The B.C.S. wont change until 2014, if it changes at all, and no, dont hold your breath waiting for a massive overhaul. That sort of transformation would involve dissolving the entire premise of a Bowl Championship Series a Series thats decidedly not a series, based on the sporting definition of the word. But a playoff is a pipe dream, one with solid support on the grassroots level but one that lacks the necessary backing from those with the power to actually make change, such as the university presidents, chancellors and administrators. Instead, those praying for wholesale transformations might need to settle for small-scale change.
The viability of the Big East will come under heavy consideration. As currently composed, the league will put forth a slate of teams eminently unqualified for an automatic B.C.S. bid: standard-bearer West Virginia will be in the Big East, Pittsburgh and Syracuse in the A.C.C., and projected power T.C.U. jilted the conference in favor of a spot in the Big 12.
The Big Easts B.C.S. future hinges on whether non-B.c.S. conference teams opt to enlist in a league without a definite future. Boise State could go, but the Broncos would like to join the Big East along with at least one other team from the West; in a perfect world, according to Boise State, there would be a Western division to the Big East I know, it sounds strange.
The whole idea of an automatic-qualifying conferences will also be under debate. At a San Francisco meeting with B.C.S. officials this week, B.C.S. director Bill Hancock indicated regret at the idea that the B.C.S. had contributed to the slew of conference expansion over the last 18 months. To Hancock, the B.C.S. was never intended to be a divisive event, but rather one that would even the college football playing field.
According to Hancocks thoughts, the next B.C.S. incarnation in 2014 may eliminate the current automatic qualifier landscape: no more SEC to the Sugar Bowl, no more A.C.C. to the Orange, no more, according to Hancock, Pac-12 and Big Ten to the Rose Bowl. The chance of this coming to pass having no guaranteed bids for the power conferences lies somewhere between slim and none, and theres every reason to lean towards the latter.
But the B.C.S. is on the right track when it comes to conference qualifiers. The first step, if the B.C.S. really aims on maintaining its stranglehold on college football, is to issue a rather logical proclamation: in order to play for a national title, a team must win its conference championship. A simple and smart B.C.S. distinction. Logical.
Two teams have played in the B.C.S. championship game without being a conference champion; both lost in January. Nebraska earned an invite in 2001 despite finishing second in the Big 12 North, let alone in the Big 12 as a whole. After losing 62-36 to Colorado to end the regular season, the Cornhuskers finished second in the final B.C.S. standings to earn a shot at Miami (Fla.), which didnt go well.
In 2003, Oklahoma finished first in the final B.C.S. standings, earning a spot in the national title game, despite losing to Kansas State in the Big 12 championship. The Sooners would end up losing to L.S.U., 21-14, while U.S.C. was left with a Rose Bowl date with Michigan the Trojans the Tigers ending up with a split of the national title.
After seven years of relatively uncontroversial B.C.S. title pairings relatively theres a very real chance that one half of the B.C.S. title pairing touts a resume lacking in conference championship hardware. Not if L.S.U. and Oklahoma State win out: then wed have the SEC winner against the Big 12 winner. And not if Oklahoma tops the Cowboys in December and vaults to the second slot in the B.C.S. standings. But consider the following scenarios:
Arkansas beats L.S.U. to end the regular season. L.S.U. advances to the SEC title game but loses to Georgia. Arkansas win pushes them to No. 2 in the B.C.S., pitting the Razorbacks against Oklahoma on Jan. 9 despite not having won the SEC West.
Arkansas beats L.S.U. to end the regular season. L.S.U. advances to the SEC title game but loses to Georgia. Alabama finishes No. 2 in the B.C.S., ahead of Arkansas. The Tide meet the Sooners despite finishing second in the SEC West.
Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma to end the regular season; unfortunately, the Cowboys suffer a shocking upset at Iowa State on Friday. Due to a confluence of SEC, A.C.C. and Pac-12 events, the Cowboys end the year No. 2 in the B.C.S. standings and land a berth in the national title game but Oklahoma wins the Big 12.
In each of these three scenarios, youd find a non-conference champion playing for a national title. In essence, a team that wasnt the best team in its own conference would qualify for a chance to become the best team in the country.
This is one B.C.S. loophole that should be addressed in 2014. Before attempting to remove automatic qualifying altogether, the B.C.S. should put in a key rule: To qualify for a spot in the national championship game, a team whether in a B.C.S. or non-B.C.S. league must win its own conference.
It seems almost too simple; nevertheless, its not one of the many current B.C.S. rules and regulations. To be the best team in the country, you need to be the best team in your own conference.
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