Idea for the BCS

[Head Roadie]

It struck me last night when watching Fresno State handle Boise State in the Thursday night ESPN game....The WAC isn't bad. They have some good programs, some programs aren't so good....kinda like the Big East right now. The Mountain has some good programs.

The Power Conferences (ACC, Big 12, SEC) have a Championship game the first week in Dec., why not 2 other play-in games to get into the BCS...Include the Mountain, WAC, Big East, and alternate the Big 10/Pac 10 and rotate so that Big East plays WAC year 1, Mountain Year 2, Big or Pac-10 Year 3, etc.

BCS would include the 3 winners of the "Power Conference" (for lack of better name) Playoffs, the Big or Pac 10 Champ (whoever draws the "bye" that year) and the 2 conference Play-in champions from among the Mt, WAC, BE, and Big 10/Pac 10 alternating spot.

Would be fairer overall and make the Big East more accountable more providing the BCS a solid product while giving two other conferences that are "close" a shot and at the same time force the Big 10 and Pac 10 teams that qualify, at least on alternating years, to win an additional game to get in. As it stands now the top teams in the 3 power conferences that have a playoff game have to win a very tough additional game to get in while Big 10/Pac 10 champs do not.

And you guys know I'm a Pitt fan....but fair is fair and best teams should get the opportunities. Big East, unfortunately for Pitt, Syr, and WVU has lost due to their idiot commissioner, the clout to deserve an automatic spot.

Any thoughts???

[fleaflicker]

Let's see if I got this straight, and then I'll see what I think. You're proposing that the Big East conference band with different conferences on a yearly basis. So in year one the Big East and the Mountain West would combine to provide a BCS winner, the next year the Big East would combine with the WAC, and the third year it would band with the PAC 10. Then the fourth and fifth years would go the same as years one and two, but year 6 would have the Big East combined with the Big 10. Is this correct?

[Head Roadie]

Year 1: Big East vs MW and WAC vs PAC-10 Big 10 automatic
Year 2: BE vs WAC and MW vs Big 10 PAC-10 automatic
Year 3: BE vs Pac-10 and MW vs WAC Big 10 automatic
Year 4: BE vs MW and WAC vs Big 10 PAC-10 automatic
Year 5: BE vs WAC and MW vs PAC-10 Big 10 automatic
Year 6: BE vs Big 10 and MW vs WAC PAC-10 automatic

This is how 3 of the 8 BCS spots would be determined. 3 others on same weekend via conference championship games (ACC, SEC, B12) and 2 wildcards.

[snaphooker22]

HR, this sounds like a good plan, but I don't think it could ever work because of either the Pac-10 or the Big 10 getting an automatic every year. The other conferences would surely call foul and ask why they are not in the rotation for the automatic bid without a playoff game.

I would rather see the BCS rankings used to determine the top 8 teams in the nation starting from when they do now. Also, throw out all preseason polls and have the first AP and Coaches polls come out the same time as the BCS does. The top 8 teams should be qualified to compete in the maximum 3 game playoff regardless of what conference they are from. If they are in the top 8 in the nation, they are in. I'm sure you will have arguments about who the 8th ranked team should be and who gets left out, but you have to admit it is better than having the 3rd or 4th ranked team left out with no chance at a title.

[HOLLYWOOD]

Yes they need a playoff system for sure!!

[fleaflicker]

I don't think the Pac 10 or the Big 10 is bad enough to warrent taking away the automatic berth. It wouldn't be a bad idea though, to expand the 6 BCS conferences and reorganize them a bit so that each one had 12 fairly competitive teams. I think Fresno State and Boise State could join the Pac 10 for a conference title game. Notre Dame, if they were in with it, could join the Big 10. The Big East has eight members currently. Why not add Toledo, Bowling Green, Miami (OH), and Akron (or four MAC/C-USA teams ready to make the jump)? Then those 6 conferences would get an automatic berth. The Mountain West, if it added enough quality teams to warrent an automatic berth, would make 7 conferences.

But perhaps it would be good just to reorganize the whole NCAA according to location and form 6 power conferences of 12 teams each. Then a 16 team playoff field would consist of the 6 conference winners each year, plus ten wild cards then would have the best teams besides those 6 winners, and the whole NCAA would be eligible to be in if they were good enough. Like if Miami (OH) wasn't included in any conference, but they went undefeated and played 3 or 4 major power teams, they would be in the field of 16.