College Football Playoff needs to add a 5th team, and a play-in game

Alabama vs. Ohio State is more exciting as a football game than an argument. I'd much rather watch these two teams determine the 4th playoff spot on the field, than watch sports pundits argue about it.

It's clear that the College Football Playoffs are a vast improvement over the BCS, but a modest increase in the playoff's size could yield a big increase in entertainment and drama, while still preserving the importance of the regular season.

I've always wanted a 6-team college playoff, with the top 2 receiving byes, and teams seeded 3 through 6 having to play an extra round. But now I'm thinking that 5 teams would be even better, with just one play-in game. Having just one play-in game is somehow more captivating. It's also not a 7 hour time commitment to my TV.

Forcing the a team to win an extra game for a playoff spot makes sense as the 4th and 5th teams typically have some blemishes on their record they need to atone for. They perhaps didn't win their conference, or have 2 losses, or are a non-power conference team like UCF. They could prove their worthiness by winning the play-in game, which is much more convincing than a panel or algorithm deciding they deserve a chance to win it all.

And a 5 team playoff maintains the importance, and subsequent drama of the regular season. It might even add a little more urgency and excitement, as title contending teams strive to ensure a spot in the top 3 to avoid the extra game, and more teams would have a reasonable chance at making the playoffs.

The play-in game could be played a week after the conference championships, and be hosted by the #4 seed to ensure good ticket sales and an intense college football atmosphere. It would also give us the treat of seeing powerful programs from different parts of the country forced to play each other outside of neutral locations. Or it could pit conference rivals against each other in a game with a national title shot on the line.

So this is what we'd get with a play-in game:

• The fourth playoff team forced to earn their spot 
• The fourth playoff team legitimately proving their worthiness
• More importance for top teams to finish in the top 3 
• More teams with a shot at making the playoffs
• An extra 60 minutes of exciting football between top teams 

Just ask yourself, would you rather watch talking head sports pundits argue about Bama and Ohio State, or watch the Tide and Buckeyes figure it out for themselves in front of 100,000 fans in Columbus or Tuscaloosa? Which do you think would get better ratings, the game or the selection show?

BCS System Pisses Me Off One Last Time

Those are Ohio State players celebrating Auburn's last-second 109 yard field goal return touchdown against Alabama. The video was recorded and posted on Instagram by OSU receiver Frank Epitropoulos. As OSU's players rode on a bus somewhere in lower Michigan, 800 miles to the south in Auburn, Alabama, insane events unfolded that knocked Bama out of the BCS title game, and might have put Ohio State in.

And that's what pisses me off. Ohio State didn't knock out Alabama, Auburn did. Ohio State essentially advanced to the title game at the expense of Alabama, without ever playing Alabama. I'm doubly pissed off because Ohio State would have never had a chance to knock off Bama themselves.

I'm not suggesting that Ohio State doesn't deserve a title shot. I'm not suggesting that Alabama does deserve one. OSU took care of business, Bama didn't. And in this system, Ohio State deserves a title shot more than Alabama.

But how Ohio State passed Alabama is what pisses me off. Auburn did the dirty work for Ohio State. To be fair, Ohio State would have never been given a chance to knock off Alabama. Which is also a flaw of this horrid BCS system. OSU could have gone undefeated and not been given a title shot. Just like NIU and Fresno State. How ludicrous is that? An undefeated Big Ten champion on the outside looking in? It might have happened if not for a missed FG return.

I'm not bitching about the BCS's unfairness or inequalities. I'm complaining about the entertainment the BCS robs from the college football fan. We don't get to see OSU and Bama decide who is best on the field. Or OSU and Auburn for that matter. Instead of letting the gladiators fight it out in the arena head-to-head, they fight against their own local neighbors. Then someone somewhere somehow decides which 2 are the best and they fight to be crowned champion.

The BCS deprives us of big games between contenders to decide who is worthy of a shot at the Championship. The BCS deprives us of the thrill of elimination football. We get to enjoy it in the pros, and in all other college sports. But not big time football. And I hate the BCS for that. Good riddance.

