It has been a long time since I have been in college, but wouldn't that push it into the next semester? When do colleges start normally their semesters for the new year?
The playoff system should include the top 8 teams with the best W-L record. Tie-breakers would be determined by strength of schedule. There is nothing magical about Conference championships. If a #1 team losses its conference championship to a #18 team and ends up in the top 8 teams, it plays for the NC. There is not way to justify a #12 team playing for the NC and a #8 team not playing. Such a scheme only adds to controversy and continued disenchantment by fans.
Of course, there are no "right" opinions here... just opinions... and mine is that once you let computers and coaches who don't have the time to vote... and a biased group of media and ex-football jocks... start voting to align the top 4 or 8 or 12 teams, you already have a flawed system. If a so called #1 team (who would only be # 1 because they got voted there by the folks just mentioned) lost in their conference championship game, they are OUT. In this process the conference championship games are actually round one of the playoffs. It is my opinion that a playoff shouldn't allow for second chances, especially if you're trying to match four teams or eight in a national tournament. The system has got to respect the individual conferences and their champion.... who became champions solely by their play on the field, not some voting system.
So by what your saying than is the NY Giants weren't better and shouldn't be last years Super Bowl Champions, because they beat the leagues #1 and only undefeated team the Patriots? If a #1 team loses it's conference championship to a #18 team... then why should that loser get a slide into the playoffs and play for the NC... they obviously weren't the #1 team then.
I think there is some validity to ratings, but I acknowledge the limitations of mathematical formulas and opinions. I think a combination of ratings and on the field performance should be used. In this scenario it is possible for the so called #1 and #2 to play in the first round while another championship could have #6 and #20. Then in the championship game we could have #4 vs #20. That would be anticlimactic and unpopular. I think it is important to recognize conference championships, but a conference championship is not necessarily important on a national scale. If you look solely at conference championships, you place way too much importance on one game. A #20 team could sneak in after having a mediocre season. A playoff should be about a team's whole body of work, not just the luck of backing into a conference championship and getting fired up for the W.
The NFL handles things differently and is just different - more balanced and what not. I don't think the NFL playoff system is flawless, but the entire scenario is different.
I would agree if the playoffs had, say, 12 teams... but in an 8 team scenario, it should be the bcs six conference champions and two champs from other division I leagues. Again, it may not match some voters perception of who's worthy and who's not... but it does match champions based on on-field performance only, which is the way it should be, imvvho.
