Gene Wojciechowski hits the nail on the head about FCS playoffs/BCS

[Appguy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=3686532&sportCat=ncf

great article talking about why our playoff works and the bcs doesn't

[SideLine Shooter]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=3686532&sportCat=ncf

great article talking about why our playoff works and the bcs doesn't

EXCELLENT!!!!!xnodx xthumbsupx

[Appguy]

I emailed him thanking him. Great to see a big time sports writer seeing our way!

[danefan]

Great article. Maybe E$PN is coming around?


We already have one. It's in the Football Championship Subdivision, previously known as Division I-AA. Appalachian State has won the past three championships.


Appy State played 11 regular-season games and four playoff games in each of the past three years. That's 15 games, two more than Paterno's team will play this season, one more than if Penn State played in a seeded, plus-one, bowl format (a championship game after the four BCS bowls) and the same amount if the Nittany Lions reached the finals of an eight-team, three-game playoff.


So the next time you hear university presidents say a major college football playoff would require too many games, remind them of the FCS format. Here's guessing they'll come up with another lame excuse.


Sigh. So I'm left to root for six unbeaten teams, chaos, stammering explanations from BCS officials and public outrage.


And I'll root for one other thing. Selection Sunday for the FCS playoffs is Nov. 23. The first quarterfinal game is Nov. 29.


Go, Appy State!

[uofmman1122]

I loved it until the very, very end. xnonono2x

xlolx:p

[neersnbeers]

I loved it until the very, very end. xnonono2x

xlolx:p

??? That was the best part. Icing on the cake if you will!!

[GSUhooligan]

He called ya'll Appy. It was great.

[DSUrocks07]

He called ya'll Appy. It was great.

xlolx xlolx xlolx

[APPStrongNC]

Nice article. A playoff is the ONLY way to get a true champ.

[LacesOut]

I think I've read the same article the past 4-5 years on ESPN.com and/or other media outlets. Writers crying about a non playoff or no post season in I-A. LOL

I can't find a single decent thing to say about the BCS. But I know that I do love the bowl games, so I hope they never leave college footballs landscape.

[andy7171]

Great, great article.

[bluehenbillk]

For people that are supposed to be brilliant. I've never understood the thinking of University presidents that oppose a playoff, it'd be the biggest financial windfall you've ever seen. It would make more $$ for schools than the NFL makes off the Super Bowl.

[grizbeer]

University of Washington President wants a playoff system too, thinks it is inevitable.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/budwithers/2008362178_withers070.html

And there is no reason that you can't have a playoff, then also a bowl system that just excludes the 2 teams in the NC game, or 4 teams in the semi-finals. It's just that the bowl games won't count towards rankings or National Championships, they will go back to being about grudge matches, like they used to be.

[AppAlum2003]

I read Gene's book a few years ago when he followed the Cubs around for an entire season. As a lifelong Cubs fan, it was great read! I'm glad he cheers for my favorite football team, too.

[ur2k]

I don't understand the argument that a playoff waters down the regular season - Richmond's season for the last few weeks and until the end will be one must win after another ... trying to make the playoffs.

[jaxstatealum]

He called ya'll Appy. It was great.

xlolx xlolx

[Retro]

Great article and it is about Money that's it!..

The conference presidents and A.D.'s don't want to lose the windfall of money despite the fact that with a 16 team playoff incorporated with current bowls, more advertisers would step up for each round.xthumbsupx

[already123]

great atricle.

[ValleyChamp]

I think the FCS needs to implement the BCS systemxcoolx ......JK

[appfan2008]

Great article... loved his points... if he just dropped the y on app it would have been the best ever

[EmeryZach]

"Go Appy State!" - Come on Gene, we got change in the White House, now we need some change in the FCS.

Loved the article though. Good read.

[Seven Would Be Nice]

Unless Obama signs an executive order outlawing the BCS or creates a cabinet-level position to address the situation (Secretary of the Postseason? … I'm available)

xlolx xlolx

[Seven Would Be Nice]

Can any of you guys with enough time on your hands pull the stats for how often the number 1 or 2 seeded team won the FCS playoffs?

What about the stats for March Madness?

Only giving the top two ranked teams a chance to win the title is a crime. This year would be AWESOME to watch IA in a playoff system. I would love to see how UF matches up against Texas Tech or PSU. Those would be awesome games!

The TV networks are idiots to not think they would generate more popularity than bowl games that don't count for anything. Seriously, what are the the TV ratings for those games? Attendance is even worse.

