The Case for a College Football Playoff

It's a seemingly endless argument. Playoffs or bowl games?

Every year as the college football season winds down and the holiday season approaches, one argument seems to dominate family gatherings. You and your Uncle from another city have very little to discuss but when a particular three words get said a debate ensues. Those three words are Bowl Championship Series.

Traditionalists will argue that college bowl games are sacred and would be tainted by a playoff system. I've always felt that there is room for both. An eight team, seven-game playoff would be a perfect way to settle the national champion and leave plenty of room for other bowl games.

The eight teams should be let in by this order:

1) Any undefeated Division 1 team. Last year that would have gotten Ohio St. and Boise St. in.

2) Any BCS conference champion. Last year that would have gotten Florida, Oklahoma, Wake Forest, USC, and Louisville in.

3) Any remaining slots would be at-large bids determined by BCS rating. Last year the lone slot would have gone to Michigan.

4) All of the bowl eligible teams that didn't make the playoffs could go to the second-tier bowl games (Cotton, Holiday, etc.).

Once your eight teams are selected, seed them according to their BCS rating. The top two teams would get a first round home game and the other five games would take place at the BCS bowl sites. By giving the top two teams a home game, you preserve the season-long drama of 'Who's number 1 and 2?"

Last year's match-ups would have been:

1) Ohio St. vs. 8) Wake Forest in Columbus, OH.

2) Florida vs. 7) Oklahoma in Gainesville, FL.

3) Michigan vs. 6) Boise St. at the Fiesta Bowl.

4) USC vs. 5) Louisville at the Sugar Bowl.

The semifinals would occur at the Rose and Orange bowl and could have featured two marquee match-ups (Ohio St.- USC and Michigan-Florida). Then, of course, you'd have the National Championship game in Arizona.