November 20, 2008
By Todd Helmick

PLAYOFF - BARACK OBAMA OVERSTEPS HIS BOUNDS
President-elect Barack Obama said on CBS's 60 Minutes that he would "throw his weight around" in pursuing an eight-team playoff for college football. The replies that followed from the BCS commissioners summed up a fairly unanimous train of thought - most people involved in college football, through one form or the other, are delighted to know that Obama shows an avid interest in sharing something we all enjoy.

However, in our humble opinion, Obama is wrong on this one. A playoff sounds great, but eight teams would be too many. Eight teams would mean Oregon State beating USC earlier this year does not matter, since eight teams would mean a spot for the ‘men of Troy’ after they blew it to an unranked Beaver squad. In this manner, such a system would be seen as taking away from the excitement of the regular season. If Texas beating Oklahoma earlier this year does not matter, ditto. Florida losing to Ole Miss would put yet another fly in the soon-to-be Commander and Chief clarifying ointment.

And if they choose to take eight teams, how will it be done? If you use the polls, teams with tougher schedules are still being penalized. Moreover, using the current BCS six-conference tie-in allows marginal ACC champs with three and four losses to still sneak undeservedly into the fold (the last ACC team to win their respective BCS bowl game was FSU in 2000).

Regardless, the fans of 120 FBS schools will never be truly satisfied. Sequentially, the No. 9 and 10 ranked teams will still scream foul. Then the 16-team format gets looked at, which destroys the fact that the regular season is a playoff on its own. Please don't change that.

SEC commissioner Mike Slive had it right. He proposed a plus-one model last spring but was shot down by his fellow commissioners. In short, put No. 1 versus No. 4 and No. 2 versus No. 3, pair them up in New Years Day bowl games, and then play a national championship game two weeks later between the winners. This way the traditions that have long addressed college football do not change. The bowls stay in place, the polls still have value, and, most importantly, every regular season game is still a must win.

Hopefully, Barack Obama has negotiating skills. He asks for eight billion dollars he gets four. He asks for eight teams in a playoff, he gets four. But that is all he gets. This voter has spoken.

TOO MANY BOWL GAMES
There are currently 34 bowl games for the 2008 season. More than half of the FBS teams will play in the postseason (68). For those that complain too many bowls games exist, what is your beef? Is this too much football to watch? Are some teams not deserving? If you have never participated in a bowl game as a player or coach, then you missed the chance of a lifetime.

Student-athletes are not paid for their services in regards to extra spending money - except for the reasonable stipend allotted to players while attending a five-day stay at their bowl game destination. Bowl committees are allowed by NCAA rules to give players up to $500 each in gifts. Apple iPods are now a popular gift amongst players. At least four bowls last season gave away Sony surround-sound systems. Each participant in the Sugar Bowl received a Sony MP4 camcorder, leather jacket, watch and rolling suitcase. Schools can also spend an additional $350 on each player, and most schools reach the limit, giving players apparel, gift cards, and, of course, more electronics. Let them have their gifts and their fun. Playing college football all year round is a full-time job. If the players do not get a little something in regards to monies, the escalating coaches (salaries) will. Keep all the bowl games in tact.

MORE RULES CHANGES FOR THE PRESIDENT
If Obama would like to get more involved, pass him my email. Firstly, get that celebration rule adjusted (loosened). The concept is great - in principle - to keep players from demeaning an opponent and to promote the team over the individual. However, in the case of what happened in the BYU vs. Washington game earlier this season (where a celebration penalty ended up costing the Huskies a shot at winning their only game of the season because their QB was so happy to have scored a touchdown that he benignly flipped the ball in the air), the call (rule) is an interpretive one and was taken too literally. Also, the thought of making a holding penalty be worth five yards instead of ten yards may sound shocking. But a drive down the field should not end due to marginal holding - the number one referee judgment call in football. Call me a rebel, but it makes sense and keeps the ability of a referee to effect the outcome to a minimum.

BEST RULE CHANGE OF 2008
Starting the 40-second play clock immediately after the previous play has concluded wins the award for the best rules change/adjustment of 2008. The time it took the referee to spot the ball so the play clock could start has been alleviated. In a concerted effort two years ago, speeding up the college football experience was originally not a popular move (initially, speed-up efforts included the running of the clock even when a player went out of bounds other than the last two minutes of each half). After evaluating the results, the decision makers’ adjustments actually have now got this one right. Fans barely notice a difference in terms of the flow of the game. It does hamper a team trying to come from behind to some extent, but it has not stood out yet as a critical/deciding factor in any one ballgame.

THE DEUCE SAVES THE BIGGEST MID-MAJOR WEEK IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL HISTORY
Finally, the last complaint for this week has to be to ask why the Ball State/Western Michigan game (Tuesday, November 25) was originally (up until yesterday) not going to be televised. Yes, ESPN 360 had it exclusively on the web for those with the ability to receive it. Heck, it's only a chance for Muncie, IN to catapult alumnus David Letterman's former school into an undefeated season and a possible BCS berth, the first time any MAC team has the chance to have garnered this feat. It was just picked up by ESPN2, saving the television network heads from whiffing on this late season MAC showdown. This could have been the network-scheduling goof of the year, if not of the decade. The same network (ESPN2) has also made a last minute move to pick up the Boise State/Nevada game this weekend in Reno which was originally set to air in the Boise area only. Two of the three biggest mid-major contests of the season have been saved by The Deuce...the third biggest is also this weekend in Salt Lake City on Versus (BYU/Utah). What a "mid-major" weekend!

The Vegas people feel that the prime time match up of Texas Tech at Oklahoma this coming Saturday will have a total combined score (Over/Under) of 77 points between the two teams. Judging by the fact that Oklahoma is currently the nation's No. 1 ranked scoring offense and Texas Tech is No. 3, their averages say the point total comes closer to 99 points. Reaching the century mark is not out of the question. On another side note...the quarterback battle between Sam Bradford and Graham Harrell could be for the Heisman Trophy. Oh yeah, and the game also could determine one of the opponents in the BCS National Championship Game. Good thing that one isn't for ESPN subscribers only.