BCS Thoughts - 4 Team playoff can't come soon enough.

First is the choking realization that Oregon's hopes for reaching Miami for the National Title Game are nearly dead with USC and Oregon State's losses tonight. Their strength of schedule has just been flushed down the proverbial toilet and will likely not stand up to undefeated Kansas State and Notre Dame with these marquee games diminished. The computers have already shown they prefer those teams and with Oregon's future games weakened in their all knowing eyes, expect the Ducks to stay where they are in the rankings. This is why we need the 4-Team playoff. It takes the best teams in college football and really gives them a chance to win it all. I personally can't  wait until that is finally implemented here in a few seasons.


Second, a quandary has befallen my ever churning mind.
Does Oregon want to win the Pac-12 Championship?

To be clear, I'm being completely facetious. I wouldn't dare suggest that our team do anything to give up being Pac-12 Champs a fourth straight year, but think for a moment about what it would mean in the post season. Ohio State, the clear front runner in the Big 10, is ineligible for the Rosebowl because of sanctions on the team. Which leaves a bit of a mystery as to who will be playing on the other side of the field down in Pasadena.

A 13-0 Pac-12 Champion Oregon would face, what, a 3 loss Wisconsin team? A Nebraska that got beat by UCLA?

Imagine if you will, Oregon starting the Pac-12 championship game with Bryan Bennett and the backups. Arizona (yes Arizona, more on that later) leads at the half  24-17. When a reporter asks Chip Kelly what is going on, he quickly replies out of the side of his mouth
"I want our back-ups to get just a little more experience before we play Notre Dame"

And that's when it sinks in. A 12-1 Oregon would get picked up by an at large bowl like the Fiesta Bowl to play against Notre Dame/Florida/Georgia/someone-a-heck-of-a-lot-better-than-the-Big-10-Champ. That game would be infinitely better than Oregon trouncing a 2-3 loss team, both for the fans and the TV revenue.

It also locks 2 BCS teams from the Pac-12, a situation that does not look quite as given after this week of mayhem. Oregon would get to play against a foe it deserves and the conference would let someone else beat up on whatever the Big 10 can wrangle together. That is good for the conference image and good for the conference wallet.


I'm not sayin'... I'm just sayin'...