The Bowl Championship Series is not the perfect system by any means. However, a playoff system should not be implemented in Division I football anytime soon.
The main argument for a playoff system is based on the fact nobody would be left out, and every team would get a chance. However, this is not true. If the BCS system was replaced with an eight-team playoff system, someone would have to decide which eight teams in the country should get a playoff bid. In this situation, teams would still be left out, just like in the BCS.
Another problem to deal with is how conference representation would factor into the playoff system. The current BCS system is great because it gives all the major conferences a bid into a high bowl game, and it also has rules and regulations to give smaller schools a chance to play if they have a good season. In a playoff system, would all conferences continue to receive automatic bids, or would the top eight teams be chosen, regardless? Most people would vote to take the top eight teams regardless of conference. The problem here is smaller schools or non-BCS schools would still be subjected to exclusion from the eight-team playoff.
I will concede the BCS has snubbed someone almost every year it has been in existence, but that is what makes college football so great. The only way to guarantee yourself a shot to play for the BCS national title game is to be undefeated. This essentially makes every game a playoff game during the regular season and heightens the intensity of college football. In the NFL, if a team loses a single game, it is no big deal, but if you lose once in college football, you could be eliminated from contention for the big game. This is what makes college football truly great; every week is a playoff game, not just the games at the end of the season.
The college bowl system is one of the greatest traditions in sports. College football would be making a big mistake if it got rid of the bowl systems. This system allows the teams to travel across the country and spend a week going to parties and luncheons, all while preparing for one big game. In a playoff system, this is impossibe because teams would be getting on a bus every weekend and going to a new place. Teams and players would miss the great traditions and festivities that come with the bowl system. Although the BCS is not a perfect system, it is a part of college football and something that should remain as a lasting tradition.
