BCS. This abbreviation has been the hot topic of Division I college football for several years now. This year’s college football season proved again why a playoff system needs to replace the current Bowl Championship Series in determining the national championship match-up.
The victim of the BCS monster this time is Oklahoma State University. OSU has had the best season in its program’s history, going 11-1 and winning the Big 12 Conference Championship. The Cowboy’s only loss was to Iowa State University in overtime, yet they have no shot at their first national title because of the BCS system.
Many critics of Oklahoma State felt the only way the team had a chance to play in the national championship was if they could beat Oklahoma in their last game of the regular season. Well, OSU did more than defeat the Sooners. When the game clock hit zero seconds in the fourth quarter, the final score was No.3 OSU 44, No. 10 OU 10.
Oklahoma State at least deserves a shot at the title. With a playoff system in place they would get that chance. It still wouldn’t be a guarantee because they’d have to win several games to reach the championship, but I personally would feel more satisfied as both a coach and player knowing we lost in the playoffs rather than getting no opportunity at all.
OSU is not the only team who has had to experience getting snubbed by the BCS. In 2004 the Auburn University Tigers went undefeated, 12-0, in the South Eastern Conference. Despite the success, the University of Southern California (12-0) and OU (12-0) were invited to the Orange Bowl, the site of the title game, where the Trojans routed the Sooners 55-19. Auburn had to settle for the Sugar Bowl and playing Virginia Tech University.
A more recent example was in 2008 when the University of Texas, OU, and Texas Tech University all finished at a three-way tie atop the Big 12 South. Oklahoma jumped ahead of Texas to No. 2 in the BCS standings at the end of the season, so naturally they were able to travel to the title game. Texas finished third in the BCS .018 points behind the University of Florida, just missing their shot like OSU and Auburn did.
The playoffs can be set up several ways. The top eight teams in the nation or the top four teams could enter the bracket keeping many more colleges from being left out.
Let’s get it right, college football, and finally put an end to the BCS beast.
