Bowl Championship Series Causes Controversy

Staff Writer

   The holiday season is an exciting time of year. Christmas with the family, giving and receiving gifts and of course bringing in the New Year. But for sports fans, it is the never-ending tradition of the bowl games of college football.

   During the months of December and January, the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) elite college football teams finish off their seasons by competing in a number of bowl games. The most important of these games is the Bowl Championship Series (BCS). This series consist of five games played normally within the first week of January. The bowls consist of the Rose Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl, the Orange Bowl and the National Championship Game.

   Sounds exciting, but there is a catch. Only the top 10 teams in the country receive the opportunity to play in these five games. And every year, some outstanding team is denied the privilege of playing in these prestigious games.

   To determine who is “good enough” to play, the BCS system relies on the use of polls and computer selection methods. Also, the games are determined by conference. The Rose Bowl is played between Big Ten conference champions and Pac-10 conference champions. The Fiesta Bowl is played by the Big 12 champions and a ranked team. The same format goes for the Orange Bowl. It is played between the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) champions and a ranked team. Same goes for the Sugar Bowl, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) champions versus a ranked team.

   The National Championship however is between the No. 1 team in the country and the No. 2 team in the country.

   While this is how it has been for the past decade, many have disagreed with this system, because let’s face it, who can say in good conscience the team ranked No. 50 in the country, can’t beat the No. 1 team?

   On Sept. 1, 2007, the Appalachian State Mountaineers played their season opener against the Michigan Wolverines, who at the time ranked in at No. 10. The Mountaineers beat Michigan 34-32 and became the first Division I (I-AA) football team to defeat a Division I (I-A) team ranked in the AP poll. On Jan. 11, 2008, the Mountaineers won the 2007 College Football Game of the Year, awarded by the United States Sports Academy. So in short, just because you ranked high does not always mean you are “that good.”

   I ask, why not use the “March Madness” (used by the NCAA Basketball system) brackets or some sort of playoff system? This idea was first brought up by President Obama.                                     

   Although some don‘t agree, I believe this gives everyone an equal opportunity to vie for the national championship. Everyone in Division I (I-A) who are a conference champion, play in bracket or playoff style games. That way the No. 1 and No. 2 teams will have to battle their way to the national championship instead of it being decided a month ahead of time.

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