[2010-1SS-IBM]

Originally Posted by CamaroSkooter

You don't think a 1-loss team deserves to win a championship, however, if all teams have lost 1 game then you're okay with it? What kind of logic is that?

If everyone has lost at least one game, you pretty much have to do a playoff to figure out who's best. If you've got a mix of undefeateds and one and two loss teams, you can toss the one and two loss teams out; they've already lost.

Originally Posted by CamaroSkooter

I totally support a system like the one Legend outlined. At the end of the season, the top 8 teams in the BCS poll go to the four major bowl games while all of the other bowl games go on just like they do now. The winners of those top four bowl games go on to the "final four" (like in basketball) and then the winners of those two games go on to the national championship game.

But how do you figure out who the top 8 are? Rankings, just like the one we have now that favors big-conference teams over teams with better records? Just like the one we have now that favors early losses over late season ones?

You know the rankings are gamed, right?

I totally don't support using the top 8 teams in the poll because almost every year has at least 1 two-loss team in the top 8. I'm sorry, if you've lost 2 games in the season you're not a top 8 team.

Originally Posted by CamaroSkooter

No matter what system is used to determine a national champion, there will always be people who say it's flawed. But this system sounds like a pretty solid method. As it sits right now, the national champion contender every year just has to be from a power conference and win all its games. This leaves open the entire debate about cupcake non-conference opponents. Okay, fine. But as it sits right now the voters and computers will never put a Boise State, TCU, or Utah in the NC game if there are multiple undefeated teams from the power conferences left. Is it right? Maybe, maybe not. But this tourney thing can fix that debate.

There's nothing solid about an 8 team single elimination tournament. For one thing, using 8 teams is completely arbitrary, so a lot of teams who are just as good will be left out. Second, the BCS ratings are borked. Third, 8 teams are about twice as many as needed to figure out the national champion; there's usually only 3 or 4 teams tops left undefeated at the end of the year.

Originally Posted by CamaroSkooter

I just don't understand what your reasoning is as to why the current BCS system is better than a tourney method. Or maybe you have your own idea of what sort of method should be used to determine a national champion every year. I'm pretty sure everyone here is all ears

I don't think I've defended the BCS system yet, except to say that bowl games are pretty good consolation prizes for one and two loss teams.

I've already said what I'd like; include only undefeated teams in the playoff. If you like, make teams who score low(er) on strength of schedule play each other to "qualify" for the playoff.