Read this and weep.
I’ve never liked the idea of college playoffs. Not out of any sense of an homage to tradition. Rather, I don’t think it will solve the problem its backers say it will: determining an undisputed National Champion in college football. My bottom line is college football is too matchup oriented, the season too short, and too many teams are competing for the title. As far as I’m concerned there is no solution.
Which is why I think the original premise of the bowl games, a reward for teams who performed well during the season, is what the bowl games should go back to. Of course, I suffer from no delusions that convince me it will happen. “Forward progress” and all that.
What the whole National Championship angle is about is money. Money for the NCAA. Money for coaches. Money for participating schools. Money for AD’s and other administrators.
But no money for the kids that provide all the entertainment. There was a time when the argument about the value of the education and the scholarship persuaded me otherwise. But no longer. Nor does the argument that “they’ll be playing on Sunday’s.” For the vast majority of college football players, that’s flat out untrue. There are over 100 division I-A colleges, many with rosters over 100 players strong. There are 30 NFL teams all that talent goes to. Clearly, the vast majority of players will lose out. But they still contribute to those games we watch on Saturday afternoons and evenings.
The more stuff like this I see, the more hostile I become to the notion of big time college football.