The Alberts Plan

We know BCS is a disaster; now it's time to do something

This is what it has come to for me.

On Sunday, I was getting ready to do the NFL Preview show for CNN and all I could think about was the BCS. I had a tough time doing the show.

On Monday morning, I was trying to think about anything but the BCS. But then I'm reading the Money page of USA Today, and they had six analysts discussing forecasts for 2002. None of them could agree on anything. And suddenly, I'm thinking, "Hmm ... what if they used a BCS to predict the stock market?" It's no more predictable than the AP and coaches' polls.

In the wake of this latest mess, I have to agree with something ESPN's Chris Fowler said. The most disturbing thing about the BCS is that people are now laughing at college football. It's such a wonderful sport, and it's always had its share of healthy debate and criticism. But we've crossed the line from water-cooler talk to all-out laughingstock.

The BCS to me is the single most misguided attempt to decide a champion in the history of sports. We've had it for four years, and it hasn't worked in two of them -- half the time!

For one, the coaches' poll can never again be trusted. It's a fraud. I understand why the people who changed their vote did it, but to manipulate your vote to try to get one team into a game over another is about as reputable as some of the things you see in boxing.

Another disturbing thing is how coaches are now being pitted against each other. I was squirming in my seat watching Colorado coach Gary Barnett on the ABC show try to bite his lip while pointing out how his team beat Nebraska, and beat five ranked teams to Nebraska's two. And then there's Nebraska's Frank Solich trying to say the right thing, being forced to defend his team's position. You're pitting guys against each other when that shouldn't even be an issue.

And then you have unfortunate statements like Oregon's Mike Bellotti's comparing the BCS to cancer. You've got to think he'd like to take that back. But these are the kind of things that happen when you put these coaches in difficult situations.

You can understand Nebraska's point. The BCS is supposed to look at the entire season, and the entire season they had one loss, at Boulder. Why is that worse than Colorado's two losses? But Barnett says it's all about playing good at the end of the year. Shouldn't that matter? Apparently not, coach.

To make changes every year the way the BCS has, it has lost tremendous credibility. There must have been some very incomplete thinking when this thing was devised. You've go to think they did not go through all the scenarios. Did they hope they would just skate by and avoid them? Did they actually hope these scenarios would exist? The commissioners of the leagues are more intelligent than this, aren't they? It may be a fun thing for Roy Kramer to sit back and enjoy, but it's not fun for some other people.

So it's time for an overhaul.

Laying out the plan

From the start, let me say that my druthers would be to have a full-blown playoff. But I know that's not going to happen. So the following scenario I present isn't what we should have, it isn't like what I-AA, Division II and Division III have, but I'm hoping it's a step to get us where we need to get.

So for starters, we're not calling this a playoff, because people are scared of change. It will still be called the Bowl Championship Series. We're still going to have BCS rankings, just like we have now, with all the computers and everything. And we're still going to have all the bowl games.

Starting to feel a little more comfortable, guys? Still with me?

At the end of the season, we still tap the champions of the six major conferences -- determine them any way you want, just pick one -- and two at-large teams. But the difference between the current system and mine is the two at-large teams must be the two highest-ranked that didn't win their conference. Then we seed these teams one through eight. Based on this year's BCS rankings, those seeds would be:

1) Miami
2) Nebraska*
3) Colorado
4) Oregon
5) Florida*
6) Illinois
7) Maryland
8) LSU

* -- at-large.

In my system, Nebraska and Colorado would both make the BCS, and Nebraska still would be seeded higher. But the difference is, Colorado would still have the same chance at the national title. Is it 100 percent fair? No. Would there be some question on seeding? Probably. But that's what the computer spit out. Tennessee will be screaming, "Hey, we beat Florida! We should be in, not them!" Hey, you just got beat by an LSU team playing with its backup quarterback and running back. There's going to be some complaining. But not nearly as much as I hear now.

But the great thing about the two at-large teams is it tells the Fresno States and BYUs of the world they have a chance. Is it a very good chance? Maybe not. But at least you can do everything you can with your schedule, like Fresno did, and there are guaranteed spots. And we make no special exceptions for Notre Dame. If the Irish finish in the top eight, great, they're in. If not, forget it.

On to the bowls

All non-BCS bowl games stay in existence, if they want. Games like the Humanitarian Bowl, the GalleryFurniture.com Bowl, they're still important for many programs trying to get there. But they have to be completed before the "BCS" begins, this year by Dec. 21. Some bowls will probably go away, but to me that's a good thing. North Texas is 5-6, it should not be in a bowl game. Bowl games should be a reward for excellence, and 5-6 is not excellent. Plus, if decertification of certain I-A schools does come about in the next few years, we may have less of a pool of 6-5 teams to choose from anyway.