And to the Ohio State players celebrating, you were a 2-point conversion away from being knocked out by Michigan. And you still must play Michigan State. I hope you lose and make things even more confusing.

And there's a chance Auburn could get in, but it won't be because they beat Ohio State or Florida State. Michigan State and Duke have more control over Auburn's national title hopes than Auburn does.

And how must Stanford and Oregon feel? Had they beaten USC and Arizona, respectively, then they'd be near the front of the line if OSU or Florida State lose their conference title games.

And for the record, I don't feel an ounce of pity for Alabama's A.J. McCarron. Mostly because of this...

Going home to that must be, in a word, comforting.

Maryland and Rutgers to Big Ten

When the SEC went to 14 teams, the other BCS conferences watched to see if it would work. It did work, and now the Big Ten is expanding. They're reportedly going to add Maryland, as well as Rutgers, taking them from the ACC and Big East, respectively.

Both teams would add an East Coast presence for the Midwestern conference. And Rutgers would help the Big Ten infiltrate the New York media market. The Big Ten already has a juicy TV contract with ESPN, as well as their own network, so adding teams in general only increases the content they can provide.

I'm getting a little tired of this musical chairs in college sports. I want it over with.

In 10 years or so, it will all be sorted out. There will be three major conferences, with 16 or 18 teams each: The Big Ten, the Pac-16, and the SEC. The ACC and Big East will combine as a 12 team league just below the Big Three.

And in Webster's Dictionary, the Big Ten will pay for the meaning of the word "ten" to be changed to "any number between nine and twenty." "Ten" will become an approximating word like "several."

BC Football to Play Ohio State

Silver helmets against gold. Maybe we can call this the Precious Metal Bowl? Yukon Cornelius can't decide which helmet he prefers. Though he seems to favor silver.

Boston College and Ohio State have agreed to play a home-and-home series in 2020 and 2021. The Buckeyes would host the Eagles on September 19, 2020. And Ohio State would come to Boston on September 18, 2021.

I'm sure new BC Athletic Director Brad Bates already knew Ohio State AD Gene Smith from Bates's days as the Miami (Ohio) AD. Miami played Ohio State in 2005 and 2012. This previous relationship might have helped get this deal done, or at least start the conversation.

This being a home-and-home series is great news for BC. Not every team is able to lure BCS powerhouses out of their lairs for non-conference games. And games like this one, and the series with USC (who will host BC in 2013, and come to BC in 2014), help entice recruits.

Hopefully by 2020 BC will have a team capable of keeping up with Ohio State.

Pennalized State

I think the NCAA got their punishment of Penn State almost perfectly right. They didn't destroy the program, they crippled it and forced it to rebuild itself.

The punishment included a $60 million fine, a 4 year post-season ban, and a reduction of football scholarships. The result of these measures will be the subjugation of the Nittany Lions to a second-tier team. The NCAA will also erase all of Penn State's wins from 1998 onward.

The fine confused me at first. How can you put a price-tag on rape? Then I learned that the $60 million will be going to an endowment for sexual abuse charities. And suddenly it seems like an appropriate amount. It's large, but the University will survive paying it. The NCAA says the amount is equivalent to a year's revenue for the football team.

The post-season ban is very significant. And the Big Ten declared that Penn State won't be eligible for the Big Ten Championship game either. Bowl games are showcases for football programs. And they're cash cows for the conferences. The Big Ten has announced that it will not share its bowl revenues with Penn State, and will instead give that money to charities. That was a very wise decision by the Big Ten.

For 4 years, Penn State will have no hope of a national title, a conference title, or even a bowl game title. That will hurt their wallets and also their recruiting.

The scholarship reduction is the most damaging punishment. Penn State will be allowed 65 full football scholarships, instead of the normal 85. And they will only be allowed to issue 15 new football scholarships per season, instead of 25.

