Should college football use a 8 team playoff

   The sport of College Football currently uses a flawed points ranking system to find the best football team. A points ranking system uses 4 different major components to rank college football teams:

1.) Subjective Polls- Which includes the USA Today Coaches, AP, Harris, and ESPN Polls. The people within these poll brands are media people, former players and university officials, and coaches themselves. They rank teams based off of expertise, experience, bias, emotions, and opinions without any rules or regulation. All of their final choices (or final polls) are averaged together and make up 50 percent of the final poll factor.

2.) Computer Polls- Are usually taken from an average of 8 Computers Polls. These Computers Polls account for the remaining 50 percent of the whole formula. Each Computer Poll ranks certain teams at a particular place for a reason with a math formula. A math formula makes the Computer Polls the most controversial part of the rankings system. The logical math formula will purposely make choices somewhat differently than subjective opinions of the AP or ESPN Polls for example (Causing a different opinions to clash). Teams are given a certain number of points for their performance in each category. The values are then totaled to produce a team's final score (Subjective and Computer Poll). The final scores of each team determine where the teams are ranked.

3.) Strength of a team's schedule- Now, here's how the Computer Poll chooses to rank each team. A team's schedule proves to be the key ingredient for computer poll and BCS Poll (Which uses Computers). The Computer Poll determines the cumulative win/loss records of a team's opponents (Counts for 66 2/3 percent of the final), the cumulative won/loss records of the opponents' opponents (Counts for 33 1/3 of the final), Add A+B and rank the results in ascending order from No. 1- No.117, and finally takes that rank and divides by 25. The major contributor to the final result for the Computer Poll stands as the Strength of a team's schedule.

4.) Number of Losses/Quality of wins- The fourth major component goes deeper into how the Computer Polls make it's final cuts. While, the wins and loss are counted. The Computer Polls must make tough decisions (especially at the end of the season) and this step explains how. The number of loses are used if two teams are in the midst of battling for one spot and have played a comparable level of competition. According to the logic of the Computer Poll, the team with the better record has an slight advantage. A team will be moved down in the rankings due to a loss. However, due to the quality of wins component that was added in 2001. The ranking of a team also depends on who that team beats and how well they beat them. For example, if a team with a 11-1 record ranks at number 4 and then beats the number 1 team by fifty points. Even though the team currently ranked at 2 remained undefeated. The previously ranked number 4 team could be easily be placed at 1 while, the number 2 ranked could remain ranked at number 2.

The last three major components of the list pertain to the Computer Polls. One would figure that the logical side and subjective side together would equal out to the points ranking system being absolutely correct. Unfortunately, the points ranking system fails year after year at locating the best team in College Football. Many fans who closely follow the sport are aware now that the current College Football point ranking system does not work. The 2012-2013 Notre Dame football team just proved the current system's flaws last season. Notre Dame beat every team on their schedule and finished the regular season ranked at number 1. Notre Dame went undefeated all season long and then got badly defeated 42-14 in the championship game by Alabama. ND looked to be unproven and they did not even deserve to play in the championship game. Alabama had lost one game that season to Texas A&M (Ala Lost 24 to Tex 29) and seemed to be at an disadvantage heading into the championship game. Alabama was ranked just below Notre Dame at number 2 heading into the championship game. Even though, the points ranking system says that the best team wins all of their regular season games. Each team of College Football learned that winning all regular season games does not equate to being the best team in College Football.

We also can see higher ranked teams with the best record losing to lower ranked teams in the lower ranks too. Louisville lost twice in the regular season so, they got bumped down to number twenty-one in the rankings. The number twenty-one ranked Louisville Cardinals went on to clearly beat the number 3 ranked (With only 1 loss at the time) Florida Gators 33-23 in the 2012 Sugar Bowl game. Still, the ranking system was wrong here too. So, the idea that a team cannot beat other teams ranked 8 spots or more ahead of them is out of the question. The Louisville Cardinals just proved that the points ranking system does not work. Hey, there was even a high school team in Georgia. called the Colquitt Packers. The Packers lost 5 times in the 2010 regular season. However though, the Packers still went on to play for state championship. Yes, the Packers whooped every playoff team placed in front in of them. Since, the world of College Football witnessed the number twenty-one ranked Louisville Cardinals beating a team ranked at number 3. The proposed 4 team playoffs at the end of the season (Set to start 2014 football season) still will not prove who is the best football team for every season. College Football has a rare opportunity now as it can have the first system to truly gauge who is the best team.

The new system involves a points ranking system balanced with a 8 team playoff at the end of the season. This new system keeps the winning teams at the top and better ensures the accuracy of the point system (Making us all more happy). College Football would have to give up (Or make some serious changes to) bowl games. However, giving all 8 top teams a chance to be number 1 and prove that they are supposed to be the best team would be quite satisfying.

http://assets.espn.go.com/ncf/s/explainbcs.html - Explains the College Football ranking system

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1478808-if-anythi ng-alabama-vs-notre-dame-proved-we-need-a-college-fo otball-playoff- Click the link to see how Alabama beat Notre Dame.

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=323150 333 - Final Score of Texas A&M and Alabama game

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/gametracker /live/NCAAF_20130102_LVILLE@FLA - Click here to see the official numbers

of the Louisville Cardinals vs Florida Gators 2012 Sugar bowl game.

http://ga.prepcountry.com/?t=5&w=1&sc=73&s=1&tm=1&wy=2011 - Click the link the see the Packers season record in 2010. The Colquitt lost 5 times during the football season in 2010 and then made it all the way to the championship game to face Brookwood. Count the loses for yourself. They lost the in the championship game but, that was one wonderful season.