BCS-Defending Web Site Makes Being Wrong An Art Form
This site is simply wonderful. It's called "Playoff Problem" and it's been launched by the BCS to defend how truly awesome the BCS is. The main crux of the argument, as always, is that 1) there's no way to have a fair, reasonable playoff and that 2) the regular season would be far less meaningful.
They pretty much debunk #2 on the main page:
Just try to create an eight-team playoff based on latest rankings (November 23rd). Should a one-loss Georgia Tech (10-1, #7) get in but not a one-loss Pittsburgh (9-1 #9)? Should a two-loss Oregon (9-2, #8) get in but not one-loss Pittsburgh or any of the SEVEN teams with two losses: Ohio State (10-2, #10), Iowa (10-2, #11), Oklahoma State (9-2, #12), Penn State (10-2, #13), BYU (9-2, #19), Utah, (9-2, #19), or Houston (9-2, #23)? If you think the BCS is controversial, try sorting that out.
Wait, so, with all those teams mentioned fighting for one of the eight coveted mythical playoff spots, you're saying the regular season games wouldn't be just as important? I have that right, do I?
A playoff would guarantee bigger problems, more controversy, more disappointed teams and more frustrated fans.
I see. So instead of even trying to do what nearly everyone wants, we just shouldn't even bother.
You know what else a playoff would give us? The chance that one of maybe ten or so teams at the end of November would be in contention to win a national title. Instead of, you know, two teams (SEC champ and Texas).
I'm not going to rehash every argument because we've done it before and it's just not worth the typing. But I do love that their whole site seems to easily argued against:
In every sport, brackets began with a few teams. Then schools felt slighted, and so the brackets grew to accommodate more teams. And grew and grew and grew. It is known as "bracket creep." The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship started with eight teams. It’s now 65, and some college officials want to expand beyond that. The NCAA’s Football Championship Subdivision began with a four-team playoff years ago, and now it’s been expanded to 20 teams. Think about what bracket creep would do to college football: it would greatly diminish the importance of the regular season, and would forever change the bowl system.
Yes, god forbid we wind up with an exciting championship like the NCAA men's basketball tournament! That totally would suck!
Also, schools might feel "slighted" if left out of the bracket. True. So let's slight all but two every year -- and all mid-majors all the time -- instead of risking a "slight" to the #9 team in the country. Better to offend those who have a legit argument at #1. Awesome.
And "forever change the bowl system"? You mean, from "meaningless" to "having some bowls mean a whole hell of a lot"? Um, okay. I guess that would be a....bad...change?
They also launched a Twitter feed, if you're into that sort of thing. If you're among the Twitter-inclined, I'd recommend reading their feed from time to time and simply making the easy responses taking down their flimsy arguments.
The BCS is about money, plain and simple, and keeping it among the power conferences. Always has been, always will be. It's never been about determining a champion.