CREWS LINERS: College football almost gets shakeup; two Tigers named All-Stars

December 29, 2010

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEARLY GOT A SHAKEUP

We almost had it.

The circumstances were nearly perfect. The timing was right. The situation was ideal. Then Kyle Brotzman missed a chip shot field goal that would have won the game ... then he missed another that cost Boise State the game in overtime.

The Broncos' kicker put his team out of contention for a perfect season and a national title, but all of that means little to me. I don't care too much about Boise State football. I'm looking at the big picture.

Had Boise State beaten Nevada and finished the regular season unbeaten, there would have been four teams with legitimate claims for the title: Oregon, Auburn, TCU and Boise State.

It's the kind of situation the higher-ups at the BCS dread and I dream of.

Allow me to explain.

The BCS (Bowl Championship Series) is built on the idea that the best two teams will emerge during the season and will then play for the NCAA National Title.

For the deeply flawed system to go smoothly, only two teams can go undefeated.

When three teams go unbeaten, there is a little controversy but it is far too easy for the BCS to give a cold shoulder to one team.

If four teams go unbeaten (keep in mind, we're only talking about teams that have proven they are one of the best teams in the country), it may be just enough to shake the foundation of college football and force a change.

With four flawless teams, logic screams that college football would have to employ the "Plus 1" system. By that system, the undefeated teams would be paired off with the winners playing for the national title. It's called a "Plus 1" because that's how many games it adds to the season.

Every year about this time, some syndicated columnist lays out a master plan on how to make a 16-team or 32-team college football tournament (March Madness style). I, on the other hand, am a realist. One who enjoys college football. I know there won't be a tournament in Division-I football any time soon, and to be honest, I don't really want one.

The beauty of NCAA football is that every game is a must-win. One loss can kill a shot at the title, so every game has that nervous energy. But every year, there is at least one team that truly deserves a shot at the title but doesn't get it. The "Plus 1" system wouldn't be perfect, but it would help to fix that aspect.

Fans have been begging for a playoff of some sort for years, and while what I am proposing isn't quite what they are calling for, it is a nice compromise.

NFL GOT IT RIGHT

Unlike college football, the NFL listens to its fans and reacts.

Fans said the refs were blowing too many calls and costing teams wins. (Insert John Madden impersonation here:) "Boom," in came instant replay.

Fans said the game was getting too violent. "Boom," the commissioner cracked down on cheap shots.
And when fans (especially fantasy football owners) complained that the final weeks of the regular season were getting boring ... Yep, they fixed that, too.

The NFL restructured schedules this season, making the final two weeks of the season almost nothing but division games. By putting these important games at the end of the year, the league ensured that teams would still be playing hard (and more importantly, playing their stars) as they jockey for the final playoff spots. Instead of Peyton Manning spending Weeks 16 and 17 on the sideline in a ball cap, he is fighting to get the Colts in the playoffs.

HEADRICK, MELTON NAMED ALL-STARS

Guymon seniors Colter Headrick and Chase Melton were selected to the 2010 Class 4-A West All-Star Team as defensive backs.

The selections are a testament to each player's versatility as Headrick was the Tigers starting quarterback, while Melton was one of their top wide receivers.

Headrick and Melton are also starters for the basketball team.

In a day and age when young athletes are being told the only way to find success is to specialize in just one sport, it is nice to see these two bucking the trend.

I always found that what I leaned in one sport helped me in the others, and Headrick and Melton are proving that talent can indeed translate.