Are You Ready for Some Football! (Fair & Balanced Fred Barnes Weighs In)

Weekly Standard ^ | 4-8-03 | Fred Barnes

[putupon]

Are You Ready for Some Football!

A move to expand the ACC makes the dream of an NCAA playoff in football a real possibility. Here's how it should work.
by Fred Barnes 05/08/2003 12:00:00 AM

THE GOOD NEWS in college athletics is the Atlantic Coast Conference is considering expanding from 9 teams to 12. The better news is that this would give the mid-Atlantic and East a premier conference to match the Big Ten, Southeastern Conference, Big 12, and PAC 10. The best news is that a bigger, stronger ACC that reaches into New York, New England and south Florida would make possible what all America wants: a playoff series to determine the national college football champion.

Nobody likes the current system, the Bowl Championship Series (BCS). Yes, we've read about its complicated method of determining the two teams to play in the national championship game. But I couldn't explain it to anyone. It's too arcane. Sure, sometimes the two best teams actually are picked. That happened last season when Ohio State played Miami and won with the help of a bad pass-interference call. More often than not, it's merely a coincidence when the BCS chooses the best two teams to meet.

An 8-team playoff series would be more credible and more fun and would truly test the team that emerges as number one. No one would doubt that team's claim to the title. There would be no conflict in polls. There would be nothing for Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon to disagree about on "PTI."

How would it work? The five big conference winners would get automatic berths: Big Ten (which has 11 teams), Southeastern Conference (12), Big 12, PAC 10, and the ACC (12). The other three would be wild cards. Football independents like Notre Dame would thus be able to get into the playoffs. Strong teams that didn't win their conference championship game would still have a chance to compete for the national title. In fact, one conference might have three or even four teams in the playoffs.

How does the ACC fit in? At least five major conferences are needed to make the thing work. Otherwise it will just be the BCS all over again with too many teams picked by subjective means or by a computer or by misleading comparisons of scores. That last measure consists of declaring Purdue superior to Auburn because Purdue beat Vanderbilt by 25 points and Auburn whipped Vandy by only 19 points. Nonsense.

But five teams that won the conference championship games would provide a solid base for playoffs. Six would be better, but it's hard to imagine enough good football schools to form such a conference. Perhaps some teams could be plucked from Conference USA, the shrunken Big East, the WAC--nah, wouldn't work.

The new ACC would consist of the 9 current members--Maryland, Virginia, UNC, Duke, Wake Forest, NC State, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida State--and the three new ones--Boston College, Syracuse, and Miami. It would have north and south divisions, the winner of which would meet in the conference championship played at a prominent stadium such as the Meadowlands or FedEx Field. The ACC is already a top conference in basketball. Expansion would make it one in football.

BC, Syracuse, and Miami have an incentive to leave the Big East. It's basically a basketball conference. Five members--Seton Hall, Georgetown, Providence, St. John's, and Connecticut--don't play serious Division I football (or any football at all). In the enlarged ACC, these three would compete against tougher teams and enhance their status as football powers--though they already have good reputations and don't play many patsies.

The truth is the ACC should have followed the lead of the Big 12 and Southeastern Conference and expanded years ago. The conference tried to lure Miami and failed, but it should have thought bigger. If Syracuse and BC were joining, Miami might have been more willing back then--and today.

Two other enlargements are needed to achieve five 12-team conferences. The Big Ten got to 11 with Penn State and now should add Pitt to reach 12. The PAC 10 situation is tougher because there aren't two obvious additions. I suggest BYU, which is big time in football, and Hawaii, which is getting there rapidly. The University of Utah is an acceptable alternative, as is Colorado State.

The ACC moved up a notch in football when Florida State joined. With the 3 migrants from the Big East, it would reach the level of the other large conferences. More important, the ACC is the missing link in the creation of postseason playoffs that would crown an indisputable national champion in college football.

Fred Barnes is executive editor of The Weekly Standard.

[putupon]

Thats it, Fred Basrnes approves. Fair and Balanced. Go Hoos!

[Celtjew Libertarian]

I'd make it more like the NCAA basketball tournament and expand the playoffs to 16 teams give the weaker division 1A conferences a berth as well. OK, North Texas State vs. Miami may not be your cup of tea... until an upset happens. (And I bet that, say, the University of Cincinnati would just be chomping at the bit to get a shot at Ohio State.) After all, what's the point of calling a conference 1A, if its teams don't get at least a shot at winning the national championship?

BTW, since Notre Dame plays basketball in the Big East, why not add them to the football conference, as well? OK, they like having their independence.

[F-117A]

Barf!

[mwyounce]

I just hope that they don't leave out C-USA or the other I-A conferences if there is a change. Any I-A school should have a legitimate shot at the national title, just as any 1-AA, II, or III school does in their playoffs. Funny that they can have a playoff but I-A can't....

[Bob J]

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[Howlin]

The new ACC would consist of the 9 current members--Maryland, Virginia, UNC, Duke, Wake Forest, NC State, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida State--and the three new ones--Boston College, Syracuse, and Miami.

NOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!

[speedy]

Is this true that those three are leaving the Big East? What about Virginia Tech? Did not know Beatle Barnes was such a college football aficionado.

[putupon]

since Notre Dame plays basketball in the Big East, why not add them to the football conference, as well?

Because ND has refused all offers to join conferences up to now, they could get in any conference they wanted to. The NCAA gives them a special exepmtion to get an invite to the BCS when they have a good team because they are Notre Dame.

[Crawdad]

Rollll...Never mind.

[putupon]

The Big Money comes from the Mass/NY market. VaTech doesn't have a big TV draw out of the region, they can't get the req'd 7 votes from the ACC members, and they have a rotten basketball program. The expanded ACC will have the entire east coast for a market, with the premium Hoops and a football program to rival the SEC.

[mwyounce]

Rollll...Never mind.

It's rollin' baby!

[Paradox]

That would be a VERY competitive conference in both football and with Syracuse, basketball. I like this idea, the Big East and ACC conferences, in football, are one hit wonders for the most part.

[putupon]

Did not know Beatle Barnes was such a college football aficionado.

Fred Barnes, Brit Hume, and Larry Sabato were classmates at The University , thank you very much.

[Hokie Bird]

From what I can see, the plan is in place, leaving out Va Tech and WVU. Both small markets with strong football programs but weak basketball teams in recent history. Pittsburgh would be an interesting choice (at least as interesting as Syracuse) for the ACC as they would bring solid programs and a large market.

So, where do the others end up? Pittsburgh as the 12th team in the Big "10?" This would reinforce the rivalry with Penn St. at the expense of the rivalry with West Virginia. For the Hokies and 'Eers? Conference USA? Perish the thought. Temple, Rutgers -- sorry, Temple's out anyway and Rutgers, well, is Rutgers.

And the wild card is Notre Dame. Do they stay independent, join up with the Big 10(11) or come together with VT, Pitt and WVU to create a new conference with some other teams?

Should be an interesting summer...

[speedy]

Okay, I'll take the bait. Just to get a food fight going on this thread, could you tell us exactly which school is The University you refer to? I think I know who you mean because of Sabato, but let's see if we can get a little set-to underway.

[putupon]

exactly which school is The University you refer to?

Mr. Jefferson's University

[speedy]

Didn't he attend William and Mary? Okay, just yanking your chain. Lots of good friends from UVA!!

[billbears]

Well if Fred Barnes and the Weekly Standard are for it, that makes up my mind for me. I'm definitely against it.

[noutopia]

Love to see it. Clemsux would never have a winning season in football.

[putupon]

Didn't he attend William and Mary?

Yes, Mr Jefferson did attend Bill and Mary