Trev's New BCS Saturday, Dec. 22: No. 2 Nebraska vs. No. 7 Maryland 11 a.m. EST No. 3 Colorado vs. No. 6 Illinois 2 p.m. EST No. 1 Miami vs. No. 8 LSU 5:30 p.m. EST No. 4 Oregon vs. No. 5 Florida 9 p.m. EST Saturday, Dec. 29: No. 2 Nebraska vs. No. 3 Colorado 5 p.m. EST No. 1 Miami vs. No. 5 Florida 8:30 p.m. EST Saturday, Jan. 5: No. 1 Miami vs. No. 3 Colorado 8 p.m. EST

Saturday, Dec. 22 is the first round of our new Bowl Championship Series. This will accomplish two things. First, some of the worst football you see played is in the New Year's bowls, because the teams haven't played for as long as six weeks (like Florida State last year). The quality of play will be much better in the first round of our BCS.

The four games to host the first round will be bid on, just like how the Big 12 championship game rotates. For this year, I've picked the Orange (least financially stable of the current BCS games), Holiday, Citrus and Cotton. They're guaranteed to have a first-round game at their site, as long as they can guarantee the money being paid out, just like usual. Even if you lose, your conference must get more money than any non-BCS bowl game.

Each one of these bowl games becomes very significant. And what you have on Dec. 22 is a phenomenal day of football, starting with the Citrus at 11 a.m EST., followed, with a little overlap, by the Cotton at 2 p.m., the Orange Bowl at 5:30 and the Holiday at 9 (6 on the West Coast).

We'll use regional consideration for which games go where. What does that give you? In the Holiday, No. 4 Oregon vs. No. 5 Florida. What a great first-round game! In the Orange, No. 1 Miami vs. No. 8 LSU. In the Cotton, No. 3 Colorado vs. No. 6 Illinois. And in the Citrus, No. 2 Nebraska vs. No. 7 Maryland.

So, following a normal week of practice, the winners of those games go on to the semifinals on Dec. 29. The two semifinals and championship will rotate every year between the Sugar, Fiesta and Rose.

We'll say Florida exposes Oregon's defense in the Holiday, setting up a Miami-Florida Sugar Bowl, which Miami wins. The Fiesta hosts a Nebraska-Colorado rematch. Guess who wins?

The national championship Rose Bowl takes place in primetime, Jan. 5, which this year happens to be the night before the last NFL regular-season games. But I don't care about how the NFL feels. The true college fans will watch college. Are there not NBA games going on during March Madness? In fact, the NFL would be scared to death because people would be following the college playoffs closer than those in the NFL.

Miami and Colorado play for the national championship in the Rose Bowl. I'm not making any predictions, you decide. All I know is there will be no question as to how they got there.

In summary, you'd have seven bowl games that really matter vs. two this year and one normally. And the quality of play in these bowl games would be much better.

Refuting all arguments

I know there's going to be the argument about academics, how this proposed plan would cut into players' schoolwork. All know is this: When I was at Nebraska, the baseball team would leave for about three weeks in February to go to tournaments in Florida, Hawaii and California. Georgia Southern is about to play its third I-AA playoff game in as many weeks, and I don't hear them complaining. If you want to get a degree, you'll take care of your schoolwork. You're used to it. And heck, the time period we're talking about is over winter break!

Then there's the people who say you can't expect fans to travel to all these extra games. I think more fans will get to see their team play than at any other time. Bowl games now are corporate outings, like the Super Bowl, maybe 1,000 tickets go on sale to the public. If your team gets all the way to the championship, plays three bowl games, all fans that want to go get to go. Some may choose just to go to the first game, some may wait until the third game. Just like the basketball tournament. And we'll make it as regionally accommodating as possible.

Everyone's a winner

You look at the level of excitement surrounding the Tennessee-LSU game here in Atlanta. That's because it had bearing. It will probably end up having more excitement than two of the four BCS games. The atmosphere at these seven bowls will be more like that of a conference championship.

Players still get to enjoy the bowl experience. The great traditions of college football continue, the regional rivalries, to the best we can, continue.

When we start this thing, the payouts are going to be determined on rights fees by the networks, as well as some of the bowl kick-ins. The better you do, the more money your conference gets, which should makes the commissioners pretty happy.

Plus, this plan helps us move closer to a true championship without allowing the NCAA to get its hands on the money, which is a main issue for college athletic directors and presidents. The effects could be far-reaching at the intstitutional level, maybe helping to save some of the sports like swimming and wrestling that get cut when schools have to make tough decisions.

Does it sound like something that would work? I sure think so. Now I just need to present my case to Mr. Kramer.

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