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Fennelly Column: BCS Travesty Confirms Need For Playoffs

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By MARTIN FENNELLY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 4, 2007

TAMPA - If the BCS ran the world, the world wouldn't run.

The sun would rise in the East and set in the Big East.

Ice cream would fall behind liver and spinach.

The Titanic would squeak past the iceberg in the final rankings.

And so we have LSU against Ohio State.

What a boring and not even remotely mythical end to the most exciting regular season in college football history.

It began with Appalachian State over Michigan, and kept Appalaching along.

Now we're back in the Valley of Death.

Why do we waste our time?

Travesty Holds The Edge

Think of those countless hours we spent in the name of this Bankrupt Championship Series. Think of all those stupid mascot heads Lee Corso wore.

(Idea for a "Twilight Zone": Lee puts Gator head on, but it locks like the "Man in The Iron Mask," no key, and he has to wear it the rest of his life. Tries to eat soup in restaurant, makes mess - fade out.)

This mad-capped season deserves a playoff. LSU becomes the first two-loss team in the championship game. Why shouldn't two-loss Georgia, Oklahoma, USC and Virginia Tech be screaming? The mythical national championship has never seemed more mythical.

OK, the BCS has lucked out twice - Ohio State-Miami in 2001 and USC-Texas in 2005. And this year isn't quite like past BCS travesties - FSU chosen over Miami in 2000, or Nebraska in 2001, or Oklahoma instead of USC in 2003.

To review, Travesties lead Luck, 3-2.

That's too close a call.

LSU and Ohio State might be the two best teams in the land.

Or they might not be.

That's the point.

"I don't think that's so much the system as the year," explained BCS major domo and SEC commissioner Mike Slive.

That's it, blame the teams.

These TV and bowl fat cats and money hungry big-conference university presidents and athletic directors could care less about justice. They'll get around to it about the time the oil companies unveil their "Look, Everybody, Free Gas!" campaigns.

They say all this talk is good for college football. How seriously do we take the college basketball regular season anyway? But you can have a riveting regular season and a playoff system and eat it, too. Think Florida-Georgia loses its sizzle with a playoff system. How about Michigan-Ohio State?

Maybe we're just having withdrawal pains. We saw Cinderellas all season.

Heck, USF was No. 2 at one point.

But there's no glass slipper.

Just Ohio State and LSU.

The iron boot.

At Least NFL Has Closure

You know something is wrong when it becomes so wrong that it's a cliche to even criticize it. That's the way it is with the BCS.

"What, another BCS column?"

College football has pro football beat in so many ways. The rivalries, the enthusiasm, the overtime set-up. And Ron Zook is going to the Rose Bowl.

But the NFL has something the colleges don't.

Closure.

College football players, who work for nothing while generating millions for their schools, at least have a right to a true champion.

Some contend these kids get paid in education. Well, college basketball players get their education and a playoff system.. It's time to share the wealth.

Of course, it can be done. Any country that beat the Axis, subdued polio and walked on the moon could produce a measly college football playoff.

Now, I'm not putting college football up there with those things. Who do you think I am, Nick Saban? But anything can be done if you lock people in a room and make them do it. Especially if the room begins filling with water.

Just a mythical dream of mine.

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