State of the Game 2011 - Why No Playoff?

Fixing the scandals, Cam Newton, the Longhorn Network, and more. Along with the CFNers, check out the opinions on key topics going into the season from Matt Hayes from the Sporting News and the Chicago Tribune's Teddy Greenstein.

State of the Game 

Why Isn't There A Playoff?

2011 CFN State of the Game Topics  
- Should The Death Penalty Be On The Table? 
- What One Thing Can Stop The Cheating? | Bloggers Analysis
- How To Fix The NCAA | Bloggers Analysis
- Is There Institutional Control? | Bloggers Analysis
- The Cam Newton Situation | Bloggers Analysis
- Was Stanley McClover Telling The Truth? | Bloggers Analysis
- Should Players Get a Bigger Stipend? | Bloggers Analysis
- Should a one-loss SEC team play for it all? | Bloggers Analysis
- Why isn't there a playoff? | Bloggers Analysis
- The Programs About To Blow Up | Bloggers Analysis
- Does The Longhorn Network Matter? | Bloggers Analysis
- What'll Happen In Ten Years? | Bloggers Analysis
- When Should Players Turn Pro? | Bloggers Analysis
- What's Your Beef? The Biggest Complaints | Bloggers Analysis

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Question No. 8. Really, why isn’t there a college football playoff? 

E-mail Pete Fiutak 

Because of job security.

It's really this simple; if there are 34 bowls, 34 fan bases end their years on a high note, and that means the coaches, athletic directors, and presidents go into the offseason with a slew of warm fuzzies. A bowl win creates a ton of happy alumni and donors and a sigh of relief for the winning schools that all is right with the world.

As much as everyone loves the NCAA men's basketball tournament, there's only one winner, no one, NO ONE, remembers who ended up in the Final Four - quick, try to come up with the 2011 four - and 64 teams and fan bases go home disappointed and crying.

At the moment in college football, everyone is making money hand over fist, getting to a BCS game has enough prestige to overcome the lack of a playoff, and almost everyone actually in the sport, like most of the players and coaches, love finishing up with a big win. Ask TCU how its offseason has been, and ask Stanford if the buzz has subsided since the Orange Bowl.

And then there's the harsh reality that no one likes to acknowledge: college football gets it right more than any other sport.

I want a playoff. You want a playoff. We all want a playoff - if the regular season still matters. I despise the idea that a team can finish seventh in its conference and still win the college basketball national championship. I hate that the Green Bay Packers didn't even win their own division and was able to win the Super Bowl.

College football is the best sport going because it's the only one with a truly meaningful regular season, and while you might be able to argue that other teams were worthy of playing for the national title, there hasn't been a cheap BCS Championship winner of the bunch. The main powers know this, they love all the money they're making, and more than anything else, they like that just a wee bit of the pressure is off.

By Matt Hayes
Sporting News

Because the heavy hitters in the sport realize one overriding factor: the success and popularity of their game is based on the imperfectly imperfect system. College football doesn’t want to be like the NFL; it doesn’t want to be like every other sport. That’s what people can’t wrap their minds around when they proclaim, “why can’t college football crown a champion like everyone else.” Because they don’t want to. Because the success and health of their game depends on it. It’s like Ed Goren, Fox Sports prez, once said: “We know what we have now and it’s beyond successful. What if you change for change sake and it’s not as good and not as successful?” I’ll tell you what happens: you damage the product for good. So what if there’s controversy every season. A little controversy never hurt anyone. In fact, it has simply made the game stronger than ever.

By Teddy Greenstein
Chicago Tribune

Because I make the rules. Please sub “Jim Delany and university presidents” in for “I”. Seriously, everyone, feel free to enjoy a system where the regular season matters, where bowl games still exist and where fans can still engage in debates about who should be No. 1. And where you have to go better than .500 in your conference (hello, UConn hoops) to win the national title.

By Richard Cirminiello

Old habits are hard to break. Oh, and when business is good, no one wants to change the means toward prosperity. College football is flourishing like never before, making a playoff inconsequential to the powers-that-be. It only becomes viable if the sport takes a sharp dip in ratings and popularity. In other words, don’t hold your breath waiting for a playoff to become reality any time soon.

By Matt Zemek

Jim Delany. Next question.

By Barrett Sallee
Follow me on Twitter: @BarrettSallee

Because the BCS is the best system we have at the moment, and there is no consensus on which type of playoff to use. A general, blanket, “we need a playoff” statement isn’t a solution. A specific plan, which is acceptable by most playoff proponents, must be agreed upon before a debate even starts.

By Russ Mitchell
Follow me on Twitter @russmitchellcfb

Because private promoters pay off our sports power brokers in terms of cash and treasures to look the other way.

Because the Presidents of our universities that are supposed to be on the lookout to preserve their institution's funding, instead listen with unjaundiced ear to the mouth of their Athletic Directors...AD's who now often have FINANCIAL BONUSES WRITTEN INTO THEIR CONTRACTS that reward them personally for bowl visits - regardless how much money the school might actually lose from the experience. Stinks to high heaven, doesn't it.

But all this is ending. College football's postseason can generate too much money for the current private promoters to continue to hide under the thin veil of "public good" and false modesty.

At the same time that schools are strapped for cash, the promise of a proper college football postseason could quadruple the current bowl system revenue. Annually.

At a time when the Big 12 is imploding, and CFB is moving towards a superconference structure of four leagues of 16 teams each - thus setting up a natural, de facto playoff system of the sports top programs, a four team playoff is inevitable; let alone a 16 team one (top four from each conference).

There's too much money. Too-Much-Money, Honey. That's why Texas cannot be independent. That's why Notre Dame will have to join the Big Ten, and why BYU better start scrambling for the Pac-12's limited spots. It's also why the Longhorn Network is a dead man walking.

What? You think when we eventually have this system in place, Texas is going to get a pass to the final four? Some special +1 and make five? Why? Its cute logo?

Texas might be important TO college football, but it's not MORE important than college football. Same for you, Notre Dame - especially you.

Neither is more important than a 16 team SEC. Or a 16 team Pac-12. If these schools must all slug it out for a chance to participate in the the new 64 team postseason...why shouldn't you?

Grow up and get over yourself - you're not that important. And you're certainly not pushing around 16 teams, let alone 64.

The music's stopping, brother. Better grab a chair.


2011 CFN State of the Game Topics  
- Should The Death Penalty Be On The Table? 
- What One Thing Can Stop The Cheating? | Bloggers Analysis
- How To Fix The NCAA | Bloggers Analysis
- Is There Institutional Control? | Bloggers Analysis
- The Cam Newton Situation | Bloggers Analysis
- Was Stanley McClover Telling The Truth? | Bloggers Analysis
- Should Players Get a Bigger Stipend? | Bloggers Analysis
- Should a one-loss SEC team play for it all? | Bloggers Analysis
- Why isn't there a playoff? | Bloggers Analysis
- The Programs About To Blow Up | Bloggers Analysis
- Does The Longhorn Network Matter? | Bloggers Analysis
- What'll Happen In Ten Years? | Bloggers Analysis
- When Should Players Turn Pro? | Bloggers Analysis
- What's Your Beef? The Biggest Complaints | Bloggers Analysis

LIMITED TIME ONLY: CLICK HERE for a Free Week of Top-Rated Selections

- Suggestions or something we missed? Let us know
- Follow us ... http://twitter.com/ColFootballNews