The postseason problem - and what to do about it

One of the burning issues in college football for years is how to crown an actual champion, as opposed to what is often referred to as the Mythical National Champion. There are a number of different solutions, which I'll present as the option I consider the least attractive to the most attractive option:

4. The BCS System - For a system that claims to be designed to crown an undisputed National Champion, and matching the 2 best teams in the country every year, it's an outrageous failure. It's not capable of dealing with multiple undefeated teams (see Auburn 2004, Utah 2004 ) or multiple teams with the same schedule (see USC 2003, Miami 2000) or even with avoiding teams that couldn't manage to win their own conference (see Oklahoma 2003, Nebraska 2001). Instead of improving the old bowl system, all it does is create the same situation that has led to (here it comes - my favorite example of this) 4 undefeated Penn State teams that weren't champions or co-champions. The BCS is an abject failure, and needs to be replaced by anything. Like a coin toss, or a three-legged race or something.

3. The old Bowl/final poll vote system - It has the same problems as the BCS, but without any claims to be a solution. At least it maintains the old bowl matchups, such as Pac 10/Big 10 in the Rose, SEC in the Sugar, and the like. Not ideal, but it puts it back where we were pre-BCS, all the same arguments about champions with no resolution. Oh, and while we're at it, take corporate sponsor names off of the big bowls too. Let's go retro all the way.

2. BCS Plus One - If the BCS had actually decided to use that 5th bowl game as a matchup of 1 and 2 after the other bowls, it might actually clear up some of the problems of the BCS. Auburn and USC could have met on the field last year, LSU and USC the year before. Some complaints about this idea is it makes an undefeated team that is surrounded by one or multiple loss teams play one more game, but the same argument is made about the conference championship games as well. Don't leave it in the pollsters hands, actually play the game, on the field. Unfortunately, this isn't on the table right now, but it's much more likely than my number one pick, since it allows the bowl and money structure to remain identical, with the addition of a title game. So, with no further ado, my favorite solution:

1. Playoff. That's right, a playoff. Forget the argument that it penalizes teams that won all season long - it's a chance for a Utah to show that it really deserves its place with the big boys of the year, by playing them instead of a team that managed to back its way into a conference championship. Plus, a playoff could be constructed maintaing the bowls. Do an 8 or 16 team playoff within existing bowls, and either leave the rest alone or set up an NIT like structure with them. The main complaint about this system is, honestly, monetary, and not academics. The bowls won't bring in as much money if fans have to travel to multiple games. I don't have a solution for that, but this solution, more than any, allows for a completely on the field determined national champion. BCS Plus One still has the possibility of leaving a contender out in the cold as #9 or higher, if not an actual conference champ. The playoff works in every other division of NCAA football; it would work here. Too bad the bowl gravy train keeps it from happening.

Next up from me: what should a playoff look like?