Why we need a playoff: a different reason

Submitted by Goblue89 on
During the conclusion and aftermath of USC's domination of Penn State I, like most people across the country, was truly upset that we don't have a playoff in college football. But my anger was not over the fact that USC once against destroyed the Big Ten starting the annual talk about how they are playing the best football in the country and deserve to be playing for the title. I was upset when I heard that the Pac 10 has won the last 6 Rose Bowls (the Big 10's last win was in '98 when Wisconsin beat Standford). It really got me thinking about how unfair the placement of some of these games are. I understand the games are played in December and January taking advantage of the warm weather states, but is it really fair that USC gets to play 11 miles from their home stadium every year while Penn State and Michigan have to travel across the country? Or is it fair that Wisconsin has to play Florida State in Florida this year and Michigan had to play Florida in Florida last year? The biggest reason I want a playoff systems is to literally even the playing field. I don't care how many teams you select or which final bowl games you use, I just want the first round of games to played at the home stadium of the lower seed. The current system in place gives teams from the Southeast and West clear home field advantage every year. How are you rewarding a great Penn State team by making them basically play at USC for their Bowl game. I bet if the game yesterday was played at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh the outcome would have been a little different. Imagine if Michigan got to play at Ford Field every year or Wisconsin at Lambeau, how many more victories would the Big 10 have? I bet we would somehow be a little "faster" in those games. We need a playoff system to reward teams for doing well not punishing them. One of the biggest arguments against a playoff system is that we would lose the "every game matters" attitude. Well using a playoff system with home games eliminates that. Every game would matter because you would be playing for home field advantage. That is what makes the NFL great...Imagine if every year the Packers or Bears had to play their playoff games in Florida or California. What would the NFL be without the Frozen Tundra or the Ice Bowl? The bottomline is I am sick of everyone beating the Big 10 up and worshiping USC and others after the bowl season. If your teams are so good then come to Ann Arbor Jan 1st and beat the Wolverines. Let see that so called "speed" when its 20 degrees and you are playing in a stadium only 1/3 full of your fans. Let's truly even the playing field so that at the end of the day the best team is crowned champion.

Comments

Section 37

January 2nd, 2009 at 2:01 PM ^

You have to be naive to think that the outcome would be the exact same if USC had to travel 2000 miles to Happy Valley in January with the east coast time difference. I'm positive that it has to be harder to throw a tight spiral when it's 20 degrees and the ball is wet from the snow plus you can't exactly utilize your 4.4 speed down the field. These aren't excuses just realities. Every single week this season the NFL commentators constantly remark how poorly the west coast teams play when they have to travel to the east coast however no one ever mentions this in the during college bowl season? They're so eager to pile on the Big 10 that they just keep using the same dog and pony show material that they used the previous year. USC couldn't win in Corvallis in September plus they play in a weak Pac-10 so what gives them the right to play for the national championship? If some corporate sponsor puts up enough money, trust me teams will show up for that bowl game regardless of where it's at. It's not about the warm weather in January it's all about the money.

AMazinBlue

January 2nd, 2009 at 2:03 PM ^

answer almost all questions. USC should be given the opportunity to prove its mettle against Florida/Oklahoma/Texas. As much as it pains me to say it, USC could hold it own against any of those top teams and destroy Alabama.

jmblue

January 2nd, 2009 at 4:09 PM ^

A plus-1 under the current format wouldn't be too fair to the Big Ten. The de facto first round of the playoffs would always involve a 2,000-mile roadtrip and a game in a stadium in which the opposition is always allotted more tickets (and often plays its games right in L.A.). It would be fairer to just junk the bowl contracts entirely and go to a playoff.

dex

January 2nd, 2009 at 3:07 PM ^

People keep citing baseball, basketball, and NFL west-east trips in this travel argument. But those are totally different situations. If the Jets play the 49ers in SF, they leave about 48 hours in advance. When we play in the Rose Bowl, I seem to remember the team being in LA like the day after Christmas, with a full 5 or 6 days to adjust their inner clocks or whatever BS excuse people want to use.

UofM Snowboarder

January 2nd, 2009 at 3:45 PM ^

I don't think the time of day is so much the issue as the weather. The BigTen teams are at a disadvantage because they have to practice indoors for November and December. Quid pro quo would be those south/west coast teams having to play in cold weather. Personally, I wouldn't imagine Florida or USC could beat CMU if they were playing in 20F weather.

chally

January 2nd, 2009 at 7:50 PM ^

Any proposal that includes in its argument "this is what makes the NFL great" is a proposal I can never agree with. The NFL is an abomination. I am a die-hard college football fan and watch somewhere in the neighborhood of 7 games a week during the season. I hate the NFL, however, and I can't begin to understand why anyone finds it remotely enjoyable.

Goblue89

January 2nd, 2009 at 8:43 PM ^

I was merely talking about how I feel their playoff system is great. The NY Giants had to go through Tampa, Dallas and finally Green Bay in sub zero temperatures last year not to mention beating the undefeated Patriots. How could anyone argue against them after all of that. My point being is until USC beats someone in some place other than the Rose Bowl I will have my doubts against them. And please don't tell me beating Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl in '05. OU lost their championship game against Kansas State and still managed to make it. I guess that alone is another reason for a playoff...

JediLow

January 3rd, 2009 at 1:54 AM ^

This has been my exact gripe for years - its completely unfair to play games where the weather is a completely opposite for teams in the northern states. The change in climate is something which takes a huge toll on you (try going from Michigan in the middle of the winter to California, it screws you up)... I'd love to see Florida and USC playing in our territory. The one thing that I want to see in a playoff system, or any bowl system, is to finally equalize that.