That's a significant blow to recruiting. It means that Penn State will have 20 fewer scholarship athletes than its opponents. And that its recruiting classes will be 40% smaller than their competitors'.

Then there's the indirect punishment of players leaving the team, hoping to play for a program that can make a bowl game, and has more scholarship players and therefore a better chance of winning. Two recruits have already de-committed after these punishments were handed down.

In its punishment, the NCAA allows any football player to transfer without having to sit out a season.

The scholarship reductions will last 4 years.

The length of the punishments ensures that Penn State will struggle for a considerable amount of time. Any freshman player today will know that they'll spend their entire college career on an inferior team that has no hope of post-season play.

These penalties cripple the program and force it to limp along for 4 years, then possibly be rebuilt.

And that's exactly what this football program deserves to do. It deserves to struggle. If new people can rebuild it after struggling, then so be it. To me, Joe Paterno and all the other PSU scumbags who let Sandusky prey on innocent flesh are responsible for crippling the program they held so high. That's justice. They did what they did for the sake of the program. And now their actions and inactions have seriously damaged that beloved program.

I don't agree with the wins being vacated. The NCAA wiped out all Penn State victories from 1998 onward, when the cover-up began. Would they have erased the wins if Paterno didn't have the record for victories?

To me, Paterno's legacy is already a tarnished and tattered ruin. Even if he still had the record for wins, he wouldn't be remembered for that.

And you can't change the past. Penn State won those games and everyone still knows it. Even though Pete Rose can't be inducted into the Hall of Fame, he still has the record for hits.

The NCAA doesn't want Paterno to have the wins record, but he does. If you erase that from the record books, then the record books don't hold the actual records anymore, do they?

Some have argued that the NCAA shouldn't punish Penn State for their off-field sins. I disagree. The program and the school allowed this all to happen. The cover-up was part of the Penn State football program. So therefore the program is eligible to be punished for the cover-up.

The program became more powerful than the school. And as an institution, the program was corrupt. The program should be held accountable for its corruption.

Some have argued that the punishments don't go far enough. Unfortunately, there is no punishment, no matter how severe, that will unrape young boys. And I think that the Penn State football program, under new leadership and administration of course, has the right to rebuild itself and to be something different.

Would eliminating the program entirely accomplish anything positive?

The people who want to eliminate football at Penn State are seeking quick and decisive vengeance. And that's not what punishments are for.

The program has the right to rebuild itself as a clean, less corrupt, less powerful institution. The South had the right to rebuild after the Civil War. Germany had the right to rebuild after World War II. Similarly, PSU has the right to rebuild its football program, but it must keep that program under control.

It was the schools' lack of control that allowed Joe Paterno to become a campus dictator.

What Would be Justice for Penn State?

The late Joe Paterno, former Penn State President Graham Spanier, and former Athletic Directors Tim Curley and Gary Schultz have all been accused of a cover-up that allowed Jerry Sandusky to prey on young boys, in order to preserve the reputations of the school and the football program. In other words, these high-ranking Penn State officials put PR ahead of the safety of children.

Sandusky has already met Justice. And Paterno has already met his Maker. Paterno's legacy is tarnished in the eyes of most people. Only a few Penn State cultists cling to the idea of JoePa as a great man. Some of the other PSU officials involved will likely face perjury charges. It will also be quite difficult for them to find a job at another school.

What about the program, though? What would constitute Justice for the football team that was placed on so high a pedestal that pedophilia was ignored?

Some have suggested the "Death Penalty," which would ban the existence of the team for a period of time. SMU received the "Death Penalty" when their rampant compensation for athletes was revealed. And surely this is worse than any NCAA violation.

That's a bit harsh to me. Not that I don't like the idea of being harsh to PSU, but I prefer a punishment that doesn't allow Penn State any sympathy. I can already see ESPN lauding Penn State's inevitable recovery from the "Death Penalty," with stories about the resiliency of the institution.

