The great debate: Bout time for a Playoff?

The BCS is on the chopping block for sure.

Today on the show, every single call we got was either about the Michigan-OSU matchup; debating the merits of a rematch, and each call also included the mandatory whining over the failure of the BCS to satisfy fan's desires for an undisputed National Champion.

I'll tackle the idea of whether Michigan deserves a rematch once we see how USC-Notre Dame shakes down. That game will probably serve as the turning point to what team will head to Glendale to take on the Buckeyes. I hate even considering Arkansas and Florida right now, mostly because I don't believe Florida can hang with either Big Ten team or USC...and I can't really stomach the idea of Arkansas playing for the title when they got rolled in Week 1 against USC. Granted, I know USC is a solid club...but I don't think any team should be allowed to play for the title after getting smoked by 36 points (50-14 for those of you who missed the game or pushed it from your selective memory). Honestly, if you lose by more than 21 you shouldn't be allowed to play for the title (you hear me Notre Dame fans???) championship-quality teams don't get beat down like that.

Which brings us to the major discussion at hand. Why not a playoff? I'm not gonna get into the guts of the bowl system, and we're gonna have to ignore for a moment the fact that the BCS is really a way for the major universities to make piles of money on their supposed "postseason".

Truth be told, I like the bowls. Teams that have winning seasons should be rewarded with a postseason game. But I also believe that every year there are about 3-4 very deserving teams that should get an opportunity to play for a title. So here are my thoughts:

1.) We start things off with an 8-team playoff, utilizing the major bowls as neutral playoff sites. Most major BCS schools travel really well, and the committee can make a concerted effort to ensure that LSU isn't playing in the Superdome every year for its opening round game. Bowls like the Rose Bowl, Fiesta, Sugar, and Orange can rotate as quarter and semi-finals matchup sites. By going with 8 teams to begin with, the winner of the title plays 3 total postseason games, and if we could just stick to a 12-game regular season with no conference championships (or then force everyone to play 13) then the "toll" on the athletes would not be that great. Plus you can start in mid-December and finish up as scheduled in January.

2.) I like 8 teams because if you move to 16 then there will too many 2-loss squads sneaking in who don't really deserve a shot at the title. People complain that a playoff removes some of the meaningfulness of the regular season, but I don't think so. Not only will there be ferocious debate over those #6-8 spots, but any regular season loss can still make the difference of whether or not a team will get a chance to play for the championship. Plus if you're gonna sell this thing, you need a name like basketball's "Final Four" to become synonymous with your playoff system (like the "BCS Big Eight" or something...you can see why I didn't do so well in marketing class...)

3.) People argue that it will more or less be the same 8 teams every year...not so. College football's parity is just fine. Yeah, there will always be the dominant programs, but an 8-team playoff allows the Boise States of the world to at least attend the party before getting thrown through a window by a BCS bully. Here's how this year's playoff would look if it started today (and might still look after this weekend barring major upsets) (ranked by current BCS):

(1)Ohio State vs. (8)Wisconsin (who didn't play this year by the way)
(4) Florida vs. (5) Notre Dame

(2)Michigan vs. (7)West Virginia
(3)USC vs. (6)Arkansas

Some sexy matchups there, eh? Yeah, you get a USC-Arkansas rematch, but there's still room for a team like LSU (9-2) to sneak in...and you want controversy? Here's a short list of teams on the outside looking in: Boise State (11-0), Texas (9-2), Louisville (9-1), Auburn (10-2). Think one of those teams might make some noise?

I just wish we would get a chance to see this. Not gonna happen anytime soon, unless all hell breaks loose and Michigan barely ousts OSU in Glendale and the USA today votes for the Buckeyes as their champ. Another co-championship might be enough for the current system to be dumped. So now you have no choice to agree with me when I say LETS GO BLUE!!!