Jeff Watson

jwatson@thecherawchronicle.com

The Bowl Championship Series needs to take a look at its name and make corrections to its current, flawed system. College football fans are being deprived every season because the best team in the country isn't always the one hoisting the national championship trophy. Bowl games are great; they allow football fans to see teams that they normally wouldn't see and see incredible match-ups. Some games aren't close though and they can be a bit one-sided. For the top tier teams, one bowl shouldn't be the culmination of their season. College football needs a playoff system.

This year has proven that a playoff system would be in the best interest of the sport. The top ten of college football was so jumbled this year and it made it hard to figure out who the two most deserving schools were of earning a BCS championship game bid. A playoff system would take care of that.

At the end of the season, the rankings should matter more. The top ten teams in the country should be rewarded for their outstanding play. Playing the games to see who the best overall team is beats figuring it out with a computer. The top ten teams should face off and see who comes out on top.

The top two teams should get a first round bye. The top seeded teams would play the lower seeded teams. The winners would move on and this would continue until the top rated bowls are set. Leave the BCS bowls the same and the BCS national championship game would be the final game of the playoffs. The other BCS bowls could be for third and fourth place finishers.

Maybe this idea could solve the mess that the BCS faces every year. Money is bigger than determining who the best team is though. Bowls bring millions of dollars in each year and a playoff system may not generate the same amount. But what about the fans?

The fans have a right to see who the best team really is. Instead of using computers to place teams in different rankings and bowls, the teams need to settle it on the field. University of Southern California and University of Georgia fans have a valid argument this year. No team is hotter than those two and they look like the most dominant teams in the country. I'd like to see what Ohio State or LSU could do against either one. As long as the BCS is focused on dollars and not outcomes, college football will constantly debate on which team is truly number one at the end of the season.