The "Death Penalty" would also be over too quickly. It's a very harsh punishment but it only lasts 1 or 2 years, I prefer a punishment that lingers on. Just as Sandusky was allowed to linger at Penn State.

The "Death Penalty" would not destroy Penn State football. The program would return to prominence shortly after it was born again. It's in a top league, has good facilities, has history, is nationally prominent, and is in a good geographic location for recruiting. It would be a premier program shortly after resurrection.

Instead, Penn State football should be banned from post-season play. No bowl games. No Big Ten title game. For at least 5 seasons.

They should have their scholarship limit severely reduced. From 85 to 50 (or fewer), for 6 years. After that, they should be allowed only 70 scholarships for 4 years.

All current players would be given the option to transfer.

What I would like to see is an extended period of Penn State football being a second-tier team. I want to see them lose recruits to Miami (Ohio). I want to see them get blown out by Northwestern.

I want to see the program that Paterno, Spanier, Curley, and Schultz tried to preserve reduced to mediocrity. I want their efforts to protect Penn State football to wind up hurting Penn State football.

That would be Justice.

Change for the BCS?

There may be change coming to college football's postseason. At the very least, it will be discussed by the 11 Division I-A conference heads along with Notre Dame's AD. There will be mafia style meetings like when the heads of crime families from across the country meet. There will be discussions on what's best for college football's future. There will be stubbornness, there might be compromise, and the Big East might get whacked.

The SEC wants a playoff. Ironic considering how much they've thrived in current BCS format.

The ACC also wants a playoff.

The Big Ten doesn't. Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney is adamant that there be no playoff. He also believes that the world is flat and that the earth is the center of the Universe.

The Pac-12 is a wild card, and could be the best chance for compromise. They could be open to a playoff. So long as the Pac-12/Big Ten/Rose Bowl threesome remains intact. At least they're willing to talk.

The Big XII might want a playoff after seeing Oklahoma State lose 1 game and go to the Fiesta Bowl.

The Big East just wants to survive.

As a demonstration of how messy this discussion is, nobody involved even uses the word "playoff" because it's too inflammatory. "Plus-one" is the term to describe a 4 team playoff. Which makes no sense because there'd be 2 rounds, 3 games, and 4 teams.

Call me cynical, but I don't think there will be any major change from these meetings. Maybe the BCS will only sanction the national title game, instead of the title game and 4 BCS bowls. Maybe the notion of automatic qualification will go out the window, which might stop the musical chairs we've seen in college football.

But there are too many uncompromising people, too many various deal-breaking demands for everyone to be satisfied. And without consensus, there will be no big changes.

Until Jim Delaney dies or gets fired, there won't be any significantly positive change to college football's postseason.

Or maybe, if the BCS does separate itself from the bowls, it might grow as an independent entity. It might eventually build its own playoff system. Just like the NIT. Only with no NCAA tournament to compete with. Think of how popular the NIT would be if it were the only postseason tournament and featured all the best teams. ESPN would pay billions to broadcast a football version of that. And where the TV money goes, the teams will play.

That might make the Orange Bowl less profitable, but I really don't care.

College Football Summary: Week 3

This was one of the most surprising weekends of college football. Preseason preconceptions have now become misconceptions. And Oklahoma has finally won a big road game. And right now, it seems like OU and LSU are on a collision course. Here are the headlines from Week 3...

MISSISSIPPI STATE ISN'T AS GOOD AS WE THOUGHT THEY WERE
The Bulldogs are decent, but they won't fare well against the powerhouses in the SEC West. They won't move the ball against those top level defenses. It's kind of a shame that they're in such a stacked division. They're already 0-2 in the SEC and finishing 4-4 would be a relative success for this program.

LSU IS AS GOOD AS WE THOUGHT THEY WERE

Their defense is sick. I know it's still September, but a matchup between LSU's defense and OU's offense would be great to see. LSU has already beaten Oregon, they just won an SEC West road game. They still have trips to Morgantown and Tuscaloosa. If they go through their schedule with 1 or even 2 losses, it's tough to deny them a national title bid.

