NCAA Football Playoff...

To those who have eagerly awaited a playoff and think it will finally put an end to all the controversy surrounding the NCAA football championship...

OK, smart guys - if the 4-team playoff were in effect this year, what's your 4-team bracket look like?

Obviously, you have FSU in under any scenario, but after that, it gets just as complicated as when choosing only 2 teams for the BCS Championship.

Sure, AU and Alabama probably deserve a shot...but then what?  

Michigan State?  With a loss to Notre Dame?  All of a sudden beating an Ohio State team (also with 1 loss) who many people thought shouldn't even get a shot if they went undefeated because "they haven't played anyone" is grounds for inclusion into the 4-team playoff?  Hardly.

What about Baylor? Their only loss coming to a strong Oklahoma State team.

Stanford?  Sure, they lost 2 games (one to Utah), but they beat 7 ranked teams - anyone want to argue they aren't among the best teams in the country today?

As far as that goes, Missouri...whose only losses are a 2-OT road defeat at SC and to AU in the SEC Championship game.  I might argue they belong over Bama - they at least won their half of the conference - something Bama obviously doesn't have to do to be included in any national championship discussion (see 2011 season).

Point is - nothing will give the people the definitive champion that they want - it just can't happen.  It isn't the NFL with 30 teams...you just can't start with 125 teams and get 1 winner.  

Until the NCAA has an honest discussion with themselves and the 100 or so teams that cannot, under any circumstances, win a championship - we will never have a season free from controversy.  So, do I simply complain and offer no solution?  Of course not.

There should be 4 major conferences of 16 teams.  That's right - only 64 teams can possibly win a Division 1 Championship.  Sorry Nevada.  Sorry Bowling Green. Sorry Navy.  And for that matter, unless you pony up and join one of the 4 conferences - sorry Notre Dame.

Currently, a BCS Champion will have played 14 games before hoisting the crystal football (unless you're Alabama and don't have to even play for your conference championship to be given a shot...)  So, we'll work with a 14 game max schedule.

Games 1-7 you play each team in your half of your conference...same as now.

Games 8 is for playing 1 teams from the other side of your conference on a 2 year rotating basis - home and home.

Game 9 is for a traditional conference rivalry from the other half of your conference (i.e. UGA/AU).

Games 10-11 are for non-conference games.  If a team has a traditional rival that is out of conference (i.e. UGA/Tech), that game is played every year.  The other remaining game can be against anyone else out of conference (i.e. UGA/Clemson), and would change every 2 years (home and home).

Game 12 is your Final 8.  The 2 conference division winners meet to determine the conference champion.

Game 13 is your Final 4.  Rank the 4 conference champions - 1 plays 4, 2 plays 3.

Game 14 is your National Championship Game.

Whoever survives this scenario would easily be crowned the most worthy winner - having won both their conference division, their conference, a game against another conference champion, and a final championship game.  Oh yeah, every 10 years, the NCAA would hold a review - replacing any non-competitive teams from the pool of Division 2 teams.  So, maybe UGA won't be playing Tech every year after all.