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[Hollywood]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1951112

Apparent concern over the Bowl Championship Series process has led The Associated Press to pull its football poll from the BCS system used to select the national title game participants and those in the three other BCS bowls, according to reports.


The move would take place starting next season.


BCS spokesman Bob Burda said the conferences that make up the BCS do not have to make a decision about how to replace the AP poll immediately, The Dallas Morning News reported.


"We respect the decision of The Associated Press to no longer have its poll included in the BCS standings," BCS coordinator and Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg said in a statement. "Since the inception of the BCS, the AP poll has been a part of our standings.


"We will discuss alternatives to The Associated Press poll at upcoming BCS meetings and plan to conclude our evaluation of the BCS Standings Formula, including any other possible changes, by our April meeting."


Weiberg told The Boston Globe the AP indicated in a letter that it wasn't comfortable being part of the process.


The eight teams selected for the four major bowls -- Orange, Rose, Sugar, and Fiesta -- are picked by the BCS, which uses a combination of the AP poll (voted on by writers and broadcasters), the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll, and several computer rankings. Each segment receives a one-third weighting in picking the teams.


In the wake of Texas leapfrogging Cal for a BCS bowl bid, the Charlotte Observer announced it no longer would vote in the AP poll.

Good riddance! WE need a playoff system. The BCS is a joke. My Cards should have been in the BCS, and we're neglected, and we would cause havoc in a playoff system. FUCK THE BCS! .. It's going down!

 

[UtadaBarkley]

Thumbs up to this.

 

[impirius]

I don't put much stock in any poll that has standings before the friggin' season even starts.

 

[Catchpenny]

Hilarious. First the press whines about how humans should decide the rankings, not computers. Now they don't want to participate.

Good riddance! WE need a playoff system. The BCS is a joke.

How do you suggest we select teams for a playoff, if not by using a system similar to the BCS?

 

[Eminem]

How do you suggest we select teams for a playoff, if not by using a system similar to the BCS?

USA Today/Coaches poll picks top 8 or 16 teams in the country(however many they want...I'd be fine with 8), the play-off begins.

Hilarious. First the press whines about how humans should decide the rankings, not computers. Now they don't want to participate.

Ummmmm it's not like they had direct control. The AP poll before the season starts is a factor in the BCS. That's why Auburn got fucked. They were ranked #19 in the preseason poll. The AP withdrawing is a good thing, not a bad thing. They know what they're doing.

 

[Silent_Echo]

Nobody will ever be satisfied no matter what system they come up with. Some teams will get screwed over every year just like they do now. If it's an eight team playoff the #9 team will whine about getting the shaft.

What they should do is make a tournament based on each conference champion and let that determine the national champ. That way, nobody whines(except for Notre Dame, but who really cares about them anyways...) and we get a real national champion.

 

[Catchpenny]

USA Today/Coaches poll picks top 8 or 16 teams in the country(however many they want...I'd be fine with 8), the play-off begins.

That's a BCS-like system to me. Computers don't play a big role anymore as it is.

Also, I have serious problems letting pollsters alone decide this, with the huge conflict of interest involved in the coaches' poll and regional biases in the AP poll.

The AP poll before the season starts is a factor in the BCS. That's why Auburn got fucked. They were ranked #19 in the preseason poll. The AP withdrawing is a good thing, not a bad thing. They know what they're doing.

The first USA Today coaches poll came out the day after the USC/Virginia Tech game, when almost no one else had played yet. Auburn was ranked #18. So how is that any better?

 

[Catchpenny]

Nobody will ever be satisfied no matter what system they come up with. Some teams will get screwed over every year just like they do now. If it's an eight team playoff the #9 team will whine about getting the shaft.

*ding* *ding* *ding* Exactly. It's less of a problem if you're screwing over #9 rather than an undefeated team, but there will still be a problem. I'm also not thrilled with the idea of a two-loss #7 team getting hot and running the table for a national championship, but people love playoffs so I'll lose that argument every time.

 

[Eminem]

The first USA Today coaches poll came out the day after the USC/Virginia Tech game, when almost no one else had played yet. Auburn was ranked #18. So how is that any better?

Because that 18 ranking doesn't factor into the poll for the rest of the season. If they move up to #2 in the AP poll by the end of the year, that's that. It's over. It's not like they give you a certain number of points for your ranking in each week and add them all together to determine the final poll.