BOISE STATE IS BETTER THAN TOLEDO
Boise State runs up the score against bad teams and they wind up as #4 in the country. Big fucking deal. I'm not impressed.

OKLAHOMA DESERVES TO BE #1
It's tough to argue against LSU being #1, but Oklahoma beat a very good Florida State team on the road. Had LSU's win over Oregon been in Eugene, things might be different.

THE BIG TEN ISN'T AS GOOD AS WE THOUGHT THEY WERE
Michigan State lost to Notre Dame, Ohio State lost to Miami. Iowa already lost to Iowa State. Wisconsin, Michigan, Nebraska, and Illinois are the only undefeated teams left. Nebraska should roll over this overrated league.

MAYBE THE ACC IS BETTER THAN WE THOUGHT

Clemson beat Auburn. Miami beat Ohio State. Granted, Florida State lost to Oklahoma and Maryland lost to West Virginia, but those two teams are likely to win their conferences. I'm not saying the ACC is on par with the SEC or the Big XII, but they might be as good as the Big Ten.

WE NEED A PLAYOFF SYSTEM... BADLY
Imagine a simple, top 8 playoff system. These would be the matchups.

#1 Oklahoma vs. #8 Texas A&M
#2 LSU vs. #7 Oklahoma State
#3 Alabama vs. #6 Wisconsin
#4 Boise State vs. #5 Stanford

Tell me you wouldn't be glued to the TV.

College Football Preview: Big Ten*

The Big Ten went from eleven to twelve teams by adding Nebraska. The league was split into two divisions (named quite lamely the "Leaders" and "Legends" divisions) and a championship game will be held in Indianapolis on December 3rd. The divisions weren't determined by geography. Here's the new alignment:

Legends Division:
Nebraska
Michigan State
Michigan
Iowa
Northwestern
Minnesota

Leaders Division:
Ohio State
Wisconsin
Penn State
Illinois
Purdue
Indiana

I think the Big Ten wanted to make it possible for rivals (like Michigan/Ohio State or Minnesota/Wisconsin) to meet in the title game. Anyway, here come the previews:

1. Nebraska Cornhuskers

When duel threat QB Taylor Martinez is healthy, the Huskers have a very dangerous offense. And guess what, he's healthy. Their defense is stacked up front and in the backfield. They do, however, need to be able to stop the run better, especially now that they're in the Big Ten, which is deep at RB. Their linebackers need to step up. But if Martinez can lead the offense to a lead, then the shortcomings at run-stop can be safely hidden.

Key Games:
10/1 @ Wisconsin
10/8 vs. Ohio State
10/29 vs. Michigan State

Prediction: 12-1, Big Ten Legends title, Big Ten title, National Title contender

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

Due to NCAA punishments, the offense might lose a step. Pryor is gone and there are other suspensions to endure. But the Buckeyes' defense was the winning factor in 2010 and it only returns 4 starters. So while the offense should sort itself out, the defense will be only good and not great. That will cost them against Nebraska... twice.

Key Games:
9/17 @ Miami
10/1 vs. Michigan State
10/8 @ Nebraska
10/29 vs. Wisconsin

Prediction: 10-3, Big Ten Leaders title, Big Ten title game loser

3. Michigan State Spartans

There are reports of Weapons of Mass Destruction in East Lansing. QB Keith Cousins threw 20 TDs last year. RB Edwin Baker ran for 1,201 yards and 13 TDs. WR BJ Cunningham hauled in 9 TDs. Not only that, but MSU is balanced on both sides of the ball. There's simply no glaring weakness for opponents to exploit. Unfortunately, they have perhaps the toughest schedule in the conference, with some real tough road games (trips to South Bend, Columbus, Lincoln, and Iowa City). Nevertheless, MSU is a legit threat to win the conference.

