Jumping to another sport before we try and see how College Football will change by moving from the BCS system to a 4-team playoff chose by a committee, one of the most idiotic lines ever uttered by Michel Platini, the chief of UEFA and the second strongest person in the world of soccer, had to do with why instant replay still isn’t a part of the decision making system by referees.
What was it, you ask? It’s better not to have replays, it’s better to have referee mistakes, because it creates discussion.
That was the only good thing about the BCS – it created discussion, and probably generated even more interest on a national level in what sometimes is the number one sport in the country. It was a malfunctioning system from the get go which was about helping those with a great preseason perception, helping the big names. Kansas State got screwed too many times by the BCS, and so did Oklahoma State. Auburn might have some gripe with it, and so does Michigan and USC. It was simply the only way of making something that seems elaborate enough to be considered a true decider for an undisputed national title, and not have each school hang on to its win depending on the poll they won in.
How will the playoff change that? Well, it’s hard to say. We’re going to have teams griping about not getting in to the Final Four. We’re going to have less polls to count on, as the AP Poll will continue spitting out top 25’s, but there will be no deciding one with Harris, Coaches and the computers sewn up together. Just a bunch of human beings, some more qualified and capable than others, to decide who were the four teams that make it into the semifinals.
So will we miss the BCS? It will simply depend on how badly they screw up and who they leave out. The politicking and campaigning to get into the playoff won’t disappear. We’ll hear Bob Stoops, Nick Saban, Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer talk about how their teams deserve to be included. We’ll here the same from Steve Sarkisian, Jimbo Fisher and David Shaw. It’s simply appealing to new masters instead of the old ones.
So will we miss the BCS? It depends on which school you’re rooting for, and whether or not you’ll be included in the end-of-season festival. If you’re out, you’ll argue things would have been better with the BCS.