College football - All conferences should have a championship game

[TroubleMan]

in order to be eligible for BCS.

Agree or Disagree?

I agree because the SEC, Big 12 (and soon the ACC) are killing each other, and they need to have a conference championship game in all 3 of those conferences.

It's not fair for a team like Wisconsin to breeze through with a mostly easy schedule and play for the title game.

Not is it only not fair to the other conferences - but it's not fair to Wisconsin and their fans. They may have a perfect record and have no shot at a title game...that's not right either.

I've got to leave for a few hours, so don't think I've ignored you guys if you respond. I'll respond late tonight or tomorrow.

[Sandpiper]

1. Disagree

The only reason anyone started having conference championships was to make more money from an extra game.

I don't believe that conferences should be penalized for not hopping on the greed bandwagon.

[trotsky]

2. AGREE

BCS was a noble attempt, but it has done nothing to resolve the rankings problems of the past. Last year was possibly the worst it's ever been.

I say drop the creampuff "preseason" college games, play just their conference, then a conf. championship, followed by a PLAYOFF SYSTEM. Think of the revenue for all those games. At the end of the tourney, you have #1 play #2, 3 play 4, etc. for the traditional "bowl" games.

[TheFarseer]

3. Actually I think NO conferences should have a championship game

but I do agree it should be uniform

[Awsi Dooger]

13. I agree, get rid of them

One problem that is seldom mentioned is it limits schedule flexibility. All conference teams with a championship game have to keep that week open. They could start the season later or include an extra bye week, or two, without the roadblock of championship week. Several years ago Miami had to reschedule a September game with UCLA that was postponed due to a hurricane threat. They played it on championship week. Once the ACC expands and adds the championship game, that situation will likely cause a cancellation, not postponement.

[LisaM]

4. No, no title games

Those conferences choose to have title games. So screw 'em if it doesn't work out for them. It also totally pisses me off that the Big 12 cares so little for college football in general that they would get rid of the Nebraska-Oklahoma game just to have their stupid conference championship.

But I also don't think there should be a title game. If they HAVE to have a championship, I would only accept it if the Southern schools came up and played playoff games in the snow (like they do in the NFL.)

It was better before. There were lots of winners and lots of schools were happy.

[OKNancy]

5. Yeah, me too but I understand the reason the Big12

has one. With the two divisions, there is no other way to decide who should be champs. Eleven games would mean no non-conference games and that would get really old, really fast.

I miss seeing Nebraska -OU on Thanksgiving.

[LisaM]

6. But they don't need 12 teams

the only reason is, as mentioned earlier, GREED.

[rabbit2484]

7. Wisconsin probably won't have a shot at the title

I also wouldn't say they have had a mostly easy schedule. Just because the Big Ten doesn't always put up big numbers, doesn't mean they aren't as good.

I do agree that something should be done. We could end up with four or more teams that go undefeated this season. I think maybe the top four or eight have a playoff with all the games being bowl games. It will probably never matter because it's all about money right?

It will be a shame if the Badgers go undefeated and don't have a shot at the title. In previous years when they have been good, I thought they would have been crushed by ACC, SEC, or Big 12 schools, but this year they have maybe the best defense in the country to go along with they're always solid offense.

[Lefty48197]

8. Wisconsin can kick anybody's ass. Bring 'em on.

.

[LisaM]

9. Wisconsin has two of their toughest games left

they haven't really been tested this year.

[rabbit2484]

14. Let me eat my words

:cry:

[TroubleMan]

10. However a conference championship game ensures

that anybody going to a BCS game has at least played one really hard game - and at the end of the year where it matters most.

I'd really like to see an 8 team playoff, but it'll probably never happen. Making all BCS teams endure a trial by fire right before the bowls IMHO is the next best way to make that happen.

Also, the SEC and Big 12 have to have a championship. It wouldn't be right if they didn't. Not all the good teams can play each other in one season. A championship decides it on the field, and doesn't leave it up to some pollster or sportswriter to decide who's better or more deserving.

[lazarus]

11. And fewer conferences

And a lot fewer teams in Division 1A. Drop it to 72 teams in 6 conferences. That's fair, right?

And how is Oklahoma still ranked #2? :shrug:

[The Great Escape]

12. I Think a 9 Team Conference Is Ideal...

Four home...Four away...Can do a round robin and each school can still have 3 non conference games.

[Awsi Dooger]

17. That is ideal

Excellent point. Inevitably the NCAA will allow a 12th game for every team every year. That would allow 10 team conferences with the same scenario.

Actually, I loved it when I was a kid and the major conferences had 8 teams, like the Big 8 and Pac 8. That provided 4 interconference games and many more huge intersectional matchups.

[RoyGBiv]

15. Agree/Disagree

I actually don't think *any* conference should have a championship game. NCAA Conferences should be limited enough in size so that all teams can play each other once during the season, after which the various tie-breaker rules non-championship-game conferences use and have used determine the "winner" should that become necessary. The championship game thing is money-related, pure and simple.

That said, without reforms that limit conference size so that this is possible, all conferences should have a championship game in order to be BCS eligible, for reasons you stated.

IOW, either they all have one or none of them have one.

[RPM]

16. No breezing for Wisky...

they took an L today against MSU....

Hard for any one team to win out in the Big 10; harder for 2 to do so.

Conference ties usually arise in a 3-way tie at 7-1 (possible if UM loses to OSU next week) or 4-way tie at 6-2 (see e.g. 1990)