will be hosting. (This situation currently exists with conference championship games, and it would also exist in any playoff system.) In this system, game 8 would be scheduled after games 7 and games 9 through 12 would be scheduled after game 8. A bye week before and/or after game 8 could be implemented to facilitate travel planning.

Q – How would the bowl selections be made.A – The top team to emerge from the East plays the top team from the West. Beyond that, the

selection process would be similar to how it is now. Conference winners would be given top consideration but the number 2 or 3 team from top conferences may be selected before the top teams from weaker conferences.

Q - Is this system better then the current system and all other proposals?A - Yes.

BCS SolutionA Workable Playoff System Unlike Any OtherPresented by Greg Eyink