We don’t have flying cars, but we do have a college football playoff

It’s 2012. We were promised flying cars, talking robots, and lightsabers. However, what we got as a consolation was a college football playoff. And I’ll take it.

The NCAA presidents have approved a 12-year plan for a playoff, which will begin in 2014, and run through 2025. A committee, yet to be determined, will decide on the four teams that will play for a national championship outside of the bowl games.

The semifinals will rotate amongst current bowl games, but the title game will be held at the highest-bidding city. Can you say: Jerry World?

Anyway, in order to get in to the playoff, the committee will rank teams on this criteria:

• Win-loss record – With only four spots, this will help keep the regular season relevant. An early season loss or late season upset could make a break a team’s chance to get in. However, college football has become so competitive, I wouldn’t expect four undefeated teams. At least from major conferences.
• Strength of schedule – Sorry Oklahoma State, but you need a little less Savannah State and Louisiana Lafayette, and add some flavor to that non-conference schedule. Though, take in to account your conference schedule is still important. Tough conference road games and College Gameday atmospheres should be huge. And if mid-majors want in, they will have to schedule better out-of-conference games.
• Head-to-head results – Going undefeated may not just be enough. Squeaking by week after week against subpar competition may force the committee to the leave that team out, and choose a school that were more dominant. So, pretty much keep doing what your doing Oklahoma.
• Conference champion – Whether a team wins their conference championship is big time. I’m not sure if a conference championship game will outweigh a league without a conference title game, but either way, conference champions should be given SOME precedence over teams that were unable to win their league. Looking at you, SEC.

As mentioned, we have no clue who will be on this committee. Big time names like Barry Switzer and Bobby Bowden have gone on record saying they would be interested. However, I’m not sure how well the rest of the country would respond with a guy like Switzer on the board. Especially considering Oklahoma sustain’s their success.

So do you like the new system, or do you want the BCS back?