Raise your hand if you hate the BCS. This infographic, “How The BCS Diminishes College Football”, makes the case against the BCS system. The IG is based largely on Dan Wetzel’s excellent book, “Death to the BCS.”
If you don’t hate the BCS you are likely a fan of the SEC–winner of the last five championships–or maybe even a bowl executive or Nick Saban.
Despite all the facts found in “How the BCS Diminishes College Football” the most compelling argument is it is just plain wrong. I mean, who determines their champion based on what a computer tells them? Let’s settle it on the field, boys, and be done with it.
As you look at the map you’ll see that a majority of teams playing in the BCS championship are clustered in the Southeastern Conference. Coincidence? No, they play great football in the SEC. The SEC was also a major player in designing the BCS system. No conflict of interest there. It’s gotten so bad that this year’s BCS Championship features two SEC teams in a rematch of a game that occurred earlier this season.
Perhaps the most overlooked element of the BCS–besides recruiting–is the amount of competitive games that take place prior to the conference slate. As the IG illustrates, good teams–ranked teams–used to play each other before their conference games started.
But now there is no incentive to do this. In fact, one of every four non-conference games for SEC teams are against 1AA teams and Florida hasn’t played a non-conference game outside of Florida since the BCS began.
The 2007 Boise State game against Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl is one of the most memorable games in recent years. If we had a college playoff the fans would be treated to a series of increasingly exciting playoff games every season with the stakes being raised every week and games like Boise-Oklahoma might become the rule in college football rather than the exception.
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