Interesting BCS Viewpoint

[Carmen Ohio]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="99%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD width="62%">From the Michigan chat forum "M Live"


92529. Playoffs...
by FlaBlueFan1, 10/27/05 17:58 ET I've posted before about them. I'm on a bowl committee so I have a vested interest. BUT...
A win or go home playoff only determines who wins the playoff, not who is the best team.
I haven't gone back to figure it exactly but I'll estimate that 80-90% of the last 40 NCAA hoops champs have not been the best team in the country that year. Last year's Ill v NC game was the first #1 v #2 final in 30 years. I think in an NBA style 7 game series that Ill would have won.
Yes March madness is exciting but it clearly detracts from the regular season. Last year with Ill is an exception, but other than last year name the last 10 regular season (not conf tournament) BigTen champs. It doesn't matter anymore. All that matters is getting into the playoffs.
As for the BCS, I think its worked pretty well. As well as any playoff anyway. Since 1998 when it started, I think the only year that the best team in the country didn't win the BCS championship game was in 2003 when the USC team that beat us was clearly better than either LSU or Ok who played in the BCS game. I think that's pretty good.

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• <LI value=1>Thank God!... by SBreaston15, 10/27/05
• agree by CMU89, 10/27/05

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[Lazlo]

march madness - ncaa football playoff
apples - oranges

not even the top 64 teams in basketball compared to say a group of an argueable top 8 in football is just one of many reasons why.

I hate that comparison.

[JonathanXC]

According to him, then the NFL playoffs and Super Bowl shouldn't matter. They should just use a computer formula at the end of the regular season in the NFL to decide who the winner is. A playoff in football makes more sense than a playoff in basketball...because I feel that basketball is a game where any team can beat another team in 1 game...where football I think that's less of a possibility. I think major upsets happen less in football than they do in basketball. 1 game of football is enough to decide who the best team is. That's why the Super Bowl is the best championship game in the history of sport.

[Jaxbuck]

I ove the sage old expert who just "knows" that the "best team" usually doesn't win the NCAA tourney.

Just like all the football sportswriter experts who "know" who the best team really is every year.

I'm just not that smart I guess, I say just put the top 8 teams in the hopper and whoever is standing in the end is the recognized NCAA D1A football champ. I'll leave the experts to argue the semantics of best team vs champion.

As for diminishing the regular season, I say seed the 8 teams and give home field ala the NFL. It puts that argument to bed rather quickly.

[Lazlo]

Originally Posted by JonathanXC

because I feel that basketball is a game where any team can beat another team in 1 game...where football I think that's less of a possibility. I think major upsets happen less in football than they do in basketball.

Exactly, the only point I could even possibly agree with is that it could take away from some interesting regular season matchups, but for the most part every one is scared to play anyone good they don't have to already. Except for us and the people willing to play us of course

[buckiprof]

I've posted before about them. I'm on a bowl committee so I have a vested interest.

To me, everything posted after that first sentence isn't worth a damn. His argument, if that is what you want to call it, is in light of how to preseve the status quo. This sentence,

As for the BCS, I think its worked pretty well. As well as any playoff anyway.

is quite ludicrous. How can one say that it works well, as well as any playoff, when an undefeated SEC team last year was left out. How about the year before when there was a split championship?

[methomps]

Yes, many times the #1 bball team doesn't win the tournament. However, at least they have a chance. Which would a team rather have: A playoff where you have to win several games but at least your destiny is in your own hands or the BCS where you might win out and still have no shot at winning the NC?

A playoff can be overly inclusive in that it includes teams that don't deserve to be there. The BCS can be overly exclusive in that it excludes teams that do deserve to be there. Which is better?

I don't get this "detracts from the regular season" stuff. Doesn't it detract from the regular season that coaches of undefeated teams have to go out and sell themselves to voters? Somebody go to Tommy Tubberville and say, "Tough break about not getting a chance to make it in, but at least the BCS preserved the sanctity of your regular season."

With a playoff, the last weekend is often filled with "Playoff contender A has to win and hope that Playoff contender B loses". With the BCS, it becomes "BCS contender A has to dominate and hope that the 6-4 team it beat in week one doesn't lose to some team that neither BCS contender A nor BCS contender B has played." You have to hope that Notre Dame doesn't lose at Syracuse so that LSU doesn't jump USC in the computers.

As to "A win or go home playoff only determines who wins the playoff, not who is the best team", how is the BCS champ game any better? The BCS formula doesn't even try to get the best team in the game. It tries to get the two most accomplished teams. The computers certainly don't care about "best team". They are even prevented from attempting this by being barred from looking at MOV. The BCS at best determines "the best of the two most accomplished teams". Even then, 'best' is defined solely as who wins one game in January.