NCAA Abandons BCS, Implements New Argument-Based System For Determining College Football Rankings
Thursday, May 29th, 2008Reprinted from The Onion:
INDIANAPOLIS—The NCAA Board of Governors announced Monday that it would be abandoning the complicated BCS formula, with its interdependent network of media and coaches polls and computer rankings, in favor of a more streamlined and manageable system consisting of millions of arguments among fans. “We feel that by monitoring opinions expressed during football-related arguments held in the nation’s bars, restaurants, lunchrooms, Internet message boards, and dinner tables, we can amass all the data we need to rank the nation’s college football teams throughout the season,” NCAA president Myles Brand said in a press release detailing the argument-monitoring system already in place at most Division I colleges. “The best thing about this system is that arguments about the accuracy of the previous week’s arguments are automatically factored in to each week’s rankings. We feel we’ve finally found the solution fans have been demanding for years.” Detractors of the new system claim it will reward larger schools with more vocal, more strident, and simply louder fans, as a recent test of the system had Texas, Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee, Florida State, USC, Boston College, and Alabama all tied for first place.
#1 Ohio State. Based on recent history, are they really the #1 team? There’s always been a better team and this year doesn’t look any different. They should be ranked, perhaps even top 5, but #1? Why? “… an extraordinary number of juniors and seniors returning…” But last year everyone was dumping them because they didn’t have lots of players returning. Then some smart guy (MGoBlog?) figured out the number of returners is irrelevant to the team’s success. Since they repeated, it seems very plausible. So then why tout the number of returners as a good thing? You can’t have it both ways when it doesn’t matter. Experience is good, but there’s also the sophomore slump.
#6 Missouri. Again, perhaps an over-ranking. A break-out season last year, but can they keep it going on? Why do they deserve a #6? Returning QB Chase Daniel and an easy Big 12 Conference schedule.
#7 Clemson. What? I guess someone has to win the ACC.
#9 West Virginia. New coach. New style? New staff? I’m always down on a team when they have a new HC, and usually I’m right (Erickson at ASU last year is an exception).
#12 LSU. Big changes on D and QB loss problems? #12 seems to be a gift. And in the “Toughest conference in the galaxy,” or so we’re told over and over, can a redshirt freshmen QB just “not make mistakes” and a team get into BCS land?
#14 BYU. One of the few outside surprises that I actually agree with. BYU is on the rise and could easily take the MWC. Finishing undefeated would vault them into BCS land, but unlike Hawaii, I and others may give them a chance.
#16 Illinois. Amazing recruiting that doesn’t pan out. Sound like an echo in here?
#17 Kansas. Having to actually play a game out of your home state this season means the schedule is amazingly harder. Even with returning QB, too many losses and changes (new D-coordinator) means it could be back to normal for Kansas. I’ll give them a shot, but won’t feel sad to drop them like a rock.
