What If There
Was A Playoff? ... 1999
Looking at what might have happened over the years
By Pete Fiutak
What If There Was A Playoff ...
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CFN Playoff Explanation
| 2009 |
2008 |
2007 |
2006
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2005 |
2004 |
2003 |
2002 |
2001 |
2000 |
1999 |
1998
Take the six BCS conference champions and give them automatic bids. Take
the highest ranked non-BCS team (Notre
Dame included), and give it an automatic
bid. The eighth and final slot would be
a Wild Card going to the top ranked team
in the BCS that isn’t already in. With
that in mind, here are the eight teams
that would be in and the best guess
about what would happen.
Final BCS Ranking in
parentheses
ACC – Florida State (1)
Big East – Virginia Tech (2)
Big Ten – Wisconsin (7)
Big 12 – Nebraska (3)
Pac 10 –
Stanford (NR)
SEC – Alabama (4)
Non-BCS – Marshall (13)
Wild Card – Tennessee (5)
Bubble Busted:
Kansas State (7), Michigan (8)
The automatic spots would’ve been
cut and dry, but there would’ve been a
big debate about the Wild Card. Kansas
State would’ve had a beef after going
10-1 in the regular season and tied with
Nebraska for the Big 12 South title.
Tennessee, who finished higher in the
final BCS rankings, lost to great
Florida and Arkansas teams but beat
Georgia and came up with a great 21-7
win over eventual SEC champion Alabama
in Alabama. Kansas State simply didn’t
have the big résumé with a nice win at
Texas the only victory of note.
First Round Matchups
Indianapolis
– No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 5 Wisconsin
Miami – No. 1 Florida State vs. No. 8
Marshall
Dallas – No. 3 Nebraska vs.
No. 6 Tennessee
Phoenix – No. 2
Virginia Tech vs. No. 7 Stanford
Matchup Analysis: Alabama’s Shaun
Alexander vs. Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne
would’ve made for a fantastic first
round matchup in Indianapolis. The 1998
Badger team was better, but the defense
would’ve been just strong enough to win
a classic. Chad Pennington wouldn’t have
been enough for Marshall to overcome the
Florida State firepower. Nebraska beat
Tennessee 31-21 in the 2000 Fiesta Bowl.
Troy Walters and Stanford had a special
year to get to the Rose Bowl, but
Michael Vick would’ve had few problems
with the Cardinal defense.
Projected Final Four
Rose Bowl –
No. 2 Virginia Tech vs. No. 3 Nebraska
Sugar Bowl – No. 1 Florida State vs. No.
5 Wisconsin
Matchup Analysis: Nebraska had the
defensive front to keep Vick bottled up,
but the offense would’ve had problems
with the fantastic Hokie D line. It
would’ve been a tight battle, but the
Huskers were better. Florida State
would’ve obliterated the Badgers.
Wisconsin was good, but it wouldn’t have
had any answer for the Seminiole passing
game.
Projected National Championship: No.
1 Florida State vs. No. 3 Nebraska
Projected National Champion: No. 1
Florida State
Matchup Analysis: What beats the
option? Speed on the defensive front
seven. Florida State’s front wall
would’ve kept Eric Crouch and the
Nebraska option under wraps, while Peter
Warrick and Laveranues Coles would’ve
come up with just enough big plays to
pull away. Nebraska had issues holding
on to the ball all season long, and FSU
would’ve taken advantage of a few big
fumble recoveries.
What If There Was A Playoff ...
-
CFN Playoff Explanation |
2009
|
2008
|
2007
|
2006
-
2005
|
2004
|
2003
|
2002
|
2001
|
2000
|
1999 |
1998