WE HAVE A PLAYOFF SIGHTING?
Real quick, but real interesting: the New York Post pops in with this, via the Big Lead:
Sources in several conference offices, athletic directors and television networks told The Post that support is steadily growing for a “Plus-1,” format in which there will be a national championship game following the playing of two “semifinal games.”
Roadblock, thy name is Delany, but a road grader’s a-comin’, and its name is television. The sources in the article all wax anonymous, but the overall impression from the piece is that television and the attendant money are driving the bus at the moment and headed straight to a system where bowls would rotate spots in a semi-final/final structure, thus keeping the powerful men in tackily colored blazers happy while opening the door for something resembling a playoff.

Playoffs? Yes, a playoff of sorts, sir.
The plan also would be in place to cash in on a new round of bidding for television rights once the current Fox contract expires in 2010. The money, in case you didn’t know, is about to get just run-flat stoopid.









1
Coop says:
The “Plus 1″ format only makes sense in a year like this one. Ohio State and Miami from 2002 or FSU and VPI from 1999 should not be punished for going undefeated.
Also, will 90,000 travel from Ohio, Florida, Texas, Michigan, Louisiana, etc to Tempe one week and then Miami the next? Yeah, probably.
No, I hate the concept of the Plus 1.
I want an 8 team playoff with home field advantage until the semis, and keep the existing bowl structure for the rest of the teams.
July 17th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
2
maskedavenger says:
I am holding out for a system that has SEC teams potentially playing in Ann Arbor in December.
July 17th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
3
Oops Pow Surprise says:
Can Nick Saban fit this shit into his schedule?
July 17th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
4
LSUJoshua says:
Still my favorite tirade/meltdown of all time. Nothing close.
PLAYOFFS?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!!!!!???!!!!!!
July 17th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
5
Out of Conference says:
#2 – Because we know what happens when Michigan teams are asked to play in weather-hell Southern California then.
July 17th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
6
Brewster Crew says:
I love snow football. I’d give a kidney and perhaps name a kid “Orson” (no offense) to see a Southern (SEC, Pac-10) show up in Madison, Ann Arbor, or starting in 2009, Minneapolis in December/January.
July 17th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
7
asim says:
Screw 4 teams or even 8.
The DI-AA champion last year played 15 games, 4 of which were playoff games (16 team playoff). So go back to the 11 game schedule and let’s do this the right way.
(Of course, since this means losing the money of the magical extra guarantee/home game, then it’ll never, ever happen.)
July 17th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
8
maskedavenger says:
# 5 – indeed we do. There is a slightly under 50% chance Michigan will win.
Michigan is 8-12 in Rose Bowls, which is what I am sure you were referring to (and to save you the trouble, Michigan started off with a 4-game win streak and is 4-12 since).
Versus UCLA in non Rose Bowls – Michigan is 2-1 in LA and 5-1 at home and it beat UCLA in the 1981Bluebonnet bowl
Versus USC in non Rose Bowls – Michigan is 2-0 with a win at SC in 1957 and a win in Ann Arbor in 1958. (2-6 in the Rose Bowl Trojan fans. . . 2-6).
Thus, in total, Michigan is 11-13 in Southern California. Against USC and UCLA in Ann Arbor, Michigan is 6-1.
Notice a difference?
July 17th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
9
JoesDeliGatorTail says:
“What’s that? Oh come on now. Playoffs? Don’t talk about– playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game.” Future quote of [NAME REDACTED].
July 17th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
10
rjsplow says:
No matter what “system” is adopted, people will ALWAYS find something to complain about. 4 teams? #5 and #6 will complain and will forever remember getting hosed. 8 teams? #9 and #10 will be slighted. Look at the NCAA BBall tournament- even the #66th and #70th teams complain….
The logical conclusion to this ever-expanding-in-the-name-of-fairness campaign would be a championship similar to the FA cup in English soccer- start everybody out from everywhere in one tournament over a period of months to determine one huge winner…. but that would eliminate the regular season for teams, including traditional matchups that everybody enjoys. In other words- it’s not happening…
July 17th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
11
Halleck T. says:
Who else misses the days of no BCS, just a bunch of bowls and everything shaking out in 1 or 2 wild days? Anyone? Bueller?
July 17th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
12
JoesDeliGatorTail says:
-1 to maskedavenger for citing victory in 1981 bluebonnett bowl.
July 17th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
13
Wooderson says:
LSUJoshua, re #4.
Have you not hear the meltdown of the Michigan State sportsradio guy after the ND game last year? Epic. It’s like 5 minutes long ,and the guy nearly has a heart attack halfway through. you have to listen to it.
July 17th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
14
maskedavenger says:
Sense of completeness not pride.
July 17th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
15
maskedavenger says:
Wooderson –
5? Try 15. The best rant ever.
http://houserockbuilt.blogspot.com/2006/09/msu-radio-host-melts-fucking-down-on.html
July 17th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
16
The Humanitarian says:
I will only support a system that lets at least 7 SEC teams in automatically. I mean, just being in the SEC means you deserve to be in the playoffs, right?
