What Should Have Been

If the NCAA did football playoffs the way they should, instead of the farce that is the BCS, it would be a 16-team tournament composed of 11 conference champions (automatic qualifiers) and 5 at-large selections. Hell, I'll throw a bone to the seven BCS supporters out there and say the at-large picks plus the seedings are based on BCS standings.

1st Round
1. Alabama (SEC) vs 16. Troy (Sun Belt)
8. Ohio State (Big Ten) vs 9. Georgia Tech (ACC)

4. TCU (MWC) vs 13. Penn State (at-large)
5. Florida (at-large) vs 12. LSU (at-large)


2. Texas (Big 12) vs 15. Central Michigan (MAC)
7. Oregon (PAC-10) vs 10. Iowa (at-large)

3. Cincinnati (Big East) vs 14. East Carolina (C-USA)
6. Boise State (WAC) vs 11. Virginia Tech (at-large)


Comments: The Cincy-ECU and Boise State-VT matchups are intriguing. Two teams with high-powered offenses versus two teams with stout defenses. I can really see the lower seeds winning these games. If Iowa gets Ricky Stanzi back they can make a tight game of it with the Quack Attack. Tell me the Florida-LSU tilt wouldn't be like another SEC title game.

Okay, we assume the higher seeds all win.


2nd Round
1. Alabama (SEC) vs 8. Ohio State (Big Ten)
4. TCU (MWC) vs 5. Florida (at-large)

2. Texas (Big 12) vs 7. Oregon (PAC-10)
3. Cincinnati (Big East) vs 6. Boise State (WAC)

Comments: I can just see the people at ABC having palpitations over the prospect of a TCU-Cincinnati title game. As it stands though, Bama-Ohio State and Texas-Oregon look like incredible historical matchups. But seeing what the Crimson Tide did to Tebow of Nazareth, I don't see Terrelle Pryor having much luck. TCU gets a chance to show it belongs against the aforementioned Savior.


Final Four
1. Alabama (SEC) vs 4. TCU (MWC)

2. Texas (Big 12) vs 3. Cincinnati (Big East)

Comments: I love matchups of traditional powers against upstarts. You either get blowouts like Georgia-Hawai'i in the Sugar Bowl from a couple of years ago, or all-time upsets like Boise State-Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. Tony Pike vs. Colt McCoy would be a fascinating war to watch, and the battle in the trenches between Alabama and TCU would be epic.

Championship

1. Alabama (SEC) vs 2. Texas (Big 12)


Comments: Yeah I know, this is the game the BCS is designed to give us, rendering all other bowl games irrelevant and pointless. No one cares but the fans of the schools playing in such glorious games as the Papajohns.com Bowl or Roady's Humanitarian Bowl or my personal favorite, the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl.

So there you have it. The college football playoffs as they should have been. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to set the DVR to record the FCS games this weekend. You see, unlike the big boys, the formerly-known-as-1AA schools use a playoff format. So even if there are five undefeated teams in the post-season, they all get a chance to play in the title game.