Key Games:
9/17 @ Notre Dame
10/1 @ Ohio State
10/22 vs. Wisconsin
10/29 @ Nebraska
11/12 @ Iowa

4. Wisconsin Badgers

Runningbacks James White and Montee Ball combined for 2,048 yards on the ground last year. The Badgers need more of that because their QB and WR situations aren't so pretty. Their defense can stuff the run, but they need to either improve their pass rush or their pass coverage in order to stop opponents from defeating them in the air. This is a quality team with serious talent, they're just missing a few pieces.

Key Games:
10/1 vs. Nebraska
10/22 @ Michigan State
10/29 @ Ohio State

Prediction: 9-3

5. Iowa Hawkeyes

The hopes of the Hawkeye offense rely on sophomore RB Marcus Coker who ran for 219 yards in last year's Insight Bowl. The offense will depend on the running game, and the running game will depend on him. The Hawkeyes had the 7th best scoring defense in the country last year, and despite losing some talent, they're still very strong at linebacker. Their defense will continue to be a strength, and in my opinion, they have one of the most underrated homefield advantages in the country.

Prediction: 8-4

6. Penn State Nittany Lions

The offense will drag this team down like an anchor. There are QB questions, they need to replace Evan Royster in the backfield, and the offensive line won't be much help to either problem. Defensively, the Lions have an excellent secondary, which will get plenty of work because their pass-rush will be absent all year long.

Prediction: 7-5

7. Northwestern Wildcats
(No picture due to Northwestern having academic standards, and their girls having self-esteem)
QB Dan Persa might be the best passer in the Big Ten, and is certainly the most efficient. He completed more than 2/3 of his passes last year, and threw 15 TDs compared to just 4 INTs. And this year, he has WRs to throw to and a good line to protect him. However, apart from a decent secondary, the Northwestern defense sucks. Thankfully for the Wildcats, they don't have to play Wisconsin or OSU. So they should go bowling.

Prediction: 7-5

8. Michigan Wolverines

The Wolverines have the biggest playmaker on the planet in Denard Robinson, and they're returning 9 starters from an offense that was 25th in scoring and 8th in yardage last year. So why would you want to change the offensive scheme at all? That's the question new coach Brady Hoke has to answer. Instead of the spread offense (which is perfect for Robinson), the Wolverines will go with a more "pro-style" offense that features tailbacks. Of course, Michigan's tailback situation is pretty shallow. This idea is just a complete waste of Robinson's ludicrous talents.

Defensively, Hoke has shown some brains, as he's changed to a 4-3, which is logical because Michigan is deep at D-line and weak at LB. There still isn't enough talent on that side of the ball. That combined with a stupidly run offense and things don't look so pretty in Ann Arbor.

Prediction: 7-5

9. Illinois Fighting Illini

The fate of the Illini rides on QB Nathan Scheelhaase. As a freshman, he threw 17 TDs, and ran for 5 more along with 868 rushing yards. He and the rest of the offense are poised to improve. But the defense is going in the other direction after losing key talent to the NFL.

Prediction: 7-5

10. Purdue Boilermakers

Purdue girls love trains. The offense won't be good, but it won't be nearly as bad as last year's unit, which averaged 19.7 points per game (105th). The defense should be much better as 9 starters return. There's a very good chance that Purdue will be bowling this year.

Prediction: 6-6

11. Indiana Hoosiers

IU needed offense, so they hired Ken Wilson from Oklahoma's staff. That's phase 1 of the solution. Phase 2 will be to close their eyes until 2012 or 2013 when some talent can be recruited, because the current offensive unit is an abomination to the game. They'll be the Big Ten's bitch in 2011.

Prediction: 3-9

12. Minnesota Golden Gophers

The QB is a converted WR, which leaves only one legit WR left for defenses to cover. And all the RBs are wasting roster spots. Defensively, the front 7 need to pressure the QB in order to protect a shaky set of defensive backs. Minnesota fans will welcome the cold winter so they can forget about this football team and move on to hockey.

Prediction: 3-9