July 17th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
17
Brian says:
#11 I’m all for old school no one wins a championship, people just finish atop the polls. I guess you could just get Bowl Rings instead (which they do anyway), who wouldn’t want to say they went undefeated and won a Rose Bowl? What’s it to you if some other guys 2000 miles away also went undefeated and Got sweet Sugar Bowl Rings. Its good for smack talking by fans too, like, oh we coulda beat you guys! and all that, and everyone still gets to go undefeated in a classy respectable manner.
Maybe that’s how we should rename it: “Finished atop the polls in 2006″ That’s all people use as a litmus anyway. “OMG POLLLLLLLLLS!!!”
July 17th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
18
Majorly English says:
Strangely enough, “Outright Choke Job” is both the motif for the MSU radio host meltdown, AND the official motto of Peter North University.
PNU was also willing to consider “Pucker pucker pucker pucker” as their slogan of higher academic achievement.
July 17th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
19
Majorly English says:
Aw, fuck, wrong comment thread.
July 17th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
20
crabs says:
#15
Thanks for the link – ROFLMMFAO x 100!
Are you sure that was not Chris Farley doing his motivational speaker character?
Simply classic: “choked on applesauce”
July 17th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
21
Pappy says:
Coop,
How is an 8-team playoff any more fair if there are 2 lone undefeated teams?
No, I’m perfectly happy (ecstatic, even… it’s what I’ve argued for) with a 4-team playoff… *assuming the first round never pits the top-2 teams (if it happens to be obvious)*
Has there been a season in recent memory where more than 4 teams could legitimately claim to be good enough to play for the championship?
July 17th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
22
Don V says:
Amen, #10, amen.
The problem will never be solved – it’ll just be something new to complain about.
July 17th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
23
Oops Pow Surprise says:
#15 – thank you for that. It’s just a shame we can’t have John L Smith in the Big 10 every year.
July 17th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
24
John says:
20,
At the end of the 2004 regular season, there were five undefeated teams, although Boise State wouldn’t have much a case. There were also Cal, Texas and Louisville with one loss.
July 17th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
25
gerry dorsey says:
“we couldn’t do diddly poo on offense”
July 17th, 2007 at 3:20 pm
26
crabs says:
“Running the shotgun….. with 5 wide…. in a monsoon”
As stark, raving mad as he sounded, I found myself agreeing with him.
July 17th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
27
The Last Dragon says:
The SEC champion should get an automatic bid to the title game against whoever else is deemed worthy.
July 17th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
28
asim says:
“THE KIDS ARE PLAYING THEIR BRAINS OUT AND THE COACHES ARE SCREWING IT ALL UP” – John L. Smith, in the best half-time interview ever… agree that “PLAYOFFS?!?” is still the best meltdown ever, though…Mora also has others (”We couldn’t do diddly-poo offensively…we couldn’t get a first down, we couldn’t run the ball, we didn’t try to run the ball… we suck, in the second half we sucked….”)
Also, as a fan of a team who had to “split” a national title, I never ever wanna go back to that system of contractual obligations and other BS.
July 17th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
29
gerry dorsey says:
sadly 18 is the funniest comment on here.
July 17th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
30
peterpancomplex says:
Ah, yes. The best audio clip in the history of radio.
Teddy Ruxpin doesn’t have time for this shit.
July 17th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
31
Brian says:
Dictaphone: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictaphone learn bitches.
July 17th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
32
Expat Ohioan says:
I move for naming something really, really bad after Jim Delany, aka Rick Santorum. (For those who don’t know the term, google “Santorum” sometime in the privacy of your own home on a computer your children can’t see.) That f’er is embodies everything wrong in college football today, beginning with the Big Ten network that will prevent me from occupying my fall and winter saturdays with combinations of football, basketball, wings, and beer, to the f’ed up bowl system.
I’m too tired to come up with something witty. Maybe an award for the biggest blown lead each week? Or we could just go the traditional route and rename some bizzare adult act the “Delany Steamer.” Or maybe that’s the name of the award.
July 17th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
33
Boclive says:
Did I dream this or are we really kicking off from the 30 yard line this year?
July 18th, 2007 at 7:05 am
34
Allahver Fist says:
#32
The Clarett Jug?
July 18th, 2007 at 10:35 am
35
Seven Years in Gainesville says:
It’s amazing to me that no one observed that the New York Post (owned by News Corp.) is talking about a playoff on FOX (owned by News Corp.).
July 18th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
36
jon johnston says:
This is pure bullshit. You put out an article about promising a playoff four or five years away and then when people bug you about it in 2007, you say “Oh, lookie what we’ve promised”.
Until 2010, who the hell cares what the BCS says.
July 18th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
37
OhioDawg says:
How can you go on and on at times about the damage done by ABC/ESPN/Sportsertainment and then get all lathered up about TV being the driving force behind a playoff?
You’re taking part in draining the meaning out of Bowl Games with 100+ years of tradition behind them.
Chdthuklu is pleased!
July 18th, 2007 at 2:35 pm