College football really needs a playoff system

The team everyone agreed was unbeatable at the beginning of this year plays what might be the nation’s best offense Saturday, and on an October afternoon in Eugene, Ore., one team’s national title hopes will be dead more than two months before a “national champion” is crowned.

It’s a shame really, that this year, perhaps more than any other in the Bowl Championship Series era, we might not really know who the best team in college football is come January.

In a year of unprecedented upsets and parity, it has become more evident than ever that college football desperately needs a playoff system.

With one loss each, fifth-ranked Oregon and ninth-ranked USC are both in must-win mode when they play Saturday. Who’s to say that by the end of the season, the loser of that game might be playing the best football of anyone in the country?

Yes, USC has certainly underperformed this season, losing to Stanford and playing closer-than-expected games against the Huskies and Arizona, but with the undeniable talent on the Trojans’ roster, there is no reason they can’t cut back on the turnovers and play up to their potential by the end of the season. But even if they do this, their one loss (or two if they lose to Oregon) could keep them out of the championship game in favor of an unbeaten with a weak schedule.

If they both keep winning, we could be headed for an Ohio State vs. Boston College national championship game, while teams in the nation’s best two conferences, the SEC and the Pac-10, are punished for playing tough competition. A pretty good argument could be made that Ohio State isn’t even the best team to beat Washington at Husky Stadium this season, let alone the best team in the nation.

Of the five unbeaten teams left, only Boston College has a win over a team currently ranked in the BCS standings, and the Eagles just barely got that win on Thursday night against No. 8 Virginia Tech. They looked terrible for most of the game before rallying in the final minutes to beat the Hokies.

The idea of implementing some sort of playoff system has been discussed for years and seems to be gaining traction with each passing year. Any system will always have some controversy. One popular idea is to send the top eight teams to the current BCS bowls, and use those as quarterfinals. Of course this would upset the ninth- and 10th-ranked teams, but wouldn’t that be better than a situation where the top-ranked team by the coaches’ and the AP polls somehow gets left out of the championship game, as the 2003 Trojans were?

“I’ve been an advocate of a playoff system forever,” USC coach Pete Carroll said. “I would only rather play it off and never have any kind of a system. However, I do realize that there’s still going to be some kind of a system necessary to some extent that’s going to have to pinpoint the teams that are going to be in the playoffs. So it’s not a foolproof deal that could be pure, but I think that it’s wrong for us not to have a playoff system with everybody wanting to know who the best team is. If they didn’t want to know, then they wouldn’t have these polls and all this hype and stuff with the BCS.”

One argument against a playoff system always has been that it would be bad for the rest of the bowl games, which are big pay days for schools and conferences. But I have a hard time believing that the NCAA, the same organization that secured a $6-billion deal with CBS to televise the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, can’t figure out how to make a football playoff system profitable.

And the argument that a playoff would keep the student athletes out of the classroom for too much time? Please. College football has been as much about money — you could easily argue more about money — as it has about education for a long time now. A couple of extra weeks of practice and games for a few teams is hardly going to make things noticeably worse for athletes who practice from early August through early January and again in the spring.

It’s time to quit talking about a college football playoff system and time to make it happen.

“I think it would be nice, because I don’t think [the BCS] is going to be all that accurate,” Washington offensive coordinator Tim Lappano said. “There are some teams that have two losses that are pretty freakin’ good, and there are some teams with none or one (loss) that aren’t as good. Hopefully, someday there will be (a playoff).”

While Lappano was the offensive coordinator for Oregon State in 2000, the one-loss Beavers went to the Fiesta Bowl and humiliated Notre Dame. There were people who thought by the end of that season that Oregon State was the best team in football, but an early season loss to Washington kept fans from ever finding that out. It’s time for that to change.

“Everybody wants to know,” Carroll said. “And some people are keeping that from happening legitimately in terms of how a true competition would play out. So we’re always advocating for as many opportunities to keep playing until it’s all over and you can tell who the winner is.”

And in this the year of parity in college football, we may never know who that winner is. What a shame.

Contact Herald Writer John Boyle at jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more on UW sports, check out the Huskies blog at heraldnet.com /huskiesblog

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Sports

Seattle head coach Mike Holmgren watches his team against Washington Sunday, November 9, 2003. (George Bridges / KRT / Tribune News Services)
No Holmgren in Hall is a travesty

The Former Seahawks coach carries a resume superior to many already in the HOF.

A Snohomish School District truck clears the parking lot at Glacier Peak High School on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (Aaron Coe / The Herald)
Inclement weather cancellations strain high school sports calendar

With state tournaments on the horizon, ADs from Wesco, Northwest and Kingco must be flexible

Former Archbishop Murphy High School stars, Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon (6) and Seahawks right tackle Abraham Lucas (72), prepare for play at Soldier Field in Chicago on Dec. 26, 2024. Though Lucas is likely to return as a starter, Seattle's interior line needs offseason upgrades. (Photo courtesy of Edwin Hooper / Seattle Seahawks)
The Seahawks offensive line needs work

A mix free agency and draft could lead to upgraded interior.

UW men stumble in second half, fall to Nebraska

The three-pointers that fell so frequently — and from a… Continue reading

Edmonds-Woodway’s William Alseth dribbles the ball down the court during the game against Shorewood on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025 in Shoreline, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds-Woodway boys basketball enters playoffs on high note

The Warriors never let up in 63-43 win vs. Shorewood on Tuesday to secure Wesco South 3A/2A title

Prep basketball roundup for Tuesday, Feb. 4

Parker powers Seagulls to district berth.

Kraken rally to force overtime, fall in shootout

Streaking Red Wings too much for young Kraken lineup that showed some promise.

Slivertips’ Clarke Schaefer tries to maneuver around Medicine Hat’s Josh Van Mulligen during the game on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Tips Week in Review: Everett splits slate in high-scoring week

The Silvertips were outscored 24-18 in four games this week, losing two to the next-best WHL teams

Everett Silvertips’ Landon DuPont during the game against the Medicine Hat Tigers on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Tips’ DuPont becomes first rookie D to score 50 points in 35 years

The 15-year-old star defenseman joined Scott Niedermayer in exclusive company with an assist Sunday.

Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto believes players like Jorge Polanco (7) will enjoy bounceback seasons in 2025. (Alika Jenner / Getty Images / Tribune News Services)
Despite quiet Mariners offseason, Jerry Dipoto confident

With the pre-spring training luncheon and news conference no longer an annual… Continue reading

Vote for The Herald’s Prep Athlete of the Week for Jan. 26-Feb. 1

The Athlete of the Week nominees for Jan. 26-Feb. 1. Voting closes… Continue reading

Monroe’s Halle Keller drives to the hoop during the game against Snohomish on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025 in Monroe, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Prep basketball roundup for Monday, Feb. 3

Stanwood, Snohomish, Monroe girls dominate.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.