BCS Madness

It's official, college football is having it's wildest, most unpredictable season in history. And fans can't get enough of it. Part of the reason we love it so is because just when we think we know everything and can't be surprised, we get our collective hats handed to us.

With apologies to The Ohio State University (who hasn't played anybody of substance yet), the Top 10 of the first BCS standings is unrecognizable: South Florida? Boston College? South Carolina? Kentucky? Arizona State? It's a bizzaro world where the school bullies are getting punched in the face by the supposed "weaklings".

It's like the top programs are like the celebutants: Michigan is Paris Hilton, getting thrown into D-1 "jail" for losing to Appalachian State; USC is Lindsay Lohan, convinced they have no issues before getting busted for dabbling in cocaine (narrow wins over Washington and Arizona) and drunk driving (losing to Stanford? at home?); Florida is Britney Spears, who just can't stay out of the headlines no matter what; and now both LSU and California, #1 and #2 losing the same day, becoming the Nicole Richie and Kim Kardashian of our little girls club.

As for me, we still have 6 more important losses needed to further my cause that leads to more division amongst college football fans than who's better, Angelina or Anniston, for Brad Pitt - a playoff system.

My thoughts on a college football playoff system haven't changed since 2001, when I wrote this article for AllSports detailing my plans for the right way to institute a playoff system within the current bowl system format. The big arguments against a playoff continue to be that the regular season would have less meaning (as the NFL if it's regular season is cheapened by a playoff system) or that the current system works.

So here are the 6 remaining undefeated teams, and who we need them to lose to. This way, with no undefeated teams and a bunch of 1-loss teams, the "who deserves to be selected" arguments can be so loud that only serves as a way to flip many of those onto the playoff system bandwagon:

OHIO STATE: The Yuck-eyes have played only 1 game against a ranked team so far, and have wins over such powerhouses as Youngstown State, Akron, and Kent State. Now comes the meaty part of their schedule: they have roadies at Penn State next week and at Michigan November 17, with home games against Wisconsin and Illinois. Kepp in mind too that they host Michigan State this week, who broke up their perfect season bid of 1999 with a win in Columbus.

SOUTH FLORIDA: Tampa's college is a great story, and they should be #1 right now with quality wins over West Virginia and at Auburn. Who'd have thought that, except for the Jaguars in J-Ville, USF would be the best team in the state of Florida, college or pro. Still, they are Rutgers tonight, and we'll see how they do being the hunted instead of the hunter. Later in the year, they host a Cincinnati team with just 1 loss.

BOSTON COLLEGE: Not since Doug Flutie's magical heave to Gerald Phelan in the Orange Bowl Stadium with time running out 23 years ago have the Eagles generated this much excitement nationally. They haven't been dominate, but they have been precise. Still they have road games at Virginia Tech next week and in Clemson in November they will need to survive, as well as two visits by former Sunshine State powers Miami and Florida State and the ACC Title game.

ARIZONA STATE: The early season wins over Colorado (who account for Oklahoma's only loss) and Oregon State (who account for Kim Kardashian, I mean, California's only loss) look a little better now. Still, the Sun Devils will see the heat of their schedule intensify the next 2 weeks with games versus Cal next Saturday and at Oregon November 3rd - in addition to a visit by USC Thanksgiving Night and their traditional rivalry game with Arizona December 1.

KANSAS: Here's a team that never has football success, so when it happens, it's easy to scoff at it because of the lightweights on their schedule like: Central Michigan, Southeast Louisiana, Toledo, and Florida International. They don't play the Big 12's Big 3 this year: Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech. Still, not even the most passionate Kansas football fan can expect the Jayhawks to Rock Chalk to wins at Colorado this Saturday and later in the regular season against Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, and Missouri. And if they get through that gauntlet, they will still have to win the Big 12 title game against one of those Big 3 they skip.

HAWAII: This team, in my opinion, actually has the best chance to run the table because the only tough game they have left is against Boise State, but at home. Still, you could easily see them get skipped over by two different one-loss teams.

To further the playoff argument, we also need the following 1-loss teams to lose again, preferably in this fashion: LSU, to Alabama (a loss to Saban, wouldn't that just tweak them to no end) or in SEC title game to Florida; Oklahoma, either to Texas Tech or Oklahoma State, so they play the Big 12 title game with 2 losses; Texas Tech, to Texas or to a 1-loss Kansas team in the Big 12 title game; South Carolina, to either Tennessee, Florida, or Clemson; Kentucky, to either Florida or Tennessee; West Virginia, to Rutgers or Louisville, or even Pittsburgh; USC, to Cal or UCLA, or even Notre Dame, and California, to Stanford.

Oh, and I would invite Appalachian State to play in the playoffs this year... provided they win the D-IAA (I refuse to call it the subdivision) playoffs again.

10/18 UPDATE: South Florida lost to Rutgers! And then there were five...