BCS Playoff system

After a yearlong hiatus, and after becoming Dr. Cooke, I have decided to write down my thoughts on the BCS bowl system. The problem with the current system is two-fold.

1. It doesn't allow the smaller conference teams a fair shot at the title.
2. There is an unsatisfying and inexact method for selecting the two teams that should play for the national championship.

What college football needs is a system that preserves the current bowls, allows the smaller teams to participate, and has a satisfying and undisputed national champion. The best solution is a 16 team playoff, with the first two rounds occurring during the last two weeks of the "regular season," and the final two rounds during the new year. There are 12 Division IA conferences, including the independents, and each of these conferences should be represented with a champion, with some consideration given to Notre Dame. The final four slots should be decided by an NCAA committee much like the NCAA basketball selection committee, and teams should be seeded based on a BCS style ranking system. If this is not feasible than some other means of selection could occur. These games would happen the last weekend in November and the first weekend in December, pushing conference championships back two weeks. This would not matter for the Big 10 and Pac 10, but the Big East, SEC, Big 12, and ACC would be affected.

After the first two rounds, which would be played on neutral fields and tickets sold in advance (and given to the schools participating), there would be three final games: the semifinals, which would occur on New Years Day, and the championship a week later. The Rose, Orange, Cotton, and Fiesta can alternate turns hosting the three big games, and the other can match two of the top losers and still favor the BCS conferences if they so choose.

The real key to this plan is the continuation of the other bowl games. All teams eliminated from the tournament would still be eligible for bowl games, and would still get a chance to end their season with a win. The problem with an eight team playoff is the elimination of the little conferences. Right now there is no room for all three undefeated small conference teams, Ball State, Boise State, and Utah, to be included in the eight. And all three of those teams should have a chance to compete for the national title. A minimum of 16 teams is needed to ensure all undefeated teams a spot.