Coalition hasn’t stopped disputes
It isn't often the answers to
the problems of college foot
ball are found in the lyrics of
an old country music song.
However. I can't help but
think that the bigwigs of college
football should have taken a lis
ten to Hank Williams Jr. before
voting in its new solution to
"Who's No. I.”
“This is the coalition to ban
coalitions." Bocephus said.
The coalition was the latest
brainchild of college football,
and was designed to determine a
national champion. The idea, at
its best, would have the best two
teams in the country meet in a
national championship game. At
its worst, it only further confus
es the already baffling world of
football.
This plan was doomed from
the start because certain confer
ences are already tied into cer
tain bowl games and there was
no way to be sure that the top
two teams could meet. For
example, if one of the top two
teams was from the Big 10 or
Pacific-10 Conference and the
other wasn’t, the 1-2 matchup
would be impossible because
each conference sends its cham
pion to the Rose Bowl.
Just as the coalition is begin
ning to be understood and
implemented, complaints are
beginning to fly. Reports out of
South Bend, Ind., this week had
Notre Dame upset with the
process and ready to pull out of
the coalition after this year. As
everyone should know by now.
Notre Dame always ends up get
ting what it wants from the
NCAA.
This is really getting silly, as
every college football season
comes to an end with people
screaming for a playoff. It’s
about time the NCAA either
designs a playoff or puts a 100
Steve Mims
year ban on a playoff, so the talk
of such a tournament is stopped.
For now. let's consider the
first option: a playoff.
Step one for a playoff Is to
stop having games run into the
last week of November or early
December. This would mean
putting an end to the late games
that take place every year in
Hawaii. Japan, etc., along with
a certain conference's champi
onship game. Each team would
begin its season the first or sec
ond week of September and play
11 games, no more and no less.
The top eight teams in the
country at the end of the season
qualify for the playoffs. We'll
call it the Carquest National
Championships or something.
The bowl games don't even have
to be eliminated, as the teams
that don't qualify for the play
offs ran play in the lesser bowls,
while the more prestigious ones
host the playoffs. Each year the
Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, etc.,
rotate between first and second
rounds and the title game.
One of the biggest arguments
against a playoff is that students
miss too much school by play
ing so many games. In this sce
nario, students take a break from
playing games at the end of
November (just in time to hit the
books before finals at many
schools). The playoff would
begin in mid-December and run
through New Year's Day. while
schools aro in Christmas vaca
tion.
Meanwhilo, while we wait for
the NCAA to debate this propos
al, let's put our attention toward
figuring out who is No 1 this
year. One of the reasons the
coalition was expected to help
was because usually only two
teams emerge as legitimate
championship contenders
This year there are five teams
that can make claims to being
No. 1. West Virginia and Nebras
ka are undefeated, but are con
sidered to have played a patsy
schedule. Auburn is also unde
feated. but ineligible for postsea
son because of probation. Flori
da State and Notre Dame have
one loss, but are considered by
many to be the most talented
teams in the country.
Florida State and Nebraska
will eventually meet in the
national title game, and West
Virginia will go to whichever
bowl gives it the most cash and
is realistically out of the nation
al title chase. But why should a
team that has done everything
asked of it not have a chance at
the title?
If you think that's a tough
question to answer, try this one
If Notre Dame and Florida State
each have one loss, and the Irish
beat FSU, why are the Semi
noles ranked two notches higher
than Notre Dame? The real
answer to this is. believe it or
not, because the Seminoles lost
first and hud time to rise back to
the top.
It is at this point in most col
lege football arguments that the
idea of a playoff is usually
brought up. Yet, anyone who
has followed the sport for any
length of time should have real
ized by now that the idea makes
way too much sense for it to
ever have a chance.
Steve Mims is the sports editor
of the Kmerald.
West Virginia, ND waiting for bowl
(AP) — West Virginia and
Notre Dame are now playing a
waiting game to find out their
destinations on New Year's Day.
The No. 3 Mountaineers (11
0) are ready to accept an invita
tion to the Sugar Bowl to play
either No. 9 Florida or No. 16
Alabama. But Sugar Bowl offi
cials balked at moving up Sun
day's bowl pairing deadline in
hopes they can land the No. 5
Fighting Irish (10-1). who gener
ate higher television ratings and
are an endorsement magnet.
"It was determined in the l>est
interest of the USF&G Sugar
Bowl ... that we follow the rules,
regulations and guidelines of the
coalition, waiting until Sunday
morning to re-evaluate all foot
ball on Saturday,” said Troy
Mathieu, the bowl's executive
director.
But if the Sugar Bowl really
does want the Irish, as many
have speculated, then it needs
help.
In order for it to land Notre
Dame, based on bowl coalition
rules, it needs Florida (9-2) to
beat Alabama (8-2-1) in the
Southeastern Conference title
game Saturday and move ahead
of No. 7 and Cotton Bowl-bound
Texas A&M (10-1) in the rank
ings.
The bowl coalition rankings
combine The Associated Press
media poll and the USA Today
CNN coaches' poll. In the bowl
poll. Texas A&M is seventh and
Florida 10th, 373 points behind
the Aggies.
If the Aggies remain ahead of
the Gators, the Cotton Howl
would have first choice between
the Irish and Mountaineers and
would end up with Notre Dame
because West Virginia would
opt for the higher-paying Sugar
Bowl.
There is the possibility the
Mountaineers could feel
snubbed by the Sugar and opt
for the Cotton, with a payout of
S3 million per team. The Sugar
would get the Irish in that case
But that won’t happen
because the extra $1.15 million
the Mountaineers can earn in
the $4.15 million Sugar Howl is
a lot for a team that's only
grossed more than $1 million in
a bow! twice.
Plus, th« Mountaineers report
edly only have to share about
$30,000 to $40,000 of their bowl
earnings with the Pig East.
West Virginia athletic director
Ed Pastilong is confident the
rankings will remain stable.
“There’s a minimal chance
that the rankings would
change." Pastilong said "One
possibility is we may move up
However. I do not anticipate the
rankings making a major change.
“The president-elect of the
Sugar Howl will be here with us
Saturday and Sunday, and as
according to the coalition con
tract, the invitations may Imi
extended to Dec. 5. At such
time, it will bo done.”
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