If There Was A Playoff ...
1998
The FCS, 20-Team Format
What If There Was An FCS, 20-Team Playoff ...
- 2010 | 2000 |
1999 |
1998
The Rest To Come Throughout The Week
March Madness always makes college football fans wonder what
life would be like if college football had a post-season tournament of
its own to settle the matter on the field. Ever since the goofy BCS was
created, fans wondered why there couldn't have been some cut-and-dry way
to come up with an easy playoff format that also keeps the integrity of
the regular season. Of course, it didn't happen - and won't for a while
- but it's still one of the sports' biggest topics of discussion.
If were up to us, we'd create an eight-team playoff with the six BCS
conference winners, the top-ranked non-BCS conference champion according
to the BCS, and one wild-card to be used as a catch-all for Notre Dame,
a team that might have been hosed by scheduling, a tie-breaker scenario,
or simply the best team left in the discussion. We've taken a look at what might have happened if there was an eight-team playoff in place,
but what if it was a 20-team playoff like the FCS currently uses?
What if the FBSers had the exact same format as the FCS with a play-in
round during the last week of November, the next round in the first
weekend of December, the next on the second week, the Final Four on the
third week, and then the national championship held on the first week of
January? (Of course, the season would have to start in late August and
would have to be more compact to fit in the conference title games, but
we'll deal with the true logistics on our next trip in the wayback
machine).
To keep this in the land of the real, the big break for the top teams
would be home field advantage for the higher seeds up until the the
Final Four. Get a top four seed, and you get two games at home meaning
the regular season really, really counts, and some of the
integrity is kept intact. The Final Four games would incorporate the
major bowl games, and the national title would be at a BCS Championship
site, like it is now.
Here's our ruling on who gets in. All the conference champions are
in and they're seeded accordingly. The remaining nine open slots go
strictly according to the final BCS rankings. If you can't make the top
11 of the BCS rankings, you don't have any beef and no complaint. So
with that in mind, let's put in place what life might have looked like
had the FBS decided to crank out an FCS-like playoff.
Final BCS Ranking In Parentheses
Automatic Invites Go To ...
ACC – Florida State (2)
Big East – Syracuse (15)
Big Ten – Ohio State (4)
Big 12 – Texas A&M (6)
Pac 10 – UCLA (5)
SEC – Tennessee (1)
Big West - Idaho
Conference USA - Tulane
MAC - Marshall
WAC - Air Force
The At-Large Bids Would've Gone To: Kansas State (3),
Arizona (7), Florida (8), Wisconsin (9), Nebraska (11),
Virginia (12), Arkansas (13), Georgia Tech (14), Michigan (15 AP, 15
Coaches), Notre Dame (17 AP, 18 Coaches)
Bubble Busted: UCF (9-2),
Georgia (8-3), Texas (8-3)
The Bracket Would Be ... Based on BCS rankings. Records
are before the 1998-1999 Bowl Games
FIRST ROUND PLAY-IN
No. 17 Air Force 11-1 at No. 16 Michigan 9-3
Projected Score: Michigan 24-16
No. 20 Idaho 9-3 at No. 13 Arkansas 9-2
Projected Score: Arkansas 34-10
No. 19 Marshall 11-1 at No. 14 Georgia Tech 9-2
Projected Score: Georgia Tech 31-24
No. 18 Notre Dame 9-2 at No. 15 Syracuse 8-3
Projected Score: Syracuse 27-10
Matchup Analysis: There wouldn't have been any
shockers in the play-in round, but Air Force, whose one loss came by a
point to TCU, would've given Michigan fits. But the Wolverine defense
started to jell over the second half of the season and would've done
enough to get by. Marshall had a strong team, but the 1999 team would be
better. The 1998 version wouldn't have been able to get by Georgia Tech.
Idaho would've been rolled by Arkansas and a scrappy, Donovan McNabb-led
Syracuse would've blown past a mediocre Notre Dame.
