2013-2014 NCAA Football Bowl-A-Rama: The End of the BCS

All the other NCAA divisions (as well as NAIA and CIS) have full playoffs. It doesn't completely eliminate the whining, but if you want a full 8 or 16-team playoff format, no objection here. I suspect you'd have to eliminate the conference championship games (fine with me) and start this weekend. But it could certainly work.

(1) Florida State vs. (16) Louisiana-Lafayette (Sun Belt)

10 automatic bids to conference champions, 6 at-large bids, seed the teams like they do in basketball.

With a limit of two entries per conference, might look something like.....

(2) Ohio State vs. (15) Marshall/Rice (C-USA)

(3) Auburn/Missouri vs. (14) Fresno State/Utah State (MWC)

(4) Alabama vs. (13) Notre Dame/Louisville/BYU (at-large)

(5) Oklahoma State vs. (12) Central Florida (AAC)

(6) Stanford/Arizona State vs. (11) Clemson

(7) Oregon vs. (10) Michigan State

( 8 ) Baylor/Texas vs. (9) Northern Illinois (MAC)

 

The logic of playoffs as seen in FCS and the other divisions is that they are forced to expand. FCS has, and it has fewer schools in the pool than does FBS. There will be four in the first few years, then eight, and so on.

 

Big doings in the MAC Championship with Bowling Green in front by 11. A Northern Illinois loss will open up another BCS bowl slot (as long as UCF doesn't screw the pooch against SMU tomorrow). So Oregon, Clemson and Baylor are still alive.

 

Most of the projections have Clemson in one way or the other.

 

Two-loss Oregon vs. two-loss Clemson? Even as an ACC guy, I might lean toward Oregon just because Clemson came up really small in its two real tests of the season (Florida State and South Carolina).

Now if Baylor or Oklahoma State lose on Saturday for their second losses, I might favor Clemson ahead of a second Big XII team.

 

Clemson is a lock. With a win, I'd assume the Sugar Bowl is much more likely to select Baylor than Oregon.

 

Clemson to the Sugar strikes me as odd. Playing the SEC champ after getting dumped by the league's fourth team at home? I realize match ups mean nothing and its all about ticket sales but….
Orange Bowl: Figure Bama is the first pick and the OB hopes UCF is still around later.
Rose: Michigan State I guess, but Bama here would be interesting.
Sugar: I'd go Baylor vs. Auburn or Mizzou myself.
Fiesta: Clemson or Oregon vs. Okie State.
Of course, this is all barring upsets Saturday.

 

Clemson is going to the Orange Bowl.

 

Oregon won't sell shit for tickets. The Orange Bowl wouldn't even consider them.

 

Assuming an FSU win, Orange will pick either 1 and 3 or 2 and 3 so UCF's not going anywhere before their picks are done. That said, all indications are Clemson is in the Orange Bowl vs. Alabama.

Again, assuming no upsets, the Sugar will take Baylor with its at-large pick and the Fiesta is stuck with UCF playing the Cowboys. Oregon's off to San Diego or San Antonio.

 

So is Clemson a lock for the Orange like Michigan State is for the Rose - because of the existing conference tie-in? It's just hard to believe Clemson would be that much more of a draw in Miami than UCF hosting Bama or whomever.