Playoffs?!?!? Definitely...

(Chris)

I know I'm beating a mutilated horse but, after what I saw in the Rose Bowl, I think we need to beat it a bit harder. For the third straight year, a team that goes undefeated will not have an opportunity to play for the National Championship. In '08, it was Utah. Last year, it was Boise State. This year, it's TCU --- and I'm eating me own words about the Horned Frogs, tonight.

Sure, I thought TCU was a really good team, but I didn't think they could beat one of the hottest teams in the country. I still don't believe that TCU or Boise would go undefeated in a big time conference, but I do believe that they can beat any team, on any given day.

I'm all for tradition, but I really enjoyed the non-traditional match-up. I just wish it was a national semi-final, instead of the end of the road. How great would it be if the winner of next week's Auburn-Oregon game played TCU for the national title? And, when you think about it, it's absurd that they won't get that chance.

In no other NCAA sport can you go undefeated, and not be given an opportunity to play for the title. Whether you play basketball, baseball, field hockey, tennis, or badminton, you can win your way to the title. But in the biggest sport of all, all are not equal.

Here's my plan for football. Let's call it the Hassel Playoff System:

- Top 8 teams in the BCS standings make the BCS playoffs (have someone sponsor the playoffs and make a TON of money off of it).
- The first four games take play at home sites. For instance, #1 Auburn would host #8 Arkansas.
- The semifinals will take place at current BCS bowls in a rotating fashion. If the Rose and Fiesta hosted the semi's this year, the Orange and Sugar would host next year.
- The 1st-round losers in the BCS playoff will play ANOTHER game and fill out the remaining two BCS spots. If Rose and Fiesta are the semifinals, then the Orange and Sugar would play host to all the 1st-round losers.
- Keep the rest of the bowls

Now what's so %& #$ hard about that?!

The national champion would only play two more games than it does right now, every bowl still gets it's game, and we get a true champion.

Some will argue that it's going to be just as hard to decide between the 8th and 9th best team in the country. I don't argue that it will be difficult, but I can guarantee you that no undefeated team will be ranked 9th and left out.

Hassel...OUT