The BCS Debate Continues

Paul answered Joe from State College's question on his News U Can't Use Blog

"Well, Joe, that certainly is a long question. We are sure they are the two best teams in the country because they have survived the season-long single-elimination tournament. Yes, USC and Texas played in weaker conferences this year, but even in the event of a playoff there's no way to guarantee every team will face an equal challenge. In a field of 117 teams from ten conferences only two are undefeated, so it would be MORE arbitrary, not less, to subject these teams to a playoff. While a playoff would be exciting for two weeks, it would be less valid in determining the best team because a team with two losses or more could get lucky and win three games a in row to become the champion. I've often heard the argument "let them decide on the field." I think the current system does that, through a 13-game tournament, instead of a 3 game playoff."

The only thing college football's regular season has with college basketball's tournament is I make sure I am off work for both. The whole concept of a tournament is a consolidation of an elite field by half each time (e.g. 64-32-16-8-4-2-1) the idea being that the smaller the field the better the teams because they have advanced over the teams outside the field. But you knew that.

Assuming USC's undefeated season to be better than Penn State's 10-1 season is almost as blind logic as assuming Matt Leinart's A in Ballroom Dancing to be superior to Lee Chin's A- in Biochemistry. Matt Leinart may have gone to class every day for 16 weeks just like Lee Chin taken a final and did a presentation. Would you accept Leinart as your valedictorian or would you want to see the two at least take the same test once?

My thirty seconds is up..