When Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany voice his support for a four-team playoff consisting of unofficially titled “four best teams” on Monday, it marked a turning point for playoff discussions.
With the BCS committee just a month or so away from a decision deadline, a few more playoff details are gaining traction: semifinal games incorporated into the bowl system with the championship game bid out annually, a la the Super Bowl; a field that likely will not feature conference champions only; and, with the Big Ten’s blessing, a committee that would select those four teams.
Let’s assume for the sake of this blog that college presidents/chancellors decide a selection committee, not a formula or ranking system, is the best way to determine the playoff field. The immediate fun/angst/controversy becomes a matter of who will serve on said committee.
You’ll probably need a committee for that too.
Anyway, a handful of fellas who know the game well -- former coaches R.C. Slocum (Texas A&M), John Cooper (Ohio State and LaVell Edwards (BYU) -- have already thrown their name into the proverbial hat for such a task provided the interest was mutual.
“I would be willing to serve on it,” Bowden told ESPN’s Joe Schad. “I think ex-coaches have a lot of wisdom. I watch the games. And I watch the game films on my iPad.”
Perfect.
All three former coaches have votes in the Legends Poll, which is composed of ex-coaches who watch game footage from across the country, participate in conference call discussions and vote. But, even if a selection committee is formed -- sources have told CFT possible names include the “Dadgummit Committee” and “Old Fart: The Gathering” -- the challenge becomes finding not only a diverse group of experienced and knowledgeable voters, but a group that is still in touch with today’s game.
The benefit of a selection committee is it has the capability of providing transparency and accountability, something that is sorely missing from the current postseason selection process. Want to take it a step further? Make a show out of the decision. Like college basketball or LeBron James or something.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. A selection committee is an idea that is only gaining traction at this point, but it could gain much more over the next month now that three of the four major conferences in college football have endorsed the idea.