State of the Game - One Slight Change

Preview 2010 - The State of the Game. You can make one slight, realistic tweak to the world of college football. What would it be?

Preview 2010 - State of the Game

One Slight Change ...

State of the Game Topics
- Is Realignment A Plus?
- The SEC & The BCS
- What If Boise Goes 12-0?
- Are You Okay With the BCS Championship Result?
- Does The AP Title Matter?
- A $300 Bowl Gift vs. a $300 Handshake
- Did Reggie Bush Do Anything Wrong?
- How Should Offending Programs Be Punished?
- If You Could Make One Radical Change ...
- If You Could Make One Slight Change ...
- What Is Excessive Celebration?
- What's Your Favorite Non-Heisman Award

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Once again, we're extremely proud to get the thoughts from some of the top voices in the college football world in our annual State of the Game piece. Along with three CFN writers, check out the opinions on the key topics going into the 2010 season from legendary play-by-play man, Verne Lundquist, ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit, Ivan Maisel, Joe Schad, and Bruce Feldman, Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com, and the Chicago Tribune's Teddy Greenstein.

11. You can make one slight, realistic tweak to the world of college football. What would it be?

Pete Fiutak, CFN : Eliminate games against FCS teams, or at the very least, have them be seen as a black mark in the BCS standings and in bowl discussions. As I’ve suggested for years, I’d mandate that every team plays one home game to start the year against an FCS team as a preseason tune-up. The game doesn’t count in the BCS standings and is to be used however each FBS team sees fit, and then that’s it for the games against the lower level. The FBSer gets a nice, layup of a home date that makes the alumni happy, the first teamers get some live action before the real fighting begins, and the season as a whole would be better.

Richard Cirminiello, CFN : Not sure if it’s slight, but the current rules for overtime are rotten. I’m not suggesting modeling it after the NFL, but can we at least move the starting possession back from its current spot, the opponent’s 25-yard line? By beginning the drive in field goal range, it completely changes the tenor of the game and puts the defense in a ridiculous position, especially after already playing 60 minutes. Move teams back 10 or 15 yards, so at least they have to get a first down to have a shot at pointing up points.

Matt Zemek, CFN: A plus-one. Really - can that be too hard, on the Sunday of the NFL Divisional Playoffs following the late game - at about 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC? It would draw box-office ratings, make a pile of money, and thrill fans throughout the land.

Dennis Dodd, CBSSports.com: No penalty kicks, er, current overtime system. If they can play 12 games, if they can play until midnight, if they can conference championship games, they can certainly play a sudden death football game where the next team that scores, wins. Forget the coin flip at the beginning of overtime. Whoever is holding the ball at the end of regulation gets the ball in overtime. Fair?

Bruce Feldman, ESPN.com: Get rid of the celebration penalties. The flag gets thrown for taunting, not celebration, anyhow.

Teddy Greenstein, Chicago Tribune: The BCS title game should be played no later than Jan. 4.

Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN : That people who vote in the polls that affect the BCS standings actually watch the teams they're voting for every week. I wonder if we took a poll of our own and asked the coaches and Harris poll voters how many games do they actually watch. Not watch SportsCenter or read the morning paper, but actually watch the games. Most of them don't have the time to watch all the games, they just check scores and move teams up and down their poll based on scores. Most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of---If you don't have the time to watch the games, DON'T VOTE!!!!

Verne Lundquist, CBS : Here's my slight tweak of the current world of college football. Let's cut the number of bowl games in half. Yes, I know, it gives a coach whose team has a six and six record a chance to finish above .500 and to keep the alumni at arm's length for at least another off season. Yes, I know, it's a reward to the 'student athletes' for a season of effort and perspiration and provides them a chance to spend a week in Detroit, or Boise, or Shreveport, or Mobile. My view, however, is that ESPN already has enough redundant programming. To provide programming for the Bristol bunch is the reason many of these bowls have an existence.

Ivan Maisel, ESPN.com: I would encourage teams to wear colored jerseys on the road. We all have color TVs now. There’s no need for white jerseys, except at LSU.

Joe Schad, ESPN : Have the commissioner of each BCS conference mandate that their football schools must schedule at least one non-conference BCS opponent every season, particularly a comparable opponent.