Interesting article on ESPN

[milohimself]

By Bob Davie
ESPN.com

Everyone agrees that the current BCS system is headed for a potential nightmare if USC, Oklahoma and Auburn remain undefeated. If they all finish the season without a loss, one deserving team will be left out of the national championship game in Miami. There just is no perfect way to determine who gets the two spots.

I offer a simple solution -- put it in the hands of the 117 Division I-A coaches and let them decide their national champion. With so much at stake, let's not look back after one team is left out and say, "We should have tweaked the system."

Let's be proactive, not reactive.

The BCS Championship is the coaches' national champion and I have total confidence that if the coaches have the time and resources necessary, they will make the best choice.

It wouldn't take much to make this plan a reality. So if USC, Oklahoma and Auburn remain undefeated, let the coaches decide the Orange Bowl matchup.

1. Let all 117 Division I-A coaches have a vote
Currently, 61 coaches get to vote and it's human nature that there is going to be some bias and some coaches will have an agenda. With 117 coaches voting, those biases or agendas will be diluted.

2. Provide the coaches with game tapes
Let the coaches have each team's final three game tapes to evaluate. The reason I say give them the final three tapes is because it should be determined who is playing the best football late in the season regardless of who their opponent is. Coaches are experts at analyzing and breaking down opponents' tape. The problem in the current system is that it is virtually impossible for the 61 coaches voting to get to see all the unbeaten teams.

3. Give the coaches two days to evaluate the tapes
Given time, the coaches will do a thorough job. If we have to, let's put a moratorium on recruiting and make this the coaches' No. 1 priority. I have great confidence that the coaches realize what is at stake and with no one being able to gain a competitive advantage in recruiting, coaches will dedicate the time and provide a thorough evaluation.

4. Eliminate the media and computers
With no disrespect to the media or those running the computers, this is the coaches' national champion. Coaches make their living by evaluating strengths and weaknesses, so let them do what they do best.

Why this will work
Obviously, there is no perfect way to decide which two teams should play for the national championship. Under this plan, we can keep the integrity of the system and simply tweak it if three teams remain unbeaten. Obviously, one team will still be left out, but I think USC's Pete Carroll, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops and Auburn's Tommy Tuberville would agree that their peers are the most qualified to make the final decision.

It is an imperfect system, but let's be proactive and not afraid to tweak the system now rather than later. The AFCA is a powerful group led by president Grant Teaff. Their voices should be heard.

 

[orangetd88]

This is the wrong year to bring up this idea, especially with the rumors of coaches purposely voting other teams way down to benefit their own school (cough, Bob Stoops, cough).

 

[milohimself]

That's why you can include all 117 coaches, assuming they voted responsibly, bias like that would be diluted. Especially with all the teams not making bowl games, would just vote regularly anyhow.

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

Everyone agrees that the current BCS system is headed for a potential nightmare if USC, Oklahoma and Auburn remain undefeated. If they all finish the season without a loss, one deserving team will be left out of the national championship game in Miami. There just is no perfect way to determine who gets the two spots.

I for one hope the whole system implodes just like it did last year.

I offer a simple solution -- put it in the hands of the 117 Division I-A coaches and let them decide their national champion. With so much at stake, let's not look back after one team is left out and say, "We should have tweaked the system."

I offer a better solution. Why not put it in the hands of the teams involved and let them decide who should be there on the field. It's time to come up with some sort of playoff system.

1. Let all 117 Division I-A coaches have a vote
Currently, 61 coaches get to vote and it's human nature that there is going to be some bias and some coaches will have an agenda. With 117 coaches voting, those biases or agendas will be diluted.

Now I agree here that all 117 coaches should have a vote in the coaches poll.

2. Provide the coaches with game tapes
Let the coaches have each team's final three game tapes to evaluate. The reason I say give them the final three tapes is because it should be determined who is playing the best football late in the season regardless of who their opponent is. Coaches are experts at analyzing and breaking down opponents' tape. The problem in the current system is that it is virtually impossible for the 61 coaches voting to get to see all the unbeaten teams.

The problem here is that many of these coaches have their hands full watching tape and preparing for their own bowl game.

3. Give the coaches two days to evaluate the tapes
Given time, the coaches will do a thorough job. If we have to, let's put a moratorium on recruiting and make this the coaches' No. 1 priority.

No, No, No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The coaches' #1 priority is to the university who hired them, to getting the best players avaliable to come to their university, and to preparing for their own bowl game (assuming they have one). That takes a much higher priority than trying to pick two teams from among three equal teams.

4. Eliminate the media and computers
With no disrespect to the media or those running the computers, this is the coaches' national champion. Coaches make their living by evaluating strengths and weaknesses, so let them do what they do best.

As long as the championship is decided by a vote, there will always be controversy, no matter who is doing the voting.

Obviously, there is no perfect way to decide which two teams should play for the national championship.

Sure there is. Let them decide who the champ is on the field.

but let's be proactive and not afraid to tweak the system now rather than later

It's time for everybody involved to be proactive, and get off their :shakeit: , and devise a playoff system. College football is the only major sport I know of which decides their champion through a popularity contest. If they want to fix the system, then it's time to either tell the bowls to come onboard and help to devise a playoff system, or tell them :finger:

Just my :twocents: