This is the final year of the BCS and let's give credit where credit is due, the system worked this season and it gave us the right match-up for the National Championship. Of course, a lot of things had to fall into place but magically they did.
Starting in the 2014 season, the College Football Playoff will take over for the BCS. In this new set-up, we will see a four team playoff decide the National Championship with a committee of 13 people deciding which teams will be in the playoff.
Here at Crystal Ball Run, we don't need all of that politicking that's going to take place between those 13 committee members. We have our Power Rankings that we've been filling out every week and we believe in them. With those Power Rankings here's how a hypothetical four team play-off would play out if we were pulling the strings:
Semi-Final Game: #1 seed Florida State (13-0) vs #4 seed Michigan State (12-1)
Florida State grabs the #1 seed as they are the only undefeated team in the country and they have dispatched of all competitors handily. The closest any team came to beating them was 14 points. They also beat three top 25 teams including two teams that were ranked in the Top 10 at the time of the game. FSU boasts the top scoring defense in the country (10.7 ppg) and has the second best scoring offense in the country (53 ppg).
Michigan State earned their spot by knocking off undefeated Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game. Their lone loss of the year was to Notre Dame in September in a controversial game in which they lost by four points. The Spartans boast the number four scoring defense in the country (12.7 ppg) and without a doubt would be the toughest defensive unit that the Seminoles have gone up against all season long.
Do Baylor and Stanford have a beef? Sure, but in Stanford's case they lost two games and neither was against a Top 25 opponent (Utah and USC). In fact, one of their losses was against a team that finished the season at 5-7. Baylor has a better argument because their loss came to a team that was ranked in the Top 10 at the time of the defeat. The only thing I can say to the Big 12 is to get the NCAA to allow you to have a Championship Game (with just ten conference teams) or invite two more members to your conference. Having that final game of the year against the other best team in your conference matters and in future years it will essentially be a play-in game for the four-team playoffs for some teams.
Semi-Final Game: #2 seed Auburn (12-1) vs #3 seed Alabama (11-1)
A re-match of the historic Iron Bowl from just a couple of weeks ago. How do you think this game would do in the ratings? I think it would easily be the most watched game of the year.
There are thoughts of splitting the SEC teams up so they don't eliminate each other before the finale but I think you have to reward FSU for the season that they've had and pitting them against the #2 or #3 team in the semi-final would be a disservice to their regular season body of work. Let these two rivals fight it out one more time for the right to play FSU (or possibly Michigan State).
