A Far-Fetched BCS Solution

troy

Well-Known Member
This will never happen, but the idea allows for a way to keep the traditional bowl system in tact without creating an elimination style playoff, while allowing conference champions to compete to play in the National Championship Game. From a scheduling perspective, it might be challenging.

Group 1 -SEC, BIG 10, ACC
Group 2 -BIG 12, PAC 10, BIG EAST
  • 6 BCS conferences x 12 teams per conference = 72 total teams eligible.
  • Two groups with 3 Conferences in each group; the idea is to match-up the top team from each "Group" in the National Championship Game.
  • 14 total regular season games for all teams (1 non-conference game, 11 conference games, and 2 group games).
  • Big Ten would need to add one team, probably Notre Dame, and the PAC Ten would need to add two teams.
  • This system doesn't allow for a non-BCS conference team to play in the National Championship Game, and Notre Dame would have to join a conference to qualify. This might be a drawback to this idea.
1. Week 1 - all teams play 1 non-conference game (possibly a traditional rival, regardless of grouping- for example, Iowa vs. I-State).
2. Week 2 - Week 12 - Teams play (11) conference games to determine Conference Champions and seeding.
3. After conference play, seed all teams in each conference (1-12), per the final standings.
4. Weeks 13, 14, and 15 - Group Play- All like-seeded teams play against the other like-seeded teams in their Group over 3 weeks. One home game, one away game, and one bye week for all teams. Group play would allow top teams, mid-level teams, and lower-level teams to compete against each other.
5. In the National Championship Game, the top team from Group 1 plays against the top team from Group 2. If #1 seeded teams split their Group games, reference tie-breaker rules to determine top team in each Group: overall team won/loss record, head-to-head records, conference records, and conference performance within Group play. (This is another possible drawback to this idea).
6. Bowl Games to be assigned after National Championship Game is determined.

I also thought about adding two more conferences to the above "Groups." This would allow the WAC and the Mountain West to get into the mix. But I thought the extra "Group games" would become a scheduling nightmare.

Of course, this possible BCS solution will never happen, but I think it would be fun to watch the Group match-ups, even the 2, 3, and 4 seeded games would be good, and the bad teams could also win some games in "Group" play. I wouldn't mind seeing a playoff either, but I like the bowl games. There are probably other drawbacks to this far-fetched solution that I haven't thought of.
 
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