 

[Catchpenny]

Because that 18 ranking doesn't factor into the poll for the rest of the season.

Right, I know. Same with the AP poll. Only the final AP poll is factored into the final BCS standing, just like the coaches poll. Neither poll is used by any of the computer rankings as a data point.

I thought your argument was that Auburn was screwed because they were ranked #19 in the AP preseason poll and thus had to overcome the perception that USC/Oklahoma were better due to early rankings created before anyone had really played. Since the coaches poll works essentially the same way, I'm wondering how the AP leaving the BCS improves the situation any.

 

[Eminem]

Oh, it doesn't help it in any way other than it's a step in the right direction, and that being the elimination of the BCS imo.

But as far as just the AP withdrawing...You're right, it does nothing.

 

[Hollywood]

How do you suggest we select teams for a playoff, if not by using a system similar to the BCS?

RPI, NCAA Tournament committee just like basketball. Sure some will whine that they deserved to be in, just like those in basketball, but having 8 teams with a shot at the national title is better than TWO anyday.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

don't kid yourselves. There won't be a playoff siystem any time soon. The current system, even though its bunk and gets criticized constantly, makes money hand over fist. The leagues, the NCAA, the schools, i promise you NONE of them want to change the system they currently have too dramatically (hence the introduction of the BCS to begin with). The only people that really want a playoff are some of the players and the fans (i.e. the people who don't really matter)

 

[Hollywood]

Coaches want a playoff too .. and the bowl system doesn't make more money than a playoff - its just they consoladate the money into one place instead of split it equally like basketball.

 

[Eminem]

don't kid yourselves. There won't be a playoff siystem any time soon. The current system, even though its bunk and gets criticized constantly, makes money hand over fist. The leagues, the NCAA, the schools, i promise you NONE of them want to change the system they currently have too dramatically (hence the introduction of the BCS to begin with). The only people that really want a playoff are some of the players and the fans (i.e. the people who don't really matter)

while you do know your shit, and what you said is true, i think the public and team outcry is too big to overcome. will people still watch if the BCS stays? sure. but the massive complaints will force them to change the system to save face.


all imo, of course. although i am an expert prognosticator.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Coaches want a playoff too .. and the bowl system doesn't make more money than a playoff - its just they consoladate the money into one place instead of split it equally like basketball.

the bowl system makes A LOT more money for the conferences//schools. Pitt and the Big East just got like $14 million just for being in a BCS game. You think they could make anything near that in a playoff system? For just ONE game? Hell, if there was a playoff, Pitt wouldn't even be participating.

 

[lilraylewis]

Why not do like many people have suggested? Keep the bowls and have a +1 system to determine the national champion. 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3--the winners play for the title. That would have eliminated most of the controversy we've had the past 2 years.

 

[Mr. Blonde]

I agree with Little Ray Lewis. I'd like to see a 4 team playoff for college football since there are usually four teams that really stand out and that way if a team gets screwed it's the #5 team that probably isn't undefeated anyway(well this year it would be Utah who wouldn't have a chance against the big 3).

 

[Hollywood]

the bowl system makes A LOT more money for the conferences//schools. Pitt and the Big East just got like $14 million just for being in a BCS game. You think they could make anything near that in a playoff system? For just ONE game? Hell, if there was a playoff, Pitt wouldn't even be participating.

It's because they split the money in college basketball. It makes money for 8 teams, and that's it. Playoffs would pull in the same kind of money, and in fact - you could keep the bowl games and use the lesser bowls as first round games and so on. The money isn't going to just up and disappear if there's a playoff. In fact, NCAA Basketball makes much more than the BCS - its just its split among 64 teams. It sure as hell is a lot more exciting and draws better ratings than watching some fraud national title game ...

 

[Sirpopopop]

16 team playoff.

Each conference gets an autobid.

Then the rest of the bids = selected at-larges.

 

[Brodequin]

16 team playoff.

Each conference gets an autobid.

Then the rest of the bids = selected at-larges.