SECOND ROUND
No. 16 Michigan 10-3 at No. 1 Tennessee 12-0
Projected Score: Tennessee 27-24
No. 9 Wisconsin 10-1 at No. 8 Florida 9-2
Projected Score: Wisconsin 34-31
No. 12 Virginia 9-2 at No. 5 UCLA 10-1
Projected Score: UCLA 45-28
No. 13 Arkansas 10-2 at No. 4 Ohio State 10-1
Projected Score: Ohio State 27-13
No. 11 Nebraska 9-3 at No. 6 Texas A&M 11-2
Projected Score: Texas A&M 14-13
No. 14 Georgia Tech 10-2 at No. 3 Kansas State 11-1
Projected Score: Kansas State 45-17
No. 10 Tulane 11-0 at No. 7 Arizona 11-1
Projected Score: Arizona 17-3
No. 15 Syracuse 9-3 at No. 2 Florida State 11-1
Projected Score: Florida State 30-10
Matchup Analysis: The round of 16 would've had
some fantastic matchups. The big shocker of the lot would've been
Wisconsin over Florida with Ron Dayne and the powerful ground game
controlling things, and Tom Burke and the tremendous defensive front
giving Rex Grossman a nightmare of a time in an upset in the Swamp.
Michigan was far, far better than a 16 seed, but Tennessee would get by
in yet another close shave in a wild season. Cade McNown and UCLA
would've rolled at home over Virginia, Kansas State would've been
focused after the Big 12 Championship disaster to Texas A&M and would've
blown away Georgia Tech, and Ohio State would've blown away a decent
Arkansas team that wouldn't have been able to keep up the pace. Donovan
McNabb and the Orangemen would've been overmatched against the
tremendous Florida State defense.
THIRD ROUND
No. 9 Wisconsin 11-1 at No. 1 Tennessee 13-0
Projected Score: Wisconsin 23-21
No. 5 UCLA 11-1 at No. 4 Ohio State 11-1
Projected Score: Ohio State 44-23
No. 6 Texas A&M 12-2 at No. 3 Kansas State 12-1
Projected Score: Kansas State 41-21
No. 7 Arizona 12-1 at No. 2 Florida State 12-1
Projected Score: Arizona 20-17
Matchup Analysis: The top two seeds wouldn't
have
been knocked out. The Desert Swarm Arizona defense would've destroyed
Marcus Outzen and the Florida State offense, while Wisconsin would've
kept the run against the SEC going by converting off a few key Tee
Martin mistakes. Finally, the good luck in close games would've run out
for the Volunteers. The Ohio State defense would've been pushed by the
UCLA offense, but the power running game would've ranked up over 250
yards on the porous Bruin D. Kansas State would've put the foot on the
gas in the payback game against A&M.
FINAL FOUR
No. 9 Wisconsin 12-1 vs. No. 4 Ohio State 12-1
Projected Score: Ohio State 24-13
No. 7 Arizona 13-1 vs. No. 3 Kansas State 13-1
Projected Score: Arizona 24-20
Matchup Analysis: In the Big Ten game everyone
wanted to see during the regular season, on a neutral site, Ohio State
would've shut down the Wisconsin attack and would've proved it really
was the star of the conference. Kansas State's Michael Bishop would've
been kept under wraps by the phenomenal Arizona defensive front as the
the Cats would be the team everyone was talking about.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
No. 7 Arizona 14-1 vs. No. 4 Ohio State 13-1
Projected Score: Ohio State 23-13
Matchup Analysis: It would be a tough
defensive slugfest, but the Ohio State offense would be mistake-free and
just balanced enough to offset the aggressive Arizona defense. Ortege
Jenkins would've committed three key turnovers trying to mount a
comeback, and the Buckeyes would've finally fulfilled their promise
under head coach John Cooper.
1998 NATIONAL CHAMPION - No. 4 Ohio State 14-1
What If There Was An FCS, 20-Team Playoff ...
- 2010 | 2000 |
1999 |
1998
The Rest To Come Throughout The Week