GOOD SPORT: BCS makes room for underdog teams

Columnist Carter Johnson

Columnist Carter Johnson

The BCS system is a three-game college showcase designed to ensure that the top two teams in the country meet in the national championship football game. This year the Sugar Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl are semifinals on Dec. 31, and the championship game will be on Jan. 9.

People have argued about college football rankings for decades, even about the BCS system put in place in 2014. Honestly, a play-off system is better because it gives other teams a chance to get to the championship other than just the larger, more popular schools. The BCS system allows an underdog to rise higher.

There are people who still think a play-off system isn’t the best idea, but I have to disagree. Having a play-off system makes each game more exciting and nerve racking. It makes the lesser known teams motivated to show people what they’re made of with the possibility of a national championship for their teams. Imagine what this would have done for Boise State or TCU a few years ago. In the past, a tournament of this sort was frowned upon because of the need to control the football postseason and the money it generated. In other words, greed was ruining college football.

One semifinal match up is the Sugar Bowl involving Clemson and Ohio State, both of which are big names in college football.

If you think only the billboard teams should be in the BCS championship, put yourself in the position of a smaller market team. Wouldn’t you like to have a chance to go all the way and beat a top-ranked team. Wouldn’t you like to see a team with heart and will go all the way. Who doesn’t like an underdog story?

I like the system, and I hope an underdog team wins which I guess means the Washington Huskies. Their coach, Chris Peterson has a 119-25 record over his nine year college career which he spent most of at Boise State. The Huskies face Alabama in the Peach Bowl semifinal. Alabama Coach Nick Saban has a 209-60 win career mark in his 21 years coaching. Alabama has a lot of success due to its big name recruiting, but hopefully Peterson can pull off a win. It certainly would make the whole process more interesting if the big names like Alabama weren’t always on top.