The !*#*&#@ BCS. Yes, its that time of year again and this one may be the biggest mess. Three teams sitting at the top with not much separation. While I like the Oklahoma-LSU match up it sucks for USC, who is ranked first in both polls, but third in the BCS. So is there a way to fix the BCS, better rankings, new computers? Probably not. Playoffs, they'll never go for that. This year, with the top three so close, its impossible to correctly pick two. So clearly it would be a good time to implement an idea I had a while ago. Now this idea is no where near as complete as to be put into use, there are still a few kinks to work out, but here goes. A 3-team game, that's right, none of this guessing and speculation. It should be decided on the field and what better way than all three teams on the field at the same time. How will this work you ask? Well actually I don't really have any idea. All I've got so far is 3 end zones, a triangle field and two footballs. Let you imagination run wild.

I do actually have somewhat of a real solution to the entire NCAA football problem that we've seen for the past few years. This is not just a BCS issue. My problem is that there are six 1-loss teams in Division IA, not just the three everyone talks about. Besides Oklahoma , LSU, and USC, we also have TCU, Boise St. , and Miami (OH). What makes these teams any less worthy to be at the top, playing for something meaningful? Instead they are all playing in minor bowl games, not on New Years' Day! The Bowl Game I'm most looking forward to? The Plains Capital Fort Worth Bowl on Dec. 23 rd . I've never heard of it either but TCU will be playing Boise St. The response to why these teams are ranked up near the top of the polls is that they play a much weaker schedule than the top teams. Well right there you have a problem. If there is such a difference in the level of play then they should be in a different Division, maybe IB? Now there wouldn't be nearly as much attention paid to a Division IB championship, but is anyone watching the Fort Worth Bowl or GMAC (where Miami (OH) is playing) with that much interest? The NCAA Basketball Division I has 320 teams (that's a guess) and everyone has a shot going into the tourney. (It wouldn't hurt that sport to consider a change either)

So here's the outline:

Division IA

6 Conferences: ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Big East, Pac 10, SEC
-Now Big East, I've got my eye on you. You're best team is Pitt, which means you're on thin ice.

Every Conference has a championship game
-This is where USC got screwed.

8 Team Playoff
-The biggie. Here is where we take care of Notre Dame, although I'm thinking about forcing them to join the Big 10. This is also for good teams that lose their conference championship but still deserve a shot.
-These can be the bowl games that we have now if you so choose, or leave those for the non-playoff teams.

Division IB

All the current IA conferences that didn't make the new IA cut.
-That's five conferences. A few options: move a IAA conference here, create a new conference for some really good IAA teams to move up.
-Conference USA is a border conference, they have a lot of decent teams but

8 Team Playoff
-Some continuity between levels.

Here is the key to the whole deal. If you are a good IB team or a crappy IA team you can move between divisions. This will be done by some sort of performance statistic over the past few years. It will guarantee and at least one swap per season. That way a team like Temple that consistently sucks gets booted. Then a team like Marshall gets a chance to hang with the big shots.

Teams are encouraged to play outside of their division. The schedules will be the same as they are now.

This whole system seems fair to all parties involved. Teams going for the Division IB championship are national programs. There are alumni all over that will shell out plenty of dough when their school makes it. Plus, its still quality football. These teams on the right day can beat anyone in Division IA.

There you have it. I realize this well never happen and I've probably wasted a lot of time thinking about it. But who knows, it is now on the Master Plan list, so you never know.

12/8/2003