Final College Football Ratings – We’re Missing An Eight-Team Playoff Next Saturday

Even USC fans get it.

I got two messages today asking me some form of: “WHERE ARE YOUR COLLEGE FOOTBALL RATINGS, ANDREW? I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT THEM!” (I may be exaggerating tone) I actually forgot to do it. Sunday is when I usually do it and I was busy. Then I just plum forgot. There’s not much controversy this year, as there were no major upsets in the last two weeks, and the BCS is going away in a year.

However, the current setup can still be mocked for it’s figure-skating-like approach to placing teams in the national championship. What, exactly, separates Alabama from Kansas State in the minds of the voters? They look better? They pass the eye test? I’m not saying Alabama’s not better. They’re way better in my opinion, but sports should be settled on the field and with pre-determined rules for how teams can advance, not based on how certain coaches felt a victory looked to them, or style of play, or anything like those variables that.

But anyway, given the records of all the teams, if I had to pick two teams to play, I would pick ND and Bama. However, I don’t have to pick 2 teams, I pick 8. And also, I don’t pick them based on how I think they looked. As always, here are the rules for my system:

• All teams are rated using a formula with 4 inputs: wins, losses, strength of schedule, and conference strength of schedule. Conf SOS is a very small factor.
• Teams are then ranked by their rating. Ratings for the top teams go up as the season goes on, as teams are credited for more wins.
• 8 teams make the playoff: top 6 rated conference champions (any conference), and the top 2 rated remaining teams, whether they are champions or not.
• Top 4 conference champions are seeded in order, and host a playoff game at their home field.
• The remaining 4 teams are seeded in order, and are assigned to play a top 4 conference champion in reverse order of their rating. So it goes like this:
  #1 – Top rated champ
  #2 – 2nd best champ
  #3 – 3rd best champ
  #4 – 4th best champ
  #5 – next best-rated team of the 8 playoff teams. This team will be hosted by #4.
  #6 – next best-rated team of the 8 playoff teams. This team will be hosted by #3.
  #7 – next best-rated team of the 8 playoff teams. This team will be hosted by #2.
  #8 – next best-rated team of the 8 playoff teams. This team will be hosted by #1.
•  These first-round games are played on campuses two weeks after the conference champions. The winners of these games are assigned to two major bowl games that will be used as semifinals, on a rotating basis. The losers of these games will also be assigned to two major bowl games, used as…bowl games.
• First round games are on CBS, FOX, NBC, and ESPN/ABC. I know there are contracts and all that to consider, but this is what I want in a perfect world, so we get each network’s best broadcast team. Although I could do without Gus Johnson (A paraphrasing of Johnson’s insight: “Martineeeeeeeeezzzz….yes! MARTINEZ! TAYLOR MARTINEZ!… … …TOUCHDOWN!!!!”), and we could go with two from ESPN/ABC.