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| Playoffs?
No way! By AutumnSpectacle.com staff E-mail August 22, 2006 When we think of college football, we think of autumn; of Saturday afternoons where, on beautiful campuses all across the nation, you’ll find autumn leaves, marching bands, fight songs, mascots, school colors, cheerleaders, pom squads, the alma mater, tradition, tailgating, the student section, alums, do-or-die fans of all ages, roaring crowds, goalposts coming down…and showdowns. It’s where the only thing you know for sure is that you must win THIS game. The effect is immediate. The identity of college football - its very essence - is found in these autumn showdowns.  The
identity of college basketball is “March Madness” – “the field of 65.” The regular season is a mere warm-up – a
waiting period while seeds are established for the tourney. And with an automatic berth in the Big Dance
to the winner of every conference tournament except the Ivy League -
you can
literally lose every regular season game you play, and still win the
National
Championship. The NCAA Tournament is college basketball.Pro football is the playoffs and the Super Bowl. The regular season there is just preliminary, a qualifying period. The NFL season really starts in January, when they finally play the showdowns - wintertime showdowns. The final regular season Sunday brings a small dose of drama, as the last playoff berths are filled with wild cards. Up to that point, from a team concept - it’s a snoozer. The regular season is very structured, orderly, systematic, logical, accurate…and boring. The one thing you know for sure is - no matter how good the match-up, no matter how great the game - nothing will be decided today. It just doesn’t seem to matter all that much which team wins a regular season pro football game…we’ll get down to business in the playoffs. So it goes with the playoff sports. The regular season is a qualifying period. The showdowns come later. College football, on the other hand is unique. Its identity is the autumn. Always has been. Its championship matchup is determined during the regular season. The focus is on September, October and November. And under the present system, more than ever before, the regular season means showdowns. Beginning in early September, there are huge, life-or-death showdowns every week throughout the regular season. Somewhere, for someone, it all hangs in the balance – today. No other sport has that. And the BCS process brings a wonderful uncertainty. We don’t know what all is possible - don’t know what could happen, much less what will happen. Every year of the BCS has unfolded differently. And as the story is told - across the country, week-by-week - we can’t take our eyes off it. This could be the week that tells the tale, but there are more showdowns to come – showdowns created by the BCS system. A riveting intensity for three glorious months. Fascinating, exciting and just plain fun. Only in college football. Each Saturday morning during the fall, we arise with the realization that by the time we go to bed that night, every team in The polls and rankings spark constant interest and discussion as fans rehash victories, vent their disappointments and frustrations, anticipate upcoming games and debate what it all means. There’s an expert on every corner. Nothin’ else like it. The BCS may not be perfect, but it’s way ahead of everything else on the planet. Every time you step on the field, you’re playing for one of the two spots in the BCS Championship Game. And in the race to be one of those two teams, an urgency is created that exists nowhere else in sports. Each week is crucial. Each Saturday, when they tee it up, it’s happenin’ - today - right now. The basic value of the BCS is not what it does for the wintertime games. Its real value is what it does for Saturday – every Saturday in the fall. The BCS creates autumn showdowns, and in so doing, works to preserve and enhance the unique quality of college football. If the BCS selection process needs improvement, then let’s work to fix it – patiently and carefully – but don’t trash it. And let’s keep playing for only two spots during the regular season – don’t add teams or games at the end. Don’t start down that slippery slope toward playoffs. Let’s not do anything, which might diminish the intensity of the regular season. Don’t tamper with the identity of college football: those great autumn games. Autumn showdowns on college campuses – as good as it gets.   |
