Possible Changes For BCS

January 26, 2012

Finally! It seems as if simple logic has reached both the BCS and various university presidents across the nation. There are actually some official talks ongoing about enacting a college football playoff system. Perhaps I should take the word “logic” out of this story as it is really money, or a lack of it, that is leading the way to possible change.

Attendance records for the BCS Bowl games and the endless, it seems, other games were released last week and the trend of shrinking attendance is continuing. Even the bigger BCS games are suffering. Since the Bowl Championship Series added a fifth BCS bowl game, after the 2006 regular season, attendance at the BCS bowl games has been on a steady decline.

In 2005, the last season before the addition of that title game, the Fiesta, Orange, Rose and Sugar bowls averaged just under 80,000 people a contest. This past season the announced attendance for those four bowls had dropped to just over 73,000 per bowl.

Overall, attendance at the 35 bowl games this past season was down about three percent from last season.

Another disturbing trend that has likely caught the powers-to-be is that TV ratings for the BCS bowls and the other bowl games are also on the decline. Viewership was down 15 percent this past bowl season.

These issues, and other, have led to a strong possibility of change in the very near future.

I find it hard to believe that an eight team playoff system would not create needed enthusiasm. We have seen some great NFL playoff games the past few weeks. Who said that the best team in the nation has to come from two schools that posted the best record during the regular season? Last year’s Super Bowl champions, Green Bay, barely made the playoffs. Much like this year’s New York Giants who entered the playoffs with a 9-7 record. They are one win away from another Super Bowl title.

I, for one, hope something along these lines happens. And I do not feel I am in the minority.

A Super Matchup

A rematch of the classic 2007 Super Bowl is coming up next weekend. The New York Giants hope to put an exclamation mark on its 2007 win over the New England Patriots. I will spend time next week dissecting this game. And of course, I will pick the winner.

As Indy Turns

The soap opera with the Indianapolis Colts continues. More and more people in the know, including former Colts head coach Tony Dungy, feel quite strong that former embattled Ohio State coach Jim Tressel will land the head coaching job. Honesty and playing by the rules, in the college game anyway, was a problem for Tressel who played a huge role in Ohio State landing on probation. Maybe the pro game would suit Tressel better.

I just don’t see it working. Especially if the Colts end up with taking Andrew Luck in the upcoming NFL Draft. Tressel is known for his conservative brand of football and he is not known for developing quarterbacks.

Meanwhile, it is looking more and more like Indy will cut Peyton Manning. Various reports I have read seem to confirm that there are four teams very interested in adding Manning to their roster. The potential buyers include Arizona, Miami, Washington, and the New York Jets.

Jim Tressel

This news likely has Kevin Kolb of the Cardinals, Matt Moore of the Dolphins, Rex Grossman of the Redskins, and Mark Sanchez of the Jets a bit nervous. If Manning is healthy, the future Hall of Famer would make each of the before-mentioned franchises much better.

I have a feeling Miami may surface as the front-runner if Indy cuts ties with Manning. The Dolphins have made it clear they want a high profile star to keep up with the Heat (Lebron James and Dwayne Wade) in their city.

Seminole Sweep

There was a rarity in ACC Basketball last week. Someone beat both North Carolina and Duke when both schools were ranked within the top-ten in the nation.

The someone I am talking of was Florida State. And it seemingly came out of nowhere. The Seminoles went halfway through the season before beating a ranked team.

Then they knocked off two in a week and now find themselves tied for first place in the ACC.

The Seminoles (13-6, 4-1) were 9-6 a short time ago after losing their league opener at Clemson by 20 points. Losing to this year’s Tigers team had to have been a wake up call. The Tar Heels felt the wrath as Florida State trounced UNC, 90-57.

Roads wins at Virginia Tech and Duke sandwiched around the 33-point clobbering of North Carolina and 84-70 win over Maryland at home have Florida State in a three-way tie for first with Duke and North Carolina State in the ACC. Florida State went after its fifth straight ACC win last night at Wake Forest.

Looks like we may have a very interesting year in the ACC.