Allegiances aside, I love college football. I love waking up early for the week’s big games. I love the smell of bratwurst emanating in the air and the sounds of beer cans be being cracked open. I love the rivalries, the school spirit and the pageantry. I love Mike Leach interviews and close-ups of Colt McCoy’s girlfriend. I love it all. But lately I find myself caring less and less who wins the games. I think it’s because it really doesn’t matter who wins anymore.
Unless something strange happens in the next couple of weeks, at least three undefeated teams are going to be kicked in the groin come December 6th. The likely kickball candidates include TCU, Boise State and Cincinnati. Unfortunately for TCU and Boise State, they’re not part of the good ole boys club (AKA Bowl Championship Series) that was created back in 1998. So, they are most likely going to be on the outside looking in come this December. As for the Bearcats, they’re like an older Sharon Stone; they look good but not good enough for the voters. And college football is sort of a beauty pageant. It’s just the way things are, and we have been conditioned to accept it. But I can’t.
My question for the BCS big-wigs like Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany is, why? Why can’t we have some sort of playoff? Why don’t the little guys get a shot? Isn’t competition what makes sports so great? I’ve heard your “every game is a playoff” rhetoric long enough. Quit lying to us. The real reason NCAA Presidents and Conference Commissioners don’t want a playoff system is because they don’t want to share the loot. But what if we came up with a way to make you guys like the old guy from the movie Richie Rich? Would you be interested in that? I think you would. For god sakes, even our President wants a playoff. I wonder what the BCS is going to do when the Justice Department starts looking into anti-trust violations. Sorry guys, this is America and we’ve played your BCS game for too long.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always enjoy the traditions of college football. But lately it’s turned into a bad episode of American Idol. It really has. How am I supposed to get excited about a sport where a group of people vote on a winner? And how is this different from American Idol again? Oh right, we don’t have to hear Sanjaya sing.
I guess I’m tired of the same song and dance every year. I’m tired of watching the little guy get left out. I’m tired of watching the Pac 10 trounce whoever they play in the Rose Bowl. I’m tired of hearing about which 12-1 team is the best. I want an 8-team playoff! I mean, you can even keep your Bowls. Hell, after a couple beers you might even be even able to talk me into a plus one format. How about that? I’m not hard to please. But until that happens, I’m not going to be watching with the same passion I once did. I’m not going to be singing along with the rest of the American Idol hopefuls. Nope, I’m going to be singing a different tune. You know, the one they play on Monday nights.



















