One Step Closer for a BCS Playoff

With the recent word from the Big East that TCU will join the current 8-team league, and talks about another team, such as Central Florida or Villanova (who is a basketball Big East member), could help the Big East gain national power back after losing Miami (FL) and Virginia Tech to the ACC and West Virginia and Pitt's lackluster records as predicted Big East contenders. Also, we may be one step close to seeing all 6 BCS conferences achieve a championship game and near uniformity. This will eliminate co-champions, and allow for an avenue for a more fair regular season, where we can truly have a BCS playoff with 10 teams.


The top 5 teams are decided by the top two teams in the BCS, and the remaining conference champions, regardless of BCS ranking, but they must rank in the top 10 in order to qualify. Thus, Virginia Tech and UConn would not be in the BCS Playoffs and with good cause. Losing 4 games in the regular season doesn't warrant for a playoff berth. Although Virginia Tech only had 2 losses, this is a year a very good 1 and 2-loss teams such as Stanford, Wisconsin, Arkansas, and Ohio State. Had Virginia Tech not lost to a FCS team, they'd be at least 5th because they are ACC champions.

So, if two conference champions are left out, the seeding would start from 3rd in the BCS and work down.

This year is more interesting because there were 3 Big 10 co-champions (which will be eliminated after a championship game) and one team (Stanford) ranked higher than three conference champions. Only BCS-conference champions will count for the top 6. Boise State and TCU, for instance would have to work to get into a high ranking to get a higher seed.

Here is the top 6 teams:

1. Auburn (BCS number 1)
2. Oregon (BCS number 2)
3. Wisconsin (theoretical Big 10 champ)
4. Oklahoma (Big 12 champ)
5. TCU (highest ranked non-BCS conference champion)
6. Stanford (highest ranked team remaining)

The final four teams would simply fall in according to ranking in the BCS:

7. Ohio State
8. Arkansas
9. Michigan State
10. Boise State

The first round matchups will be the BCS teams that didn't win a BCS-conference championship, or a "play-in" game:

Seed 8 v 9

Seed 7 v 10

These game locations will be based on the 8th and 9th ranked bowl games as it stands now (Cotton Bowl and Chick-fil-A Bowl).

The 7 v 10 would face 2nd seeded Oregon and 8 v 9 would face 1st seeded Auburn.

The second round matchups would be:

Seed 1 v 8/9
Seed 2 v 7/10
Seed 3 v 6
Seed 4 v 5

These matchups are based on the 4th-7th ranked bowl games, with the top two bowls (which are now BCS bowls) will rotate in and out over the years and will always host the one of the top 2 teams and based on location of the schools. Those bowls will be Outback Bowl (7), Capitol One (6), Rose Bowl/Fiesta Bowl (5), Orange Bowl/Sugar Bowl (4).

The semi-final round will be between the four remaining teams and be played at the two BCS bowls not played in the second round.

And finally the championship game, which rotates as well in the playoffs, will also be hosted at one of the four BCS bowl locations.

Here is a possibility of how this year's playoffs could align:

Arkansas (8) v Michigan State (9) @ Chick-fil-A Bowl - Arkansas wins
Ohio State (7) v Boise State (10) @ Cotton Bowl - Ohio State wins

Auburn (1) v Arkansas (8) @ Sugar Bowl - Auburn wins
Oregon (2) v Ohio State (7) @ Rose Bowl - Oregon wins
Wisconsin (3) v Stanford (6) @ Capitol One Bowl - Wisconsin wins
TCU (4) v Oklahoma (5) @ Outback Bowl - TCU wins

Auburn (1) v TCU (4) @ Orange Bowl - Auburn
Oregon (2) v Wisconsin (3) @ Fiesta Bowl - Oregon

Auburn (1) v Oregon (2) @ BCS NCG