College Football Playoff System

No one seems able to decide on a playoffs system that works. A "plus-one" system doesn't include enough teams. A 16-team field is too much. A playoff system devalues the regular season. So here's what I propose. An eight-team field, and here's who you include:

• The Pac 10 Champion


• The Big 10 Champion


• The Big 12 Champion


• The SEC Champion


• The Big East Champion


• The ACC Champion

That gives you six teams for an eight team field. You need two more teams so here's where they'll come from - The 2 highest ranked teams from this pool of remaining teams:

• The Big 12 runner-up


• The SEC runner-up


• The ACC runner-up


• The highest ranked champion of a non-BCS conference

The teams above would include #6 Missouri, #16 Tennessee, #14 Boston College and #10 Hawaii. The two highest ranked teams from that are #6 Missouri and #10 Hawaii. They're slotted in at 7 and 8.

Why this way? I'm a firm believer that the entirety of your schedule should mean something? Why is a team that lost early better than one that lost late? Why should a team that didn't win anything of importance in the regular season be given a chance at the end of the year? Also, this system rewards the conferences that choose to play an extra game. So here's how our little bracket shapes up for this year.


1) Ohio State - Big 10 Champion, #1 BCS
2) LSU - SEC Champion, #2 SEC
3) Virginia Tech - ACC Champion, #3 BCS
4) Oklahoma - Big 12 Champion, #4 BCS
5) USC - Pac 10 Champion, #7 BCS
6) West Virginia - Big East Champion, #9 BCS
7) Missouri - Big 12 runner-up, #6 BCS
8) Hawaii - WAC Champion, #10 BCS

So our bracket would look like this.

1) Ohio State - Big 10 Champion, #1 BCS
8) Hawaii - WAC Champion, #10 BCS
I'll take Ohio State in this one. Their defense hasn't been scored much upon this year and they probably have the depth to cover all of Hawaii's receivers. Hawaii doesn't run the ball, so the linebackers and defensive line will have a field day on Colt Brennan.

• Ohio State 34, Hawaii 17

2) LSU - SEC Champion, #2 SEC
7) Missouri - Big 12 runner-up, #6 BCS
There's a reason LSU won the toughest conference in football. And there's a reason they'll win this game. Missouri can probably play with anyone at home, but this game's in Baton Rouge, and the Tigers of the Louisiana persuasion will convert a fourth down or two near the end to win.

• LSU 38, Mizzou 34

3) Virginia Tech - ACC Champion, #3 BCS
6) West Virginia - Big East Champion, #9 BCS
The least attractive game of my little bracket here. Two teams that I think are grossly overrated match up in Blacksburg. Both have pretty good defenses this year, and I'd be more inclined to pick VT, but WVU hasn't lost with Pat White, and he'd be healthy by this game. WVU by a nose.

• West Virginia 28, Virginia Tech 27

4) Oklahoma - Big 12 Champion, #4 BCS
5) USC - Pac 10 Champion, #7 BCS
A matchup of the two hottest teams in the country. Oklahoma's coming off a win over the #1 team in the country and USC closed with four straight blowout wins. But if a team loses at home to Stanford, they'll probably lose on the road in Norman. Oklahoma in a surprising defensive game.

• Oklahoma 24, USC 20

So we're through round one and into round two with good matchups on both sides of the bracket.

1) Ohio State - Big 10 Champion, #1 BCS
4) Oklahoma - Big 12 Champion, #4 BCS
I like this game a lot. Both teams run the ball frequently and effectively, but I think that Sam Bradford trumps Todd Boeckman in the end and Oklahoma pulls away with a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns.

• Oklahoma 31, Ohio State 17

2) LSU - SEC Champion, #2 SEC
6) West Virginia - Big East Champion, #9 BCS
Not as good a matchup as the first game, but still plenty of playmakers to keep me watching. West Virginia keeps it close for most of the game but just can't put LSU away.

• LSU 35, West Virginia 28

Which gives us the Championship game of LSU and Oklahoma.

2) LSU - SEC Champion, #2 SEC
4) Oklahoma - Big 12 Champion, #4 BCS
A tough, physical game including these two teams probably takes longer than 60 minutes to decide. LSU comes out early to take a lead, only to see Oklahoma go ahead late and then allow LSU a late touchdown to force overtime. In an end only fitting to LSU's season, Oklahoma wins in triple overtime, winning the National Championship and keeping LSU unbeaten in regulation.

• Oklahoma 53, LSU 51

This way, you don't elongate the bowl season, you make sure the deserving teams get in and you validate a team's regular season performance. You also get seven high-capital bowls rather than 5.