The solution is still the hybrid system. Give the top 16 teams a playoff bracket, and everyone else can play bowl games on Tuesday nights on ESPN the Ocho.

[Seven Would Be Nice]

Great article... loved his points... if he just dropped the y on app it would have been the best ever

Had he said "I'll be watching the FCS Playoffs because Appy State is HOT HOT HOT" would have made it the best article ever!

:D :D :D :D :D xthumbsupx xthumbsupx xthumbsupx xthumbsupx xthumbsupx

[CrackerRiley]

How many times has ASU been ranked 1 or 2 going into the playoffs? I think '06 was the only year. They certainly weren't last year and in '05 I think they were 4th at the end of the season.
I just don't see how anyone would support a bunch of people voting for teams to play for a NC and the computers just know the teams on paper.
Give me $1 million, I might change my mind...

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

Pardon my internet colloquialism, but

PWNED

xlolx xthumbsupx

[patssle]

APPY

xlolx xlolx xlolx

[Marcus Garvey]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=3686532&sportCat=ncf

great article talking about why our playoff works and the bcs doesn't

Mr. Wojciechowski is wrong about the BCS. It works like a charm. His argument is completely off base because he writes it under the assumption that the BCS was intended to crown a "true" national champion. That's not it's main purpose. The BCS was created so the major conferences (the "Big 6" if you will) could controll the money generated by the 4 biggest bowl games. The Cotton Bowl would have been included had it's payout been greater than the Fiesta's. With almost no "major independent" football program (Notre Dame being the exception, so they were included), the Big 6 conferences can assure themselves of a guarenteed minimum share of bowl money every year.

I've said this before: The money they get from the BCS is a sure thing. Nobody knows how much money can be generated by an 8 or 16 team playoff format. There are valid arguments that playoff games wouldn't generate same revenue as the major bowls. A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush.

[Appguy]

Mr. Wojciechowski is wrong about the BCS. It works like a charm. His argument is completely off base because he writes it under the assumption that the BCS was intended to crown a "true" national champion. That's not it's main purpose. The BCS was created so the major conferences (the "Big 6" if you will) could controll the money generated by the 4 biggest bowl games. The Cotton Bowl would have been included had it's payout been greater than the Fiesta's. Together, with the almost no "major independent" football program (Notre Dame being the exception, so they were included), the Big 6 conferences can assure themselves of a guarenteed minimum share of bowl money every year.

I've said this before: The money they get from the BCS is a sure thing. Nobody knows how much money can be generated by an 8 or 16 team playoff format. There are valid arguments that playoff games wouldn't generate same revenue as the major bowls. A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush.

While I agree that the only real barrier here is the money, they simply don't have the fans interests in mind at all. I think I speak for basically all FCS fans (and some FBS fans)in that id rather see my team get a shot at a true national title over winning a non-championship bowl game. Knowing you'll never end a season thinking "what if" they had a shot at a big team, since in a playoff you always get that shot.

[SactoHornetFan]

Mr. Wojciechowski is wrong about the BCS. It works like a charm. His argument is completely off base because he writes it under the assumption that the BCS was intended to crown a "true" national champion. That's not it's main purpose. The BCS was created so the major conferences (the "Big 6" if you will) could controll the money generated by the 4 biggest bowl games. The Cotton Bowl would have been included had it's payout been greater than the Fiesta's. With almost no "major independent" football program (Notre Dame being the exception, so they were included), the Big 6 conferences can assure themselves of a guarenteed minimum share of bowl money every year.

I've said this before: The money they get from the BCS is a sure thing. Nobody knows how much money can be generated by an 8 or 16 team playoff format. There are valid arguments that playoff games wouldn't generate same revenue as the major bowls. A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush.

With the economy in the tank, I don't see how these companies continue to pay out this kind of change for something (in the real world scheme of things) as frivolous as a college football bowl game.

[patssle]

as frivolous as a college football bowl game.

Seriously? Are you a football fan or not?

[AppGrad06]

How many times has ASU been ranked 1 or 2 going into the playoffs? I think '06 was the only year. They certainly weren't last year and in '05 I think they were 4th at the end of the season.
I just don't see how anyone would support a bunch of people voting for teams to play for a NC and the computers just know the teams on paper.
Give me $1 million, I might change my mind...

