Jim Rome, from today’s show, regarding the recent hullabaloo about a potential Plus-One:
Let me pick up the discussion once again about the NCAA possibly adopting a modified plus one playoffs and that we might even get it by 2011. Eeeeeasy NCAA … no need to be so hasty or to rush into anything. It’s not like anyone has a problem with the current BCS set up or is clamoring for a playoff or anything. Or has been for the last 20 years. And let me address the raps against a playoff: one, it will render the regular season meaningless. Wrong. Sure, the regular season means something now: but a playoff that determines a true national champion, on the field, means a whole lot more. Two, it would kill the bowl system as we know it. Fair enough … far be it for me to get behind anything that would jeopardize those 30 bowl games, 27 of which no one cares about anyway. So, I guess score one for that side. And finally, even if you have a final four, there will still be a debate over who you’re leaving out of the playoff. Fine, better to debate who’s number five every year, then who’s number one. Better to know that we’re getting the four best teams every year than praying that there are no more than two unbeatens or teams with one loss, and that if they did lose, they lost early enough to actually have a look at the title. Look, I get that university presidents aren’t about determining a champion on the field of play, but rather about getting paid. Fine: adopt the plus one: you’ll get paid even more and the rest of us will be one big step closer to what we want … a true national champion.
July 19th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
The high and mighty Jim Rome… let me address your comments regarding “the raps against the playoffs” oh self-rightous one… One: the full year of games decides a national champion, then the AP votes as do the Coaches, thus a national champion or split is determined, no playoff needed, if a playoff was so excruciatingly necessary, NCAA football would have fallen on its face, alas, it has made it past a century just how it is, and should keep tradition. Two: you attempt to side with this argument but what you deliver instead is a severe back-handed complement. You are an elitist talking head who doesn’t care for the soul of the sport, so please do not discount the pageantry and excitement that can be generated by every bowl. Let’s be honest here, you went to UC Santa Barbara, a school who is not able to participate in a bowl game, therefore you have no idea what fans of the Rice Eagles Football Program felt like last year when they traveled with, or watched their team earn and play in their first bowl appearance in 45 years. Three: Arguing about who is the best is what makes sport what it is AND what gives you a job. Embrace it…
GO TROJANS!
July 19th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Geez. Where to begin? First off, the argument that being able to decide a National Champion without controversy is more important than maintaining the integrity of the regular season is just absolutely dead wrong. When Pete Carroll took over the USC program, he was asked what his goals every year were. His answer, win the Pac-10 and win the Rose Bowl. Why? Because since Rutgers beat Princeton long ago, college football has always been more about the regular season journey than some be all end all NC game.
What happens to all those end of season rivalry games when Team A has locked up a playoff seed, and Team B has no post season to play for? Team A plays “don’t get injured” football, probably with the second string. Team B doesn’t even care if it wins or loses. And a rivalry game loses a certain level of passion and pride that will never be recovered.
The regular season passion, week in week out, is what sets college football apart from every other sport, pro and amateur. Putting in a playoff means telling 110 teams in the NCAA that they are free to play football, but really all anyone cares about are those top 10 teams that make the most money. No more Rutgers going to a bowl after a 25 some odd year drought. now their season was just another season except they made it over .500. How about the 2002 USC season? By all accounts a fantastic season. Not any more. Since Wazzu would get the nod for the playoff spot, we stay at home thinking our season was a disappointment.
If you haven’t done so already, i suggest you purchase the College Football Encyclopedia that came out 2 years ago. There are listings for the Best Season for every team, and the vast majority of those amazing seasons for those teams did not result in a NC.
Putting a playoff into college football dumbs the sport down and hurts more teams than it would be designed to help. The Bowl system as it is works fine, it’s not perfect, but it’s better than a playoff system.
Off my soapbox now.
Jared
July 19th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
(High fives Jared)