Understanding the BCS

You may have heard it called the Bowl Crap Series or Beyond Common Sense. However, BCS actually stands for Bowl Championship Series, and it’s the system that determines which college teams play in the BCS Bowl Games and most importantly, the National Championship Game.

In order to understand the post-season,

you must understand the BCS.

The BCS made simple … well, simpler at least

BCS History:

  • Created in 1998
  • It consists of 4 Bowl Games: Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, and Orange Bowl
  • Originally the National Championship Game rotated between the 4 Bowls.
  • In 2006, the BCS made a slight change allowing for the 4 Bowl Games and a separate National Championship Game.
  • Now, 10 teams make the final BCS cut. 8 teams are featured in the BCS Bowl Games, and the top 2 teams compete in the BCS National Championship Game

(The BCS Bowl Games should not to be confused with the 35 total post-season bowl games played throughout the country. The BCS Bowl Games are the most prestigious bowl games in college football.)

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How the 10 BCS teams are chosen:

(Note: This is an over-simpflied explanation of the BCS process. I have tried to give you the most basic information needed to understand and talk about the BCS.)

First, the BCS Rankings

Each team receives a score based on a complex system of averages, percentages, and points. The score is calculated by the following:

  • 1/3 USA Today Coaches Poll
  • 1/3 Harris Interactive College Football Poll
  • 1/3 Computer Rankings (The computer ranking score is created by the average of 6 separate computer ranking formulas).

The team’s scores are ranked in numerical order creating the BCS Top 25 Rankings. So, the Top 10 teams compete in the BCS Bowl Games, right? WRONG. I told you, nothing about this is simple.

Okay, on to the next complicated (if not controversial) factor, BCS Automatic Qualifying (AQ) Conferences

  • There are 6 BCS Automatic Qualifying (AQ) conferences: ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC.
  • The conference champion from each of the AQ conferences receives a guaranteed spot within the 5 BCS bowl games, regardless of BCS ranking.
  • So, the top 2 teams with the highest BCS rankings play in the National Championship Game
  • The 8 remaining BCS spots are filled first by the AQ conference champions, and then from the highest remaining BCS ranked teams.
  • Teams from the 5 non-AQ conferences and 4 Independent Schools are eligible for the remaining spots (for more on conferences click here)

Extra Point: a BCS Buster is a team from a Non-AQ conference that earns a spot in a BCS Bowl Game.

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BCS Confusion:

  • As you can see, the BCS Bowl Games feature 10 of the top ranked teams NOT the top 10 teams… get it?
  • For example: Last year, West Virginia played in the Orange Bowl because it was the Big East Conference Champion. It was ranked #23 in the BCS rankings. And consequently, Arkansas was ranked #6 in the BCS rankings, yet did not play in a BCS Bowl Game because no more than 2 teams from each AQ conference can play in BCS Bowl Games. 10 of the top ranked teams, NOT the top 10 teams.

Okay, I think it’s time out for a quick mental break. Let me re-introduce you to some old football friends … Tim, Tom, and Tony

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Let’s now look at the future of the BCS:

For years, fans, coaches, and media members have been calling for a play-off system in college football. Most people have criticized the BCS, the conference commissioners, and university presidents for being resistant to any change to the BCS system because of the amount of money generated by the BCS bowl system. Earlier this year, the BCS finally announced that a compromise has been reached allowing for a 4 team college football play-off beginning with the 2014-2015 season.

It was also reported this week that the ESPN TV deal for the new play-off system is worth $475 million/year for 12 years.

One of the few details we know regarding the new play-off system is the introduction of a selection committee.

  • A selection committee will rank the teams to compete in the play-off. Among the factors the selection committee will consider: win-loss records, strength of schedules, head-to-head results and conference championships.

The new play-off system is sure to prove as controversial and polarizing as the current BCS system. Why just 4 teams in the play-off? Why not 8 or 16? No matter how many teams are in the play-off, deserving teams will still be left out. And, the selection committee will certainly be accused of bias. Although the play-off system is finally here, the discussion has just begun! Cheers to 2015!

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Extra Point: The Polls

  • AP Top 25: compiled from votes by 60 sportswriters and broadcasters from across the nation.
  • USA Today Coaches Poll: compiled by a 59 FBS (Division IA) Head coaches. However, it is common knowledge that the head coaches rarely make the vote, rather someone else on the coaching staff. This poll is calculated in the BCS formula.
  • The Harris Interactive Poll: comprised of 115 panelists and includes former coaches, players, administrators and current and former media. (The poll was created in 2005 when the AP Poll decided it no longer wanted to be a part of the BCS formula).
  • The Computer: calculated through several complex and confidential formulas (even the BCS doesn’t doesn’t know the exact formulas). While the formulations are kept a mystery (intellectual property), we do know they are a combination of wins/losses and strength of schedule (who you beat matters). The BCS does NOT allow margin of victory to be a factor (winning by 2 points or 20 points counts the same).
Whew! That was a long one!

 

 

Category: Football