There was I website I came across once that had all the old brackets, but I can't seem to find it again.

anyway I came up with those stats based on the seeds given in the playoffs from 1999 on:

unseeded /outside top 4 champs
WKU (2002)
Delaware (2003)
JMU (2004)
ASU (2007)

#1 seed champs
Montana (2001)
ASU (2006)

#2 seed champs
Georgia So. (1999)
ASU (2005)

#3 seeded champs
Georgia So. (2000)

no #4 seed has been champ from 1999 to present

[proasu89]

He called ya'll Appy. It was great.

At least we got mentionedxsmiley_wix

[blueballs]

He was doing just fine up to the last sentence.

[aggiemba]

With the economy in the tank, I don't see how these companies continue to pay out this kind of change for something (in the real world scheme of things) as frivolous as a college football bowl game.

This just about sums up why Suc State puts such a bad product on the field year in and year out.xoopsx

[AlphaSigMD]

He called ya'll Appy. It was great.

I wrote him a quick email praising his article and correcting his tragic flaw.

Let the healing begin...xnodx

[coover]

He was doing just fine up to the last sentence.

Gee, I thought that "APPY" was kinda cute.

[Native]

I wrote him a quick email praising his article and correcting his tragic flaw.

Let the healing begin...xnodx

...do no harm...xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx

[Native]

...no #4 seed has been champ from 1999 to present

OK. #4 seed will be good enough for me :-)

[UNCBears2010]

How would FBS playoffs look if they were selected like the FCS playoffs? Here's who I think would be in as of now:

8 AQs:

ACC-Georgia Tech
Big 12-Texas Tech
Big East-West Virginia
Big Ten-Penn State
Mountain West-Utah
PAC-10-USC
SEC-Alabama
WAC-Boise State

8 At Larges:

Florida
Georgia
LSU
Missouri
Ohio State
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Texas

Anyone else think another team deserves a berth? Also three of the seeds are pretty easy to figure out at this point (Alabama, Texas Tech, Penn State), but who gets the fourth? Also, who plays who in the first round?

Just thought it's be something fun to think about.

[DSUrocks07]

How would FBS playoffs look if they were selected like the FCS playoffs? Here's who I think would be in as of now:

8 AQs:

ACC-Georgia Tech
Big 12-Texas Tech
Big East-West Virginia
Big Ten-Penn State
Mountain West-Utah
PAC-10-USC
SEC-Alabama
WAC-Boise State

8 At Larges:

Florida
Georgia
LSU
Missouri
Ohio State
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Texas

Anyone else think another team deserves a berth? Also three of the seeds are pretty easy to figure out at this point (Alabama, Texas Tech, Penn State), but who gets the fourth? Also, who plays who in the first round?

Just thought it's be something fun to think about.

USC will get the fourth for regional purposes. I'm sure that travel costs will be the least of the worries at the FBS level.

It will probably resemble this:

EAST - Alabama
MIDWEST - Penn State
SOUTH - Texas Tech
WEST - USC

[BlueHen86]

Mr. Wojciechowski is wrong about the BCS. It works like a charm. His argument is completely off base because he writes it under the assumption that the BCS was intended to crown a "true" national champion. That's not it's main purpose. The BCS was created so the major conferences (the "Big 6" if you will) could controll the money generated by the 4 biggest bowl games. The Cotton Bowl would have been included had it's payout been greater than the Fiesta's. With almost no "major independent" football program (Notre Dame being the exception, so they were included), the Big 6 conferences can assure themselves of a guarenteed minimum share of bowl money every year.

I've said this before: The money they get from the BCS is a sure thing. Nobody knows how much money can be generated by an 8 or 16 team playoff format. There are valid arguments that playoff games wouldn't generate same revenue as the major bowls. A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush.
Sadly, I think you are dead on here. I think a playoff would generate more money, but the money wouldn't be controlled by the six BCS conferences, so they are against a playoff.

[813Jag]

Can any of you guys with enough time on your hands pull the stats for how often the number 1 or 2 seeded team won the FCS playoffs?

What about the stats for March Madness?

Only giving the top two ranked teams a chance to win the title is a crime. This year would be AWESOME to watch IA in a playoff system. I would love to see how UF matches up against Texas Tech or PSU. Those would be awesome games!

The TV networks are idiots to not think they would generate more popularity than bowl games that don't count for anything. Seriously, what are the the TV ratings for those games? Attendance is even worse.

The solution is still the hybrid system. Give the top 16 teams a playoff bracket, and everyone else can play bowl games on Tuesday nights on ESPN the Ocho.
the only bowl games that don't draw are the first week games. the Outback Bowl sells out within the first few days of the announcement of teams.
most bowls do well with ratings.