The 16-Team Playoff System

The one time I think I have an original idea and it takes me only two minutes to realize I'm late to the scene yet again. The college bowl season has ended and BCS talk is still a hot topic, with everyone from coaches, school presidents and athletic directors to the media throwing out their thoughts on what a perfect system would look like.

No matter what objections someone has to a playoff system. Be it the Big Ten & Pac Ten monopoly on the Rose Bowl, the guaranteed money at stake for schools big and small, curriculum schedules for D-1 student-athletes or the million other reasons; everyone seems to agree in it's purest form that a playoff system is what would work the best.

If not, get used to seeing the Buckeyes in the BCS Title Game year in and year out. Even if USC knocks off OSU in week 2 next year, the Buck'os could run the table and benefit from no late season loss. You hate them because they are there every year, but they may turn out to be the one final reason a playoff system is put in place.

We have heard of the Plus-1 plan, the 8-team playoff plan and a few other systems that are being tossed around, but the one that I thought I had my finger on the pulse with is a 16-game playoff system. Turns out Darin Darst on cbssportsline beat me to the punch by about three days a while back. Click the link and have a look at it.

We take the same existing bowls, even leaving the lovely names the same and take what is practically the top 16 teams in the country. But understanding the nature of today's college bowl system and tradition, Darst plugs in some guaranteed bids with big conference winners and leaves plenty of at-large bids for those teams that get bit by a late season loss.

Put a 16-team playoff system in place and the eligible teams will see even more money pour into their schools. Sponsorship opportunities will be endless, loyal fans will follow their team around the country spending even more on tickets than usual and TV ratings will be through the roof. I understand politics usually win out in deals like this, but before I hit the grave, I would love to see just one season where the NCAA gets this thing figured out.