So if ESPN Gets the BCS, Will the Network No Longer Be Permitted to Argue in Favor of a Playoff?
College Football, ESPN November 14th. 2008, 2:00pm
Legit question, right? If ESPN acquires the BCS, like everyone expects it to, will Gameday and company be able to push for a playoff?
We seem to recall a recent discussion about a playoff, perhaps on Gameday, where it went in circles, seemed to frustrate everyone, and Fowler ended up saying something to the effect of “time for a playoff” and quickly looking down at his notes before downshifting to the commercial break. Maybe our memory is playing tricks on us, and it was Rece Davis on the weekday show, though.
Fox hasn’t had to worry about any such issues – after all, their college football talk is limited to four minutes a week on Sundays at like 4:15 pm. And the only people watching are NFL fans.
But everyone knows the current system is seriously flawed, and a playoff is the only answer. Will ESPN champion the cause for a playoff, or avoid talking about it entirely? We hope the former.
24 Responses to “So if ESPN Gets the BCS, Will the Network No Longer Be Permitted to Argue in Favor of a Playoff?”
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November 14th, 2008 at 2:07 PM
very good question. i bet the bcs has in the contract they have to lay low on the playoff talk.
don’t think so? anyone remember what happened to “playmakers” and why?
November 14th, 2008 at 2:10 PM
Why is a playoff the only answer? I love college football. More than the NFL.
If there was a college playoff Alabama/LSU and Penn State/ Iowa would have lost meaning since Alabama had basically already won the SEC West and Penn State has wrapped up the Big 10 a
in any semblance of a playoff scenario I’ve seen the conference champ of a BCS conference is already in. If there was a playoff this year, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Texas could all be left out if Missouri won the big 12 title game. Think about that.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:21 PM
I didn’t realize that ESPN had a say in the process.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:21 PM
ESPN is the conflict of interest network.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:22 PM
truer words are rarely spoken.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:22 PM
Only the soothing sounds of the sea can put Vince Young at ease.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:22 PM
The way it is now, if Missouri won the big 12 title game, those teams would be left out.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:31 PM
The fact that an increasingly popular product is garnering a larger and larger price to broadcast and people want to change the system is beyond comprehension.
Don’t fool yourself people. College Athletics are about money, period.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:37 PM
Most college football programs lose money. If you take away the bowl system, or send it into further oblivion by adopting a playoff system, I think a lot of programs would go under. It would be hard to convince alums to give money to the second tier programs, ie. the lower half of the major conferences, when there is no real reward in sight. Part of the fun of watching your program grow is seeing your team win bowl games. To the fans, the games are a pretty big deal.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:44 PM
You two should smoke a blunt and make it official
November 14th, 2008 at 2:45 PM
couldn’t schools accrue more money as they advanced in the playoff system? the longer they go the more money they would get (a la playing in a better bowl does now)
November 14th, 2008 at 2:46 PM
@theTed
In addition, does anyone “truly” benefit from a playoff? ESPN is gonna get ratings playoff or not. At least in the current system, a team like Ball State has somewhat of a shot of going to a decent bowl.
Chances of Ball State making the a NYD bowl under the current system: Not likely. Chances of Ball State making a Div I playoff: Zero.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:48 PM
the best team benefits, that could be boise state some years but with this system we will never know
November 14th, 2008 at 2:51 PM
I have a personal philosophy that those who aren’t in favor of a playoff are complete idiots. Maybe it’s just me…
November 14th, 2008 at 2:55 PM
@sponge
Best teams don’t always win tourneys. See the NFL each year.
@ curt
So the presidents of all of these schools are complete idiots? That makes sense, completely.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:01 PM
the Giants seemed to be pretty good. We can tell that now this year especially, Colts were pretty good too, but my point is that how does the BCS get us the two best teams? At best it gets us two OF the best teams. If there was a playoff the winning team would have to beat 4 top quality opponents (for a 16 team playoff) to be able to call themselves the best. With the BCS the team only has to beat 1.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:04 PM
Especially since how you did in the regular season against quality competition does not determine who gets in the title game.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:05 PM
the winning team and the “best” team aren’t always the same. I understand the argument for a tournament. My point is that it’s moronic to think the heads of universities would scrap an idea that’s giving the NCAA $500MM plus.
If there were major bowl revenue troubles, lack of sales, ratings down, etc there will be a playoff. Until then, stop watching ESPN and maybe we’ll see a change.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:09 PM
That may be true but you have no control over that, for example if Penn State had had Minn and Northwestern on the schedule instead of Michigan and Wisconsin their Strength of schedule would be much better(never mind they lost to Iowa in this hypothetical). With a playoff you have to do well enough against quality opponents to make the playoff and perhaps get a good ranking.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:19 PM
maybe. maybe not.
you have to remember that bcs conferences get like six teams each year into some bowl through conference alignments. that’s guarenteed cash. mega millions of guarenteed cash.
take away the bowl system, that guarenteed cash is gone.
college presidents are paranoid any kind of a playoff would diminish (read: make mickey mouse bowls even less important thereby less money available) the december bowl games.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:57 PM
anyone know how much money college basketball teams get depending on deep the go in the tourney?
November 14th, 2008 at 4:14 PM
off the top of my head, i want to say just getting to the tournament is $600,000. if a conference is fortunate, they could get six teams in the touranment. of course, the longer you play the more you make.
of course, none of that is locked in. and that is the key phrase.
with football, each bcs conference splits millions of bucks each year, no matter how lousy or good the conference is. before the season begins the conferences know how much cash they’ll get (guarenteed).
they can’t do that for basketball.
November 14th, 2008 at 4:57 PM
To quote Stewart Mandel
Stop trying to make college football into the NFL…I’d much rather argue about the BCS standings than discuss scenarios that decide which 9-7 team barely gets into the playoffs.
November 14th, 2008 at 6:11 PM
I kinda like the BCS too. Of course I’m an LSU fan and the BCS gave us 2 titles…