To me, this is the scenario that makes the most sense, is the most fair, and allows underdogs/mid-majors a chance at the title. There are 11 conferences that would get an automatic bid and then 5 at large bids given to the highest ranking remaining teams. All the really good teams get in with the only complaining done by a teams left out and usually ranked somewhere around 12 (although under this system this year, I think Miami at 14 would be the first left out).

 

[DJ Sl4m]

The AP poll is more fucked up than the BCS is, ditch that outdated crap as well, and lets go with a coaches poll.

 

[MASB]

What I wonder is how do coaches keep track of all the teams enough to make decisions for a poll. Aren't they coaching their own games at roughly the same time everyone else is playing? I doubt they have much time to watch other teams play on TV.

 

[Brian Fellows]

What I wanna know is when are pro sports gonna wise up and go to a bowl system. Obviously they must be losing a ton of money cuz nobody ever goes to their silly playoff games. Especially in the NFL where the little old Superbowl is never watched and is prolly in the red every single year.

 

[StoOgE]

Its funny because the BCS was set up to remove the voter 'bias' that was influencing the national championship.. so they set up an objective computer based system. Then everyone bitched last year when they thought USC was better than OU but the objective system disagreed so we get this mess this year and lo and behold voter 'bias' is again a prime concern.

This is hard for me to say as a Texas fan.. but the thing is, OU should have been in the championship game last year. They dominated everyone all season long, and then got killed in the Big 12 Championship Game. Humans are more likely to over emphasize the last game of the season (see Cal this year) a computer is not...

The only way to get this right is to go back to a computer based system, with SOS, quality wins, margin of victory... take the top 16 teams in that poll and have them play it out. Also, either everyone gets a conference championship game or no one does.. and conference champ isnt an automatic bid. If your conference cant get a team in the top 16 you suck, too bad. And sure, the 17th place team will bitch about getting screwed.. but you can look at them and say "You're the 17th best team in the country, shut the fuck up your not going to win anyway".

The top tier bowls can serve as the final few rounds of this playoff, and the higher seeded team can get some extra home games for the first few rounds of the playoffs (talk about making a ton of money). As for the other teams.. win 8 games and you can still play in a bowl game, just not the playoffs. Yes, I said win 8 games, too many shitty teams are in bowls nowadays.

 

[Brian Fellows]

Yeah Mike Hart running all over Texas just isnt gonna be pretty.

 

[Eminem]

What I wanna know is when are pro sports gonna wise up and go to a bowl system. Obviously they must be losing a ton of money cuz nobody ever goes to their silly playoff games. Especially in the NFL where the little old Superbowl is never watched and is prolly in the red every single year.

:lol :lol :lol

 

[Crow357]

What I wanna know is when are pro sports gonna wise up and go to a bowl system. Obviously they must be losing a ton of money cuz nobody ever goes to their silly playoff games. Especially in the NFL where the little old Superbowl is never watched and is prolly in the red every single year.

Truer words were never spoken! Anyone ever heard of "March Madness"?

 

[lilraylewis]

the bowl system makes A LOT more money for the conferences//schools. Pitt and the Big East just got like $14 million just for being in a BCS game.

Does anyone know where this money comes from? Is it ad revenue, ticket sales, or what? And why would it dissapear of we moved to a playoff?

 

[sonicfan]

*ding* *ding* *ding* Exactly. It's less of a problem if you're screwing over #9 rather than an undefeated team, but there will still be a problem. I'm also not thrilled with the idea of a two-loss #7 team getting hot and running the table for a national championship, but people love playoffs so I'll lose that argument every time.

That is the core problem to me with a playoff vs. what used to be called the "national championship". THe old way, it sort of was a reflection on your whole season, so a loss or two early in the year just about eliminates you from the title hunt. But it is the way conferences traditionally did it (until the IMO stupid, only for money, "conference championship" games). But on the other hand, that is how most sports determine their champion, a playoff. And they do it in the NCAA at all levels for football except Division I, so, I guess there is precident. But to me it still is a major change, is the champion the one who had the best season? Or the one that got the hot hand late in the year? (see NCAA basketball every few years).

Either way, somebody will always feel they got screwed over, either by seeding, polls, whatever.

Hey, its just a game, get over it.

 

[suaveric]

Who ever said there isn't money in the playoff system is crazy. CBS payed over a billion dollars for the broadcast rights to the NCAA Basketball tournament a few years